Ding Dong the Paci's gone!

Well, sorta.

After my last couple of blogs on this issue and the comments and feedback I received I came to a very big decision.

It. Was. Time.

Although nearly everyone felt that waiting until she was two wasn't really a big deal I just felt like I needed to do it now.

So Wednesday morning, I asked Evie to come sit down on the couch and talk to me. Being a toddler, she gets a kick out of climbing and rushed to climb up onto the couch and plop down beside me.

I asked her if she was ready to be a big girl. "Yeah!"

Would you be willing to give all your pacis to your Sissy? Thoughtful pause. "Umm..."

What about if you got to pick out a new toy? "Yeah!"

Okay, so you'll give all your pacis to your sister for a new toy? "Umm,...yeah..."

Okay, well, let's ask Daddy what he thinks. "Yeah!"

Daddy thought that bribing Evie with a toy was a less than frugal idea. Especially since I would be the one going with her to choose a toy. And I do have a tendency to over indulge! But he thought it was a good idea. And with her dad's support Evie decided to that she would give her pacifiers to her sister and be a big girl.

She was super excited about going to Walmart and picking out a new toy. We spent 30 minutes just going up and down the toy aisles and looking at things. Evie is terrible at making decisions because she's only a toddler. And I'm terrible at making little decisions because...well, I just always have been. Needless to say I had to call Mimi twice for her opinion and it took us nearly an hour to pick out a toy.

I decided she would be better off with some sort of lovey item that she could replace the pacifier with. Something she could hug and love on. Something comforting.

 She picked out a fru-fru dog in a purse. I was not at all surprised because it has so many components that she loves!

First, a purple purse, with straps to go over her shoulder. She loves purses and purple seems to be her favorite color. And of course a soft fuzzy dog to stuff in the purse and carry wherever she goes.

It also has a cute little leash so she can drag it around behind her wherever she goes. She really loves putting the leashes on real dogs and dragging them around. The stuffed dog doesn't seem to mind as much as they do though. And the dog has a cape-type outfit that it wears. It is easy to take on and off, though Evie seems to want Mushu to wear it. Which of course he is firmly against.

And maybe some pieces she can chew on...when she really misses that pacifier.

All in all she is super happy with her purchase. However, when we got home and actually gave Sissy one of Evie's old pacis Evie cried. I had to set down with her and remind her she was a big girl and didn't need the pacifier. That the pacifier was for babies and she was a big girl now. And of course that she got this awesome new toy. I still got a little teared up at her pitiful pleas of "Momma..." and pointing at her pacifier in her sister's mouth while tears streamed down her face. And her pitiful nods and agreements as she tried to come to terms with what may be her first mature decision.

I bit back my own urge to cry and hugged Evie while she watched Elly suck away on what had been one of her most prized possessions. When she calmed down and wiped away her tears, Evie was initially mad at Sissy for so obviously enjoying what Evie could no longer have and completely ignored her. But before it was time to go to Mimi's for the day, Evie hugged Sissy and gave her a big kiss accented with a "Muah!"

We have survived almost 36 hours now with no pacifier. I'm excited. And I was loving all the talking Evie was doing this morning and the fact that Evie paid Sissy's pacifier absolutely no attention when she dropped it. Evie has been a little slow to get to sleep for naps the last two days but dozed off without a problem last night. Evie hasn't asked for a pacifier once so I feel like she's accepted this and maybe we won't hear anything else about it. She's been far more mature about the entire thing than I expected.

Our next big girl move? Potty training. But that one I'm perfectly content waiting til after she's two to deal with. I am so not ready for potty training!