No more binkie

Taking away a binkie is really hard. At least for Mommy. Claire doesn't seem to be enjoying it too much either. She cried when I told her she was a big girl and didn't need them anymore. She cried when I put her in her bed, she cried when she looked in the drawer for one. She only didn't cry if I was holding her, but that isn't any way to be. So she cried and talked and babbled and threatened for almost an hour. When I would go in there, she was sitting in her crib just looking around, crying. You can tell she is sad, and she wants the binkie. But she finally went to sleep. I'm hoping she doesn't wake up at all tonight. Not sure I am up for middle of the night crying. Usually, when she gets up in the middle of the night, I give her a cup of milk, cover her up, show her the binkie and put it next to her, then leave the room. She drinks what she wants, then grabs her binkie and goes to sleep. She doesn't sleep with it all night. But she wants it when she is going to sleep. I know I can do this. Alann was already talking about giving in. But I just need to do it. She is already much more attached to the thing than I ever wanted her to be. And now I know for the next one. Just take it away when they are about one and life will go on. She was still very much "if I see it I want it" in Feb. Now, she takes me to the drawer to get her one at random points throughout the day. It's probably partly my fault. I intended to make them just for sleeping starting in January, but then she got sick so I let her have it during the day. Then Daddy got a job in Feb and was gone more than we anticipated for the semester and so she missed him and sometimes it was just easier to give her the binkie when she wanted Daddy. Then she figured out where they live and would start taking me to get her one when she wanted it. I tried to tell her no, but she is very insistent, as any one-year old is. There is only so much whining and crying one mommy can take in a day. Oh well, we will all survive. Tonight is just the beginning. Here's hoping she transitions well and tomorrow is much much easier.