Bye, Bye, Binky

Photo courtesy of Bean & Sprout Photography
Linnea 14 months

We have spent the last 19 months in Binky bliss. From the moment Linnea was born she instantly took to her binky, and for those first three and half months of colic I don't think any of us would of survived without the binky. Once the cloud of colic departed we still enjoyed all the wonderful benefits of having a binky baby. Out in public and the babe gets fussy pop the binky in the mouth. Out with friends and it is way pass bedtime what to do to avoid a cranky babe-pop the binky in. The babe wakes up in the middle of the night, and this is the best, she pops the binky in her mouth and goes instantly to sleep.


A few days old and enjoying the binky bliss

We have all loved every moment of our binky baby, and as a result have pushed out the date of departure by months. Originally we had planned to say good bye at her first birthday, but none of us had the heart to do it. So the next good bye date was 18 months, we figured we would slowly ween her from it. But somehow 18 months rolled on by and we sort of forgot about getting rid of the binky. Now she is 19 months and we know the binky has to go. So Joe and I gathered the binkies together and told L "You are a such big girl now, that it is time to say bye, bye to the binkies. Will you help us throw them away?" Linnea grabbed a binky from our pile, put it in her mouth, and walked to the trash can like a good little solider. We handed her another binky, she took the one out of her mouth and put it into the trash, and then put the new one in her mouth till we handed her the next. It was as if it was her own way to say good bye.

All was well till bed time. We had cut the binky to bed time and nap time only so we knew the battle would be getting fierce. Our bedtime routine was going as normal, until Joe put her in her crib. "Bini", points to her mouth then points to the shelf the binkies were formally kept. "No, binkies went bye, bye, we threw them away, remember?" Then a very shrill, "NOOOOOO!" and lots of screaming to follow. This routine went on for about 45 minutes till L finally screamed her self into exhaustion. She slept until midnight and then we went through the routine again. With the nice variation of her calming down with me sitting in the rocking chair (L in the crib), with a night-light on in the hallway, and her bedroom door cracked. I left while she was still awake and making sucking sounds with her mouth. As long as her door was cracked and the light was on she was fine and soon fell asleep. She woke up at 7 am (an hour and half earlier than normal) asked for a "bini" (as L says) when told no she asked to get up. Nap time didn't happen today, she couldn't get herself asleep.

Linnea likes her sleep as we all know, and this sleep disturbance has not been pretty. As a resutl a "first" happened today. After a cranky no nap afternoon a very, very, very exhausted L fell asleep at her dinner! I was bit shocked since it had never happened before. I quickly tried taking some pictures without the flash, and then got her in bed. Moving her woke her up, and the painful asking for a binky resumed.

I think we have a few very rough days and nights ahead of us, and I am just praying for the Lord to be Linnea's comfort. Poor baby. Oops, I mean poor little girl, for babies get binkies and little girls don't.

What's a girl without a binky to do?