More Toddler Woes: Giving Up Nummy

For the past several nights, MaryEvyn has been waking up at, well, inconvenient hours. 12:30am, 2am, 5am...she stumbles into our room, usually goes to Reed's side of the bed, and woefully announces that she cannot find her nummy. My sweet, patient husband replies in one of two ways, "Go look under your pillow", or "Go back to bed!"...sometimes both. Every now and then he'll go help her find it. Why don't I do it, you ask? Because I have apparently gained the ability typically touted by newborns' daddies of not hearing/registering a thing. I just don't hear her. If I do, it is too late and Reed has already responded to her. I'm not exactly sure if losing her nummy is what is waking her or if it's something else and she then realizes she doesn't have it within reach. Whatever the cause, enough is enough.

She has been in a whining and foul mood, eats hardly anything, and cries about everything because she's so tired. This morning (after coming into our room at least 3 or 4 times last night), she came into my bed at the normal time (about 7) and told me she wanted breakfast. But she promptly fell asleep right next to me, which NEVER happens. So I let her sleep. She didn't wake until 8:30. So, it's time.

I have given her all of the reasons and done everything that I rationally can to help her understand that it's time. The nummy has to go. Here are my thoughts:

1. The nummy could be the reason she's waking up, so that is reason #1, and I've told her that.

2. It could possibly begin to mess up her teeth. I've heard conflicting reports on this, but it's enough to make me wonder and use this as reason #2, also given to Evy.

3. She is going to be 3 in just a few days and is a big girl, so it's time.

4. I just can't bring myself to intentionally lie to those big, beautiful, trusting blue eyes. So I won't tell her we're giving it to some poor child in Africa who doesn't have one, or to Santa, or the Nummy Fairy. I just can't do it. She's just going to have to be a big girl and give it up.

So, there's a fair amount of crying and gnashing of teeth over here today. As I write this, she is begging alternately for her nummy and for me to not spank her. (The spanking is for getting up and out of her room at naptime - not for the nummy. I've so far only had to do it once.) Now she's reading in her room quietly. We'll see how this goes.

Thing is, there's kind of no turning back now. I mean, if I give in after any and all of this, it will only be worse. So, now that it's started and the crying is real, there's no way I'm going to go through this for nothing. We have to be strong and do this!

Bye, bye, Nummy!