Yesterday Garrett had his second dentist appointment. Other than being terrified when we initially went back, he was wonderful. He let the dentist brush his teeth with a regular toothbrush and the spinney brush. He let him poke and prod with metal instruments. And the dentist commented that there was no plaque and we were all doing a great job.
Except his jaw. Apparently, his jaw is slightly askew as a result of his addiction to the pacifier. He suggested that we cut it out as soon as possible. I'm sure the look on my face said something along the lines of, You have got to be kidding me. You are talking about my one and only baby. My INFANT running around in the body of a toddler. I'm not ready to see his cherub face in the morning without a pacifier hanging out of his mouth. I'm not ready to make him part with his beloved paci. Go away, evil dentist, and ruin someone else's life.
But I know that there is no time like the present. It won't get any easier for me and it certainly won't be any easier for him. All the way home we talked about how the dentist told us that the paci is hurting Garrett's teeth and he can't have it anymore. Then we put him down for a nap and it was only torture for a few minutes before he crashed.
Last night was a different story. I put him down at 8:45. I sang. I laid on the floor. I held his hand. I sang, laid on the floor and held his hand all at the same time. I rubbed his back. I sang outside of his door. As long as I was singing he only whimpered for his pacifier every few minutes. But when I stopped singing he shrieked.
"Want paci now! Want mommy! Want daddy, too! Want paci. Neeeeeeeeeeddd paci!" He continuously threw his blanket on the floor and then begged me to come and get it for him. He's perfectly capable of getting out of his own bed and retrieving his blankie. Finally, at 9:15 he opened his door and sobbed for me. I held him in the hallway until his hysterical sobbing turned to a whimper. That was all happening just as Troy got home from leading Youth Group. We gave Garrett a bear and put him back in bed and Troy sang him a couple of songs. By 9:30 he was out cold.
I'm hoping for a successful nap in the next twenty minutes. And I'm hoping that each day produces less tears. Wish me luck in the pacifier wars...
It's stories like this that make me appreciate the times NOW while my child is shrieking and fussing and all I can wish is - If only I could use a pacifier!!! (Shon's against them)
ReplyDeleteSo I suppose I can appreciate the future and not having the withdrawl period to have to go through.
Hope it gets better!
Hello Lori, we meet a couple of times before you all moved to Utah. Your mom is in my bible study group and on the women's ministry board with me now. i wanted to share my story with you. i totally understand the Pacifier War, I waited to long to get ride of my oldest pacifier. he is twelve now but for the last 2 years he has had braces not to straiten his teeth but to put his top row of teeth back in alignment with his bottom, from the years of being pushed out from the pacifier, next year we will start the braces for straitening, boohoo, LOL!
ReplyDeletei want to clarify that my son didn't have the pacifier for 12 years, LOL he had it for 4 years.
ReplyDeleteIf all he did was cry for it I think he did pretty good. Jessica screamed at the top of her lungs while continuously slamming her bedroom door. And when I say screamed I don't mean crying I mean screaming you know as if someone was beating the tar out of her. And we lived in an apartment at the time. I was expecting the cops to show up and haul me off for child abuse. She did this for two nights on the third night she just cried. By the forth night she was over it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read you post, I thought you said that Troy gave him a 'beer' instead of a bear.....lol. Then i thought....well, there's always that. Everyday will get better, I promise.
ReplyDeleteHAHA, I totally read "beer" at first too. I guess Mom gave the misreading gene to me. If he keeps screaming, that may not be a half-bad idea, though. You could at least throw the can at him in hopes to knock him unconscious.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I read "beer" too.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, you are the General in charge of this war. Be strong and consistent. No going back at this point. In fact, have you tossed ALL pacifiers in your possession? You will win. And the day he starts kindergarten, this will only be a faint and distant memory. J