Saying Good-bye

Turning one and becoming a toddler meant saying good-bye to a few of Bayden's favorite things.  It's possible that we were more attached to these than Bayden.

The week before her birthday, daycare let me know that they would start giving her smaller bottles because the day she's one, she's done with the bottle there.  It seemed so drastic, but I trusted them.  She wasn't their first baby.  We decided to continue the night time bottle at home until she had her 1 year check up.  Of course nicu mom brain was thinking "I hate to just rip all these calories away from her."  One night while giving her the bed time bottle, Gavin said, "I can't imagine not giving this to her, it makes her so happy before bed."  The Monday after her birthday, no bottle at daycare.  They said she cried when she saw the other babies getting their bottles and they would give her a sippy cup and distract her and she'd be fine.  The next day, she didn't seem to notice.  About a week later, we went in for her check up and I asked the doctor about the bottle.  He said go ahead and use up what formula we had left, but then be done.  You are more attached to it than she is and she doesn't need it.  He said to give her a sippy of a little milk and a snack instead and she'll be fine.  We probably had a week left of formula and then we kept our same routine except instead of making a bottle to bring downstairs, I brought her milk and a snack.  Didn't even phase her and we did just fine too!

The next thing was the pacifier.  She only had it at nap and at bed time, but she went to bed so good, we were scared.  We decided to wait until I was out of school in case it meant a couple rough nights.  Part of me thought just let her keep it beings it was only in her crib, but I could see her loving it a little more each day.  If we were in her room and she saw it in her crib, she would try and reach for it.  Then there is the issue of another baby coming.  I didn't want her taking the baby's pacifier.  So, one Thursday night in mid June, I put her to bed without it.  She knew right away.  I had done the usual, turned on her sound machine and music, laid her down, and covered her up, but no paci.  She looked so sad, but I had to stay strong and stepped out.  I let her cry of 10 minutes and then went to try and rock her.  She wanted nothing to do with me.  I laid her back down and left.  After another 30 minutes (while I searched online for taking paci's away) I went to try and rock her again.  This time she cuddled up and fell asleep instantly.  I laid her down.  She was up about an hour and a half later, I rubbed her back and she fell back asleep for the rest of the night.  Night 2 was a little better, but she woke up at 11:00 screaming and it didn't seem like it was for her paci.  We gave her some motrin and Gavin rocked her.  The next day, she had her mouth wide open for some ice cream and we noticed a big new tooth in the back.  Sorry baby!  It took 4 nights, but now she goes down great and sleeps all night.  I suppose she'll still recognize them when the baby comes, but she is so much cuter without a paci in her mouth!

So, Bayden is ready to be a big sister!  Not for another 7 weeks though!