Pacifiers Anonymous

So did you ever think that at a mere 16 months our dear Barret would need to join some sort of club to get rid of his addiction? That's right friends, our Barret is truly addicted to the pacifier. He can't let it go, he can't get it out of his head, and he will try anything he can just to get ahold of it.
Now, I've never been addicted to anything so I don't know what the process is like, but I can imagine that it isn't all that wonderful. To give up something you love, in this case a silly pacifier, when you know it just makes you happy to use it seems ludicrous. So far he really doesn't seem to have too many side effects and really the only time he breaks down to his low point is if he sees Levi enjoying that wonderful suck of the pacifier.

Since January we have been slowly trying to ween Barret of this habit and it became almost like a special treat around February when he was only aloud to use it during nap time and bed time. He was really good with this and it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. I was getting really excited thinking that we would be pacifier free by the end of the summer until just recently. As you know Levi is a crier so the pacifier has been thought to be our saving grace. However, Levi doesn't really give much interest toward the pacifier leaving it ripe for the picking when he spits it out moments later. And of course, our stealthy little mister is right there to swipe it. It immediately plugs the mouth, no questions, he sports a little smirk and gives a little giggle and he's gone. There's no catching him without your running shoes. No joke. Then once you finally catch him and your out of breath and your telling him for the twenty millionth time that he is a big boy and big boys don't need pacifiers you pull it from his mouth and put it up on the shelf and he lets out a long, loud, and high pitch scream, followed by a sobbing cry. It's like we are robbing him of his joy.
I can't tell you how many times a day I give in to the crying and take it away after he is focused on something else and he doesn't notice it is gone. It's horrible and I feel terrible for taking away something he loves but it must be done.

So, if you know of any other young toddlers that need to join a Pacifiers Anonymous group let me know and we can start one up. Barret would love to share with you his feelings on the lovely habit :)