up, up and away in my beautiful balloon

::update:: maggie did FABULOUS last night! there was no crying, no demanding, only the pure delight of child who is so very proud of herself! this morning she yelled out "i slept without my paci! i can do it! i said 'bye bye paci!'" sweet girl of mine::

it was time. but oh it is hard to say goodbye. maggie loves her paci. and quite frankly, so do we. on long car rides, long nights, early mornings, man, we love that thing. but it was time to say goodbye to the paci. it has become an unhealthy addiction. she is only allowed to have it in her bed. so recently, she'll say, "i'm tired." and go sit on her bed and suck her paci. i'm telling you, its her bff. but its also her enemy.
the last few weeks she's been waking up in the middle of the night asking for it, i mean, screaming for it. um, no thank you. it has to go. and last night at 4am, husband crawls back in bed and says, tomorrow night, we get the balloons.

we've been talking about the balloons for some time with maggie. and how her paci's are going away on the balloons to help other babies. she was very excited about that idea. but this afternoon when it was time to tie them on the balloons she became very hesitant. thankfully, lots of her friends were outside, so we just went and sat on the steps and her friends gathered round and she became excited. (we're so thankful we have little neighbors!)

it was slightly anti-climactic for the adults since lift off didnt take too well. but we took the paci's off and stuffed them in pockets before the kids realized. then we all waved goodbye and sent them on their merry way. all the kids were shouting "bye bye pacis!!!!!!" it was very encouraging for maggie. and her little friend nathan brought her some play-do as a "congratulations, you entered real toddlerhood." she wouldnt put the playdo down.

so we are either in for a night of hell or a night of bravery for the little one. during dinner she kept saying, "i am going to bed without a paci!" and we would clap. we told her if she wakes up then to hold her teddy tight and fall back asleep. she kept repeating that too during dinner, i think to pump herself up.
and when mojo was putting her to bed she would say, "where's the pacis? they are all gone!" i am assuming we are in for a night of hell, but that little one does surprise us so.


good ol' teddy

proud of herself

she asked us to take one of her pretending to sleep without the paci. so funny.

mojo said, give me a pretty smile...and this is what she gave him