Giving Up Bubi

Prior to blogging, I kept a message board to keep up with friends and family through pregnancy and mommyhood.  I'm working on bringing those posts to this blog. 

Bubi, Teagan's pacifier, is lost. Disappeared during naptime (yesterday) at Lisa's house. We searched and searched.

Jeff and I have been building up the idea of the Bubi Fairy coming and taking her bubi when she turns 3. 

Thinking on the fly, I made up a big old story about the fairy having a paci emergency and needing a paci right away for a baby. And the fairy knew that Teagan was big enough to handle it. We then looked to see if the fairy had left T's present anywhere... nope. So we decided Daddy could take her to the store to pick out a special present.

Get home and I quickly tell Jeff what's up (with T in the car so she can't hear). He remembers that one of her b-day presents (that I had picked up on clearance) is in the back of his car- a Cinderella dress up set. So that becomes the gift.

And I had a couple of other things tucked around the house. 

So we spoiled her like crazy last night- extra presents from the fairy because of the emergency situation, her favorite dinner (still frozen fishsticks with still frozen peas and very much cooked mac n cheese), watching her favorite holiday movie (she chose Rudolph- she loves the classics).

She went to sleep- took about an hour. Had some pretty good crying spells. We, at first, coddled her and tried to persuade her and be extra gentle and so on. Then I realized that we were teaching her how to manipulate the situation. So I went back into mommy mode and laid down the law... she figured out to ask for what she needed for comfort and went to sleep amongst a stuffed kitty, a pooh bear, and 3 other teddy bears. And Sassy curled up in her bed.

This is not the week for my baby to become a girl. It's her last ounce of babyhood. She's already weaned. She's completely potty trained. She's becoming more and more independent in self care. From here on, it's developmental milestones and learning. This was the last little bit of her babyhood and it is gone.

I'm not ready and she's not really ready. Plus I think her molars are pushing through a bit more and that's thrown her into this totally different child- tantrums and bad behavior at Lisa's yesterday. So she feels crappy which always makes her want bubi even more and now bubi is gone. And even if LIsa happens to find it, we aren't going to give it to her. Once you give it up, there is no turning back. Especially not if Mommy and Daddy want to keep an ounce of credibility!!

She slept okay last night. Several wakings and crying about bubi but it generally only lasted a few minutes and she would go back into a fitful sleep. 

I am prepared... if she happens to be the one to find the pacifier at Lisa's house... she can then choose. Keep all the presents or keep bubi. That's the big thing in all this... what makes it so hard... she didn't have a choice. She got forced into this position through no fault of anyone's. Sometimes things just happen and we just have to deal with them. Tough lesson to learn when you aren't even 3 yet!!

The gifts... 
A Cinderella dress up set- dress, heeled shoes, crown, purse
2 new nightgowns- Minnie fleece and a Cinderella princess one
Ariel (Little Mermaid) tea set

And this morning, since she "made it" through the night without bubi, she got a doctor's kit.

So I'm back to square one for her birthday. But I think all the new things will help with getting through this. I think. I hope.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. It might be a very difficult weekend. I'm prepared for teething, no bubi, a frequently nursing baby, tantrums, and trying to get the house cleaned up.

Aaaaaaah, Motherhood!

Gotta say... my main support people have come through for me, though. Friends have been so supportive. My mom about made me cry on the phone last night telling me how proud she is of me. Jeff has been helping around the house and being super involved with the kids and was so fantastic in our bubi crisis. Thank heavens for friends and family!!

She's doing better and better. Bubi was found at Lisa's (by Lisa) and has been tucked away. As far as T knows, bubi is gone, gone, gone. 

She has a little trouble settling down when it is time to sleep. To be expected, of course. She has to learn how to calm herself without her pacifier. So there are some battles but overall, it is getting smoother each day. 

Here are some pics of my big girl, enjoying her new gifts from the bubi fairy...

Here she is in her crown


crown and princess heels


and the dress


and there is nothing better than a tea party in your new nightie




Jan 22: She very sweetly asked for it last night- no tears, no whining. Just asked. I reminded her that bubi is gone... and she was fine. Actually went to sleep pretty easy last night!