Binkys and Ballerinas

Two very exciting things have happened around our house in the last week. Will start with the one that is most exciting for Mama...

Kellen's binky, also known as his "Ba", is now a thing of the past. That is right...the binky is history!! I went into this so scared and worried about how it would go getting Kellen to give it up, but honestly, I don't think it could have been any easier!

Since Kellen was about 10 months old he has been used to only having his binky when he slept in his crib and occasionally on long car rides. But it has been pretty limited with it's use for awhile now. But with the impending arrival of baby #3, I felt it very important to get him off the binky completely before there was another little guy in the house sucking on one. I figured it would just be WAY too hard to take it away if he saw his little brother using one.

So last Monday, before we started our night time ritual which included giving him his "Ba", I took All of them with me into the kitchen and snipped off the very tip of them. I really didn't cut hardly anything off because I wanted this to be a gradual thing. When we gave it to him during PJ time he put it in his mouth, pulled it back out and looked at it, tried it again. You could tell he was really confused. He started showing it to me and rambling away in gibberish, obviously trying to explain to me that something was seriously wrong with his "Ba". I just said, "Uh oh, I think it's broken" and tried to just act very casual about it, though a bit sympathetic. I could tell he was having a hard time keeping it in and getting good suction, but he kept trying with all his might. It was almost pathetic and cute to watch at the same time. That night we put him in bed with his binky and he cried a bit, but fell asleep surprisingly fast. The next night the same thing happened. The next day at nap was a bit tougher, but still nothing too horrible.

Then on Thursday night I went to offer it to him before putting him in bed. I said "Here, do you want your ba?" He looked at it, turned his head away and in a very offended voice said "NO!" So I set it down, gave him a kiss, put him in bed and left. He didn't make a peep, not one tear, nothing. Sound asleep in minutes. I was in utter shock! And that is how it has been since them. He cries for 5 min or so at nap time and for awhile he was waking up at 6 am versus 7 like normal. But the last two mornings he has been back to his regular wake up time.

So I feel proud to say that Kellen is officially a binky free toddler! Woo hoo! Kellen's little brother should be very grateful that he gave it up so easy. Had this been a terrible battle I may have forbidden a binky from ever entering my home again! :)

So proud when it would actually stay in, so confused when it would keep falling out. It really was so funny to watch!

Our other exciting event was that we officially got Makenna signed up for her very first dance class. She is over the moon about it. I have been wanting to sign her up for one and have just been waiting for the right time. This class will be once a week and it is a combo Ballet, Tap and Jazz class. I am very anxious to see which she likes the most. Though she thinks Ballet will be her favorite, my money is on Tap. We'll see. Either way she is thrilled and I too am very excited. Though it would have not been my thing when I as a little girl, I am more than happy to see her so overjoyed to be taking dance. She wants to wear her "tutu" as she calls it every day. I have let her put it on a few mornings, but I am afraid she is going to ruin it before class even starts if I let her wear it as much as she would like to right now. Silly girl. Can't wait for classes to start in April. And the best part is that they will be performing in the Del Mar Fair this year! Yup! I am going to cry my eyes out! :)

Trying her very best to look very "ballerina-ish"!