operation eli

step 1: get eli off the binki

step 2: move him into a toddler bed

step 3: have him sleeping well again before baby comes

this is no small task. i have been feeling for a while that it's the time to get him off his binki. ever since he was a year old, we pretty much only gave him his binki in his crib for when he sleeps. though in my not-strong moments in relatively recent times, it has come in incredibly handy when out to eat or during melt downs in the car.

lately eli has been so cute when its time for him to sleep. even when its a little before his typical nap time, if he was acting up i would ask him if he needed to go to sleep, and 1/2 the time he would get an excited look on his face and run into his room to his crib (of course the other half of the time i was answered with "NO!"). obviously this excitement was a result in him knowing he was going to get his binki. so when i asked him today if he wanted to go 'nigh-nigh' i felt bad seeing him run excitedly and expectantly into his room.

today is the first day with no binki. i have heard of a few different methods to get kids off binki's, but am going to go with what e's pediatrician said with getting him off it for naps first, and then at night second. i figure this way will be good cause then i am insured to at least get rest/sleep at night (which is oh so needed and loved), and then after a week or so of not giving it to him for naps, we will stop with night time binki as well, which at that point he will be more used to not having it so it will hopefully make it a smoother transition.

However, i say this as i listen to him cry in his crib. i put him down about an hour and 15 minutes ago. i waited about 30+ minutes before i went back in, whiped his nose, held him for a minute, tried lying down with him in my bed, then quickly realized that was wishful thinking and returned him to his crib. i think i have 'oh the wonderful sounds mr. brown can do' memorized after reading it probably about 10 times in a row to him. at least with that he was lying back down in his crib while i read, but then i handed him the book and left (used the excuse i had to go to the potty...which i did), and shortly after the crying started again and hasn't stopped.

i'm trying to keep in mind that this is only day one as i keep second guessing my method of attack.

the time is definitely now though. i need him to be off the binki long enough where seeing the new baby and his binki wont bother eli too much (or be too tempting for him...). i also need eli sleeping great again, in his new bed, before the baby comes... so this is quite the process.

i am not going to switch my method of weaning the binki yet, but if anyone has any words of advice for what has worked with them it would be appreciated!

UPDATE: eli fell asleep on his own about 20-30 minutes later for nap time. all day i wondered what i should do tonight to get him to sleep. i decided i would try it without his binki again, cause i thought it would be confusing for him to get his binki at one time but not the other. he got in his crib without a fuss, i had to read him a story about 5 times in a row (because he knew when i was done reading that means he had to go to sleep), but eventually i closed the book, turned off the light, gave him a kiss and closed the door. and guess what? no crying. not a single whine. he talked to himself for a while and then fell asleep in about the normal amount of time it usually does. i have seriously been so proud of him all night! hopefully tomorrow goes as well as it did tonight...