Giving up Bad Habits

As I write this email, I am filled happiness at the accomplishments of our girls.  I am so very proud of several things my kids have accomplished in the past couple of weeks.  Both Rebecca and Emma have done what I thought would never happen.   As we all know, Rebecca has a very strong will and when she is determined to do something she will go to any extreme to accomplish her task.  When she was born, she took to her pacifier immediately.  This was all new to Brian and I as Emma was a finger sucker.  She has gotten very used to having her pacifier at night and at nap time.   A few weeks ago, Rebecca lost her pacifier before her nap.  I knew where it was, but having just been to the doctor and hearing that we needed to wean Rebecca off of the pacifier, I took this as an opportunity to move her forward into childhood. I took a deep breath, warned Emma that she might be awakened by crying from her sister and explained why and then I took a deep breath.  We had a rough 2 or 3 days, but she handled it like a trouper.  Although she had difficulty getting settled, once she was asleep she was asleep.  She is now at the point where she has completely stopped referring to paci.  Something I thought was going to be nearly impossible turned out to be quite painless.  I am so very proud of her.

Emma woke up last Wednesday in full fledged tears because she felt horrible.  I took her temperature and it was 103.6.  I talked to the doctor and found out what I should be doing.  She was still peaking a fever into Thursday and I decided I had better get her to the doctor as he was concerned about strep throat.  I really don't like it when my kids are sick, as I feel completely helpless and just want them to be happy again.  So, I bundled her up and went to see the doctor.  While the doctor was asking questions he noticed that Emma had her fingers in her mouth.  She does this when she is tired or feels insecure.  The doctor quickly asked her if she sucks her fingers a lot.  Emma said yes.  He very sternly said to her that she had to stop it.  She was too old and this was the last time she was going to suck her fingers.  She told him that the dentist told her it was ok for her to suck her fingers at night only.  He promptly told her that right now he was more important and he was telling her to stop it unless she wanted to be sick and feeling the way she was all winter long.  I give her credit for trying.

Well, long story short, she hasn't sucked her fingers since last Thursday.  Brian and I are so very proud of her.  My Mom had knit her a "finger puppet" that covers the two sucking fingers back when she had her dentist appointment.  She wears that to bed and takes it off in the morning.  This is yet another moment that I find myself saying, "out of every bad situation comes good."  She was so very sick, but because of that and a rather stern doctor, she has stopped a very bad habit 98% on her own.  I haven't had to remind her at all about putting her fingers in her mouth.

Our girls are growing up before our eyes.  Rather than turn my head and let it happen, I am trying to remain very conscious of their accomplishments, both big and small.  These two are very big accomplishments and ones that I will be happy to remind them of as they get older.  

That is it for now.  Gotta run so I can write a thank you note to a certain doctor.