The Pacifier

My little girl has learned how to properly use a pacifier which is a lifesaver for mommy and me! Well, mostly for mommy since up until now Lois was using her as the pacifier but since she actually knows how to use a proper one now mom can get a little extra sleep. This helps me because it means I can feel less guilty about sleeping while mom is up with the baby.

I never said I was perfect.

Now, I do have to explain that I may be overstating my daughter's abilities just a little bit. I said that she uses a pacifier "properly," but what this entails is me or mom putting it in her mouth, holding it there for a few minutes for her to get a proper grip on it, and then hovering nervously so that we can pop it back into her mouth the second she spits it out accidentally.

This "proper" use also entails watching as the baby, in her sleep, reaches up one hand, snags the pacifier, rips it out of her mouth with extreme violence and flings it across the room. Well, a few feet at least; "across the room" is still a little out of her range at this point. Impressive nonetheless.

Now she opens her eyes and her face crumples because her soothing pacifier is gone. She opens her eyes and sees daddy, the same evil man who smacked her in the face just last night! Now he's taking away what has quickly become her favorite thing! She begins to cry until I can pick up the pacifier and pop it back into her mouth to sooth her while she looks at me accusingly.

But she's my baby, so I say she's mastered the use of the pacifier and thus she has.

Hopefully she'll just master it a little bit better sooner rather than later.