Cold Turkey Big Boys

The boys are growing up. As a baby, Ezra was a paci junkie. The kid loved his paci. I started preparing him at about 2 1/2 years - letting him know that when he turned 3, his pacis would go away. He handled the transition remarkably well. Compared to Ezra, Asher is not only a paci junkie - pacis are his love, comfort and treasure. I've been talking to Asher for about 3 months now, preparing him to let go of his beloveds when he turns 3. After rest on Monday, I decided it was time to cut the tips off of his treasures so he could begin to transition to just holding them (since he typically sleeps with 3 - one in his mouth, and one in each hand) rather than sucking on them. I anticipated this to come with much weeping and gnashing of snaggly teeth, so I secretly held back 2 pacis so that when the night was sleepless due to Asher missing his beloveds, I could slip one into his hand and get some sleep myself. To my great shock, this was totally unnecessary. After I cut the tips off the pacis, Asher gave them a try and said, "I don't like this. Can I put it in the trash?" Well sure son, go ahead. He ran to the trash can, threw his pacis in, and it was done. He dropped them cold turkey. Asher went a few times throughout the day to peek at them and to bid them farewell once again. "Bye bye paci" he would say as he stood looking in the trash can and waving to them. He told them the garbage men would come on Tuesday and Friday to get them. I don't think the pacis really understood.
Obed is also growing up. I'm pretty sure he's trying to compete with Asher's snaggle teeth. He is walking now more than he is crawling, resulting in a lot of bruises on his face when he falls face first into the wall, the table, the floor, the bench. He has already busted his mouth open several times - but good news, we have yet to chip any teeth or knock them up into his gums. See, there's always a plus side.

He is also staying up now with the "big boys" for Bible time at night and wants to be in the mix of everything Ezra and Asher are doing. The second Vince sits down on the couch, Obed leaves whatever he is doing, scurries as quickly as he can to the couch, and grunts and hits the couch, signaling "get me up there NOW!" My favorite move is when he tries to lift his chubby little leg to climb up on the couch - only getting it about 3 inches off the ground... but he continually tries. He wants to sit right next to Vince and turn the pages of the bible.