End of an Era

When Christopher woke up on Monday morning a few weeks ago, he announced to us that he was ready to give his nunu (pacifier) to a new baby. I couldn't believe my ears. Christopher really likes his nunu, and up until the day before would cry for it anytime that he was feeling out of sorts or wanted to go to bed. So I asked him if he knew a baby that might like to have his nunu. He informed me that he would give it to Tytan who is a baby at his school. Typically at this point in the morning, I would be looking for any opportunity to swipe nunu up and put him out of reach until bedtime, but since Monday was clearly different, I told Christopher that he could keep nunu in his pocket until he was ready to give him to another baby seriously doubting that this event would actually take place.

Well, sure enough he made it to school, bestowed his beloved nunu to Tytan and was off with his day. Meanwhile his older brother was having a sad moment on his cot worried about how Christopher would feel when he had to go to bed. Christopher reassured Daniel that, "I will feel happy at bedtime, Daniel." Christopher was singing the same tune when I picked him up at school that afternoon. It all changed at bedtime. The poor kid was very sad for about 30 minutes and then decided that he could sleep without nunu. The next night was a bit easier, but Christopher was still a little sad for nunu for about a week or so.

This is a perfect insight into how Christopher works. He sets his mind to something and very quickly decides that things will be one way or another. It is an amazing, although frusterating at times, quality.

I started this post several weeks ago. We are now nunu free and rarely even hear about missing him. Letting go of the pacifier must have just been one step among many for Christopher to move from being a baby to a big kid (in his mind). Prior to giving up nunu, Christopher more or less potty trained himself, and since giving up nunu, he has moved his bedtime back an hour so that it more closely coincides with Daniel's bedtime. We also get to see him much more between the hours of 7:30 pm and 6 am. I can only assume that he would use all his awake time during that stretch to sit in bed and suck on his pacifier. I have visions of Christopher spending hours each morning in his bed awake just waiting to hear a sound outside his door, so thta he knew it was time to get up. Now we usually hear from him first each morning. Another time of transition.