Hyrum has never liked pacifiers. He would take them in the beginning but it was only under extreme duress and most of the time only from his dad. But now he'll never take it. We've tried every shape and size but he just acts like we're trying to gag him. He prefers his fist to anything else. "Why won't he take a pacifier?" I worried. That is surely easier to take away. I was known, in my family, for taking away pacifiers that were not needed and I had planned on being the same way with my son. He would only be given a pacifier when he needed it but a fist could not be given or taken away.
Then I realized the fist may not be so bad. The fist worked and it was always there. Life was happy then. He'd even put himself back to sleep in the middle of the night sucking on his fist. And that was great. I can get used to this I thought, no big deal. Of course I worried what he might be sucking off his fist but thought he's a baby what can he get into? I washed in between his fingers regularly to get out the finger fuzz. Everything was going to be ok. I never really worried about him sucking his thumb because he kept his thumb safely tucked in between his pointer finger and middle finger. Then came the time when that pointer finger would work it's way into his mouth. But then he'd just gag and start sucking on his intact fist again. Happiness continued. A fist would never become a habit. You never saw a three year old sucking on his fist. Then one Sunday in the hurried preparations for church we set him on the couch. I came back a few minutes later and to my horror...
He was sucking his fingers! There was no gagging there was no disgust there was only happy contented sucking of his fingers. This looked habit forming. I thought of all the horror stories of the extreme measures taken by numerous haggard parents at the end of their ropes. I thought of the diseases he could get. But as the days past he didn't seem to suck on his fingers that often. And most recently has decided that sucking on me is even more fun.
If you look carefully on my left arm you'll see a rather dark hickey left by my son. At any given time I have 3 to 4 hickeys on me and currently I have a pretty large one at the base of my neck. Fabulous! This is better, right?
Then I realized the fist may not be so bad. The fist worked and it was always there. Life was happy then. He'd even put himself back to sleep in the middle of the night sucking on his fist. And that was great. I can get used to this I thought, no big deal. Of course I worried what he might be sucking off his fist but thought he's a baby what can he get into? I washed in between his fingers regularly to get out the finger fuzz. Everything was going to be ok. I never really worried about him sucking his thumb because he kept his thumb safely tucked in between his pointer finger and middle finger. Then came the time when that pointer finger would work it's way into his mouth. But then he'd just gag and start sucking on his intact fist again. Happiness continued. A fist would never become a habit. You never saw a three year old sucking on his fist. Then one Sunday in the hurried preparations for church we set him on the couch. I came back a few minutes later and to my horror...
He was sucking his fingers! There was no gagging there was no disgust there was only happy contented sucking of his fingers. This looked habit forming. I thought of all the horror stories of the extreme measures taken by numerous haggard parents at the end of their ropes. I thought of the diseases he could get. But as the days past he didn't seem to suck on his fingers that often. And most recently has decided that sucking on me is even more fun.
If you look carefully on my left arm you'll see a rather dark hickey left by my son. At any given time I have 3 to 4 hickeys on me and currently I have a pretty large one at the base of my neck. Fabulous! This is better, right?
3 comments:
Jenn J. said...
Quick!... while he'll suck anything, try putting a pacifier in his mouth! :) That's hysterical that he is giving you hickies. Hyrum must have been watching you before he was born and saw you taking all the children's pacifiers away. He thought, "There's no way that'll be me!!" :)
Greg Garrick said...
I LOVE THE PICTURE WITH HIS FINGERS IN HIS MOUTH!!!! That is so funny! :) Pacifiers can be lifesavers... and easier to take away than fingers. Good luck! :)
Sunny said...
It's so funny that the very night you posted that, Jen. We decided to try it and he took it, right off the bat, and swiftly fell asleep. He'll take it anytime he's tired. He doesn't get to keep it if he doesn't go to sleep because now I'm worrying about him getting too attached to it. Aren't I silly!