Bye-bye Binky...

I've gone a little blog-happy lately...it's because I've been home for so long and run out of things to do while Ayla is napping. Hmm...I guess there is always laundry to be done, but that's no fun.

Anyways, in the middle of the night last night, Dean and I decided that Ayla sleeps just fine without being swaddled. Ultimately, it's her pacifier that's the problem. Now that her arms are free, she constantly pulls her pacifier out and then proceeds to cry. We were re-plugging her all night long, so finally we quit doing it and once again, let her figure it out on her own. She cried a lot less last night and I'm so proud to say that she woke up twice and was able to fall back asleep on her own, binky-free!

All day today, we didn't use a pacifier...I stuck them in a drawer...out of sight, out of mind. It was more for me than her...I didn't need them taunting me while she was throwing a fit. She was able to fall asleep for both naps...it took a LONG time for her to relax and finally zonk out, but she did it. I was dreading bedtime because it was going to be the first time ever that we've put her to bed without the help of a pacifier, but much to our surprise, she squawked for nine minutes and was out. No crying. Tonight is Night #3 of swaddle-binky weaning...keeping my fingers crossed that she does well.

Dad update: Everything went well!!! My mom was still at the hospital with him after the surgery was done, so she asked my aunt to call me late last night to let me know that he was just fine. This morning, I talked to my mom and they were already home from the hospital since it was such a quick and easy procedure...thank goodness. Turns out, what they thought was a clogged artery was actually one that was basically kinked so it wasn't nearly as free-flowing as what a normal artery should be. I'm anxious to read all the doctor's reports so I can try to understand everything. It's been difficult being so far away from them during all of this. Ayla and I talked to my dad (and mom) this afternoon on Skype...he looked and sounded great and he was so tickled to be able to watch Ayla bounce away in her jumperoo. We are so happy that it went well...and completely relieved, too!