Pacifiers

I've been really blessed that all the big milestones of Brynn's growing up so far have been relatively painless.
I dreaded potty training this summer, but it only took one day of cleaning up puddles before she figured it out herself. Pooping was about our only trauma we've been through (I'll spare you details for now), but she seems to be doing better with that.
I had a much harder time transitioning her to a big girl bed than she did. It was so sad for me, but she loved it immediately.
Early on, she went from bottle to cup painlessly, although I missed that snuggle time.
Just last week we said goodbye to paci. She has only had it at night for a very long time now, but I knew it was time to get rid of it altogether. Just ask my mom how easy I was letting go of my "pappy." Needless to say, I was not looking forward to a night of crying without it. I did some research though on methods of getting rid of it a little more humanely than cold turkey. I decided to try the snipping bit by bit method. I didn't know how she would take it, but it seemed less scary than just throwing it out the window.
She actually has just been chewing on the thing like a cigar for a couple of months. So Erick (I was too wimpy to do it) snipped the tiniest bit off. I read that the best way is to give them like a week after each cut so it's very gradual. It kind of worked out nicely because since she chewed on it so much, once we cut it, she would make cracks and all in it, so we'd cut the jagged edges off (so the cuts worked out to a week or more apart).
I had decided I was going to bite the bullet over Christmas break and cut the rest off completely. It wasn't until I had left Brynn's room after putting her down for a nap that I realized she hadn't asked for paci. After that, we just didn't offer it to her or speak of it. Erick found it and put it in our dresser. It wasn't until a few days later that she asked for it one night. I just said, "Oh, that silly thing? You don't need that! You're a big girl now. Paci's are babies like Emillia." (That's her new baby cousin whom she adores.) She cried a tear and said, "I do meed it." But then has never mentioned it again.
I guess it makes me so sad because it's like the last baby thing she still did. She's growing up so fast. Every age/stage Erick and I say it is our favorite. There is always something new and fun she does. It's just that hard part of parenting where we have to let go a little more every year. I know she's still little, and maybe that sounds silly, but I think surely other parents understand. It just amazes me how much I can love that little girl.
Now I need a paci. :)