Qwui-Qwui

As I mentioned before, Matthew has started trying new words. Often, the result is more cute than accurate, but I am so excited that he is trying. About a week ago, he started saying binkie, but with his pronunciation it sounds more like qwui-qwui. The "q" is a very soft "q" and I loved hearing it.

However, even his recent ability to say binkie, did not deter my goal of getting rid of the binkie. As cute as Matthew is when he says binkie, I think that he is more cute when he does not have a pacifier permanently attached to his face.

So, starting last week I came up with an idea (giving credit for the seed of the idea to Super Nanny). I told Matthew that we were going to go to the zoo to give binkie to the baby animals. He nodded and smiled whenever I brought up the idea, so I figured that giving binkie to the animals might just work.

Finally, the big day came. Brian was home from work yesterday, so we made a big deal out of the anticipated trip to the zoo. When we mentioned goodbye to binkie, Matthew just nodded and smiled. Good sign. We got out a pretty pink box (fortunately Matthew isn't particular about boy and girl colors yet) and Matthew wrapped binkie in tissue paper and put it in the box. Then we taped the box closed, decorated it with Thomas stickers and left for the zoo. Matthew was so proud of his little box. He carried it to the car, insisted on carrying it on his lap in the car, and continued to hold onto it while we walked around the zoo. We figured that Matthew would want to give the binkie to the elephants, since they are his favorite animal, so Brian and Matthew headed to the elephant enclosure while I stopped at the gift shop. Then I caught up to the boys and asked Matthew if he wanted to give binkie to the elephants. He said no. Then I asked if he wanted to give it to the monkeys and he said no. At this point I started thinking that maybe the idea wasn't going to work after all. But then Matthew pointed straight ahead. At the far end of the sidewalk, I could see the zebra enclosure (he apparently remembered where the zebras were) and when Brian asked if he wanted to give the binkie to the zebras he nodded yes. Well, we hightailed it to the zebra exhibit before Matt could change his mind.

Brian helped Matthew set his little box on the ground, while I stayed about 20 feet behind to hide the gift shop purchase in a tree in front of the bear enclosure. Brian told Matthew to say goodbye to binkie one more time. Then he told Matt that the bears had left him a present because he was so nice for giving binkie to the zebras. Without any hesitation, Matthew said goodbye to binkie and went to look for his present.

I crept back to the pink box and threw it in the garbage--I was worried about causing a bomb scare if it was left out it in the open. I have to admit that I was a little emotional getting rid of the binkie. In many ways it represents his babyhood, which he is quickly leaving behind. My baby is definitely not a baby anymore.

Meanwhile, Matthew found the bear's present to him: a stuffed elephant. He was overjoyed at the elephant and hugged it over and over. After one night of sleep and two naps, I think I can say that the experiment worked. He has gone to sleep without binkie three times, and although he has asked where qwui-qwui is, he just nods and smiles when I tell him that the zebras at the zoo have it.

Of course, it is now impossible to separate him from his new elephant which he calls bee-bee. With this new addition, there are now six animals that must go to bed with him: stuffed elephant, mommy plastic elephant, baby plastic elephant, tiger, giraffe (which he pronounces giratte), and puppy.

I guess that the next step is potty-training. We bought a box of diapers at Costco, and have determined that this is our last box of actual diapers (well, at least until June). Matthew now tells me when he has gone or is going poo-poo, and his likes to sit on his potty, so I think he is in that "potty-training" window. I guess we will see how it goes.