Anne is my example this week. I blogged earlier about how she is enjoying Kindergarten and is already reading like crazy. We are soooo excited for her and have been very happy that she is adjusting so nicely. This was an expected change so we had time to let our minds wrap around the idea that our baby is now in Kindergarten.
But two more things have happened in the last 10 days that have kind of taken both Russ and I back a little. They are good things, of course, but we were not quite as mentally prepared so now we grieve the loss of these "phases" in her life.
Let me explain......
Anne has sucked her index finger since she was an infant. She never wanted a pacifier - always spit it right back at me. But as soon as she found that finger - well - that was it. She was hooked! And I mean that literally!!! As long as she had the corner of her favorite blanket and her finger, her eyes would roll in the back of her head and she would go right to sleep. We've never forced her to stop. After talking with her doctor and her dentist, they assured me that she would stop when she was ready. My dentist said that "orthodontics would be cheaper than therapy so just let it run it's course." I thought that was logical. So, the only prodding Anne ever had from us was that we told her whenever she stopped sucking her finger, I would paint her finger nails for the first time. She was happy to just have her toes done so it didn't seem to phase her too much.
About a year ago, when we took Jarod to Disney for his birthday and let him get dressed like a Pirate for the day, I told Anne that when she stopped sucking her finger, we would take her to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. How cool would it be to have your nails done for the first time at Disney while being dressed like a Princess? Anyway, she attempted to stop then, but couldn't. It was so sad to watch her try. She obviously wasn't ready. So, we have just plugged away letting her do what she needed to do.
Then one day last week, just like that, it was over! No discussion, no prodding from us, no warning! She just announced to Russ one night as he was tucking her in and giving her her blanket, that she no longer needed it because she wasn't going to suck her finger anymore. That's it!? No tears? No struggle? No argument? It's just over. The blanket sits, folded at the foot of her bed and hasn't been touched in over a week! And just like that, the finger sucking, blanket stage of her life is over. What happened? What made the change? She didn't even mention her fingernails. I had to remind her of that! When I asked her about it while driving to church this past Sunday, she said that she just decided she didn't want to do it anymore. Wow! I am very proud of her and her determination. But both Russ and I are very sad that this phase is over.
Isn't it weird? You want them to grow out of it but when they do, you realize quickly that you will never have that back again. Anne always climbed up in Russell's lap in the evenings with her blanket and sucked her finger while they read or watched TV. Our little girl is growing up.
To top it all off, two days ago, we discovered her first loose tooth! AAAAHHHHH!!!! Make it stop!!!! Kindergarten, Reading, Finger and Blanket awareness - now she's loosing her baby teeth! She's about to enter that crazy phase of funky front teeth. ****Sigh**** What's next???? Please don't answer that..........
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