A Walk With The Walkers

" From the pictures you send it looks like you have a great time together." That sweet sentence was typed by my grandma. My grandma who usually only sends forwards, and has maybe composed 3 total emails to me. She truly meant what she said, but I felt instant conviction the moment I read it. Whether it's sending pictures to grandparents, or posting on some form of social media, wouldn't you agree that we all would rather paint this perfect picture of our lives. And, as one of my friends used to say, we have to get all the good pictures, so we can look back when our kiddos are older and show them what a fun childhood they had! But I'm going to be real with you friends. This season of life has been tough. Miss P is a rule follower and such a good kiddo, but she's 2. 2-year olds push boundaries. 2-year olds love to eat something one day and are shocked that you would even offer it the next. 2-year olds create the same messes 5 times a day, and if you wan...

We did it! Our now 2 year old no longer uses her pacifier for sleeping. I was SO scared of how awful the nap-times and nights would be without that little soother, but let me just tell you, it went much better than I expected! In case you're curious as to what worked for us, here is a little breakdown of what we did. I should mention, that since Miss P was about 3 months old, we only used a pacifier in the car when the crying WOULD. NOT. STOP., when we were on stroller rides, and for sleeping times. Right when she would wake up, we would put her pacifier back in her crib. I wanted to be in this habit from the beginning. It was a personal thing. She is super verbal, so by the time she was 20ish months, as she was getting ready to rest, she would say, "I need paci, and flat pet, and blanket." Because of this routine, we were even more nervous to sever the ties with her paci, but let me tell you, it was none too soon! At her 2-year old well check visit, her doctor asked us...