Binki Free (kinda)

See these cute, binki free smiles???

Finally, we did it. One morning about 2 weeks ago we just decided to throw all the pacifiers in the house in the garbage (we also cut them up so we weren't tempted to dig them out). I was so worried we would have horrible and torturous days ahead of us, but in all honesty they both handled it like champs. The first nap was a little rough, but after that Gunnar usually would ask for it, we reminded him that he is "2" and they are now in the garbage and for babies. He was always pretty okay with this idea and would go to sleep without protest. Bed and nap time was pretty much the only time he never noticed even though he was using the pacfi almost all day long!
We went to visit Kyle's dad and family and I think it helped keep him busy and his mind off the the pacifier. We also took Ryker's away as well, but I cheat sometimes at night. He has never really used the pacifier much, but when we were camping this last week he started to use breastfeeding as a pacifier at night, and that didn't really work for me. We only have about a month left of breastfeeding, I am so ready to be done, so I am trying to make it as pleasant as possible...becoming a replacement pacifier is NOT pleasant.
So, I have a couple spares hidden, but Gunnar has no idea about them. I am hoping they will lose their appeal completely soon. Gunnar is getting a tooth in, so he really wants things in his mouth, so I think they would still be pretty appealing at this point.
This was long overdue, it was embarrassing when we would go out in public. In my defense we took it away at a year, then he went back to it at like 18 months a few months after Ryker was born and we began the process of moving back to the US. He was stealing it from Ryker and it wasn't worth the fight to me at the time...we had way to many other things to worry about during that time.
I have decided cold turkey is the way to go. We tried gradually taking it away and putting holes in the nipples of them and he could have cared less...cold turkey all the way.
So, my little boy is REALLY growing up. He is potty trained during the day (still working on not wetting at night, but that will come with time) and now he doesn't have a pacifier.

 I know that the picture above is super hard to see, but the first night we were in Post Falls, Gunnar apparently climbed in the crib with Ryker. He was holding Ryker's hand when I first got the camera, but Ryker moved his away before I could snap a picture. And, notice..they don't have pacifiers in their mouths for sleeping either!!!