Brave Belle

Two more milestones marking Belle's maturity:

1.  We told Belle that three-year-olds don't use a babba (her pacifier).  She no longer uses the pacifier to go to sleep, since Belle knows that pacifiers are not allowed in her big-girl-purple-room, but Belle found the loophole that there's no rule about pacifiers in other rooms, such as our bedroom.  We quickly fell into a routine: Belle falls asleep nicely in her big-girl-room without the pacifier.  At some point in the middle of the night (sometimes at 2am, sometimes 5 am), Belle comes into our room (she can open doors easily now) and goes right back to sleep on the crib mattress on the floor of our room...with the pacifier.  Belle also had been taking her occasional nap in our bedroom with the pacifier.  But in the days and weeks leading up to Belle's third birthday, we talked up how big girls don't use a pacifier at all.  Belle decided that she'd give her pacifier to her baby cousins Liam and Scarlett, and then changed her mind after she learned that her youngest cousin is Baby Mia and so decided that Mia would be the lucky pacifier recipient (not such a reward, since the one pacifier we have left is not in the nicest condition).  So, we told Belle that we gave Mia her pacifier yesterday and last night- her first night as a three-year-old- went swimmingly.  Out of habit, Belle came into our room in the middle of the night, but went right to sleep on the crib mattress on the floor without the babba.

2.  Belle had blood drawn as part of her annual check-up.  She held my hand, but didn't even wince, when her finger was pricked.  She was fine and chit chatting as the PA dropped her blood, drop by slowly-dripping-drop, into two vials.  I had a hard time watching it, but remained strong for Belle, who was quite the champ.

I am so proud of the little girl Belle is growing into.  She is brave and mature and kind and joyful.  She hugged me and told me, "Don't cry, Mommy. We can play everyday after my school." when I burst into tears this morning thinking about leaving my stay-at-home-mom gig and resuming full-time employment.  I am one lucky mommy.