She'll take her's to go

Tonight I was going through Grace's room looking for some of Gavin's old stuff to give to a coworker. Grace was "helping" me by going through all of the drawers in the changing table, throwing everything on the floor, and screaming when I put it all back.

Just as I was finishing up, Grace came across two Gerber pacifiers that I bought when the Gavinator was just a few weeks old. Gavin was never really into pacifiers but I was going crazy (and by crazy, I mean effing out of my mind nuts) having him attached to my boob 24/7 so the husband and I scoured Babies-R-Us for breastfeeding-safe pacifiers. We found the Gerber pacifiers that promised to mimic the mother's nipple and not interfere with breastfeeding so we bought them, boiled them, cooled and dried them, and offered them to the Gavinator who promptly spit them out. He never showed any interest at all in them even though the husband and I all but atempted to duct tape them to his mouth. Mimic a mother's nipples my ass... or so I thought.

I never even bothered introducing a pacifier to Grace but tonight, at the ripe old age of 16 months, she instanty fell head over heals in love with the two Gerber pacifiers. At first she just held them in her hands- she rolled them around and pinched and pulled at the "nipples"- and then she began sucking on one while "twiddling" the other. My first thought was that I felt REALLY sorry for the poor sap who was stuck nursing her and then, when I realized that her latch on the Gerber paci was the exact latch she used when nursing, my second thought was so sorry I ever doubted you, Gerber. Your pacis really do mimic the real deal Holyfield.

Grace ran around for a good half an hour sucking on one paci while twiddling the other. While the "girls" enjoyed the long overdue break (usually she is nursing on one and twiddling the other while attempting to run around), I think they were a little bit jealous. Just for kicks, I asked Grace if she wanted to nurse and she pushed me away and took off with her pacis.

Hmmmmmm, while I know that anecdote does not equal datum; I feel that my experience blows a big ol' hole in the breastfeeding = bonding theory. After 16 months of unlimited access to the boobages, just like that, the Goosers passed me up in favor of two dusty Gerber pacifiers.

I eventually took the pacifiers away which left her in one giant kicking and screaming puddle of Goose but at this stage in the game, I'm not going to encourage her to trade in one habit for another. Besides, I'm less portable so as she is gaining independence, she is losing interest (she has cut way back since my trip to KC) and hey, at least I provide some nutritional benefits.

Take that Gerber.