it's time.

I've been thinking about it for nearly a year now, it's time. I've clipped the pacifiers for the 2 year olds. John's out of the house visiting family in Alabama, so there was no talking me out of it. Frank and Rose are "big kids" now, it's time to cut them off. Literally. I snipped the tip of their pacifiers tonight, and explained "they're broken, all gone." Nothing makes me crazier than seeing kids who have to take their pacifiers out to talk. But we were nearing that line, so today was the day. As Emma told me later, "That's just a BAD birthday present mom!" She was right, maybe I should have waited till tomorrow. Rose cried for about 10 minutes from her crib, and when I went in to reassure her, she just laid the broken Nuk on the table next to her crib and whimpered, shaking her head no. I felt bad for her really. It's helped her to sleep for 2 years now and in a flash it was gone. Frank on the other hand didn't make a peep, and when I went in to check on him, the pacifier was tossed to the floor like yesterday's news. I'm feeling a little sad that they're not my babies anymore. Just like their siblings before them, they're growing and becoming more independent each day. I must savor each phase for all I can, because it is just that...a passing phase, to be replaced by another. And soon, they're all grown.
I best go look at them one more time, and then off to bed I go. There's a good chance that I haven't heard the last of them yet tonight.