Hip, Hip Hooray!!

If I was totally blog savvy I would have scoured the web for an icon of a lady dancing some kind of jig in representation of me. However, I am doing good just to post this story. I was already prepared to post this, but now this story has become even more blog worthy. I may need 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a milking, 7 swans a swimming and so forth. Christmas has past, but really this calls for a holiday celebration. Before delighting you with my oh so wonderful news I will first disappoint you by saying NO, I am not pregnant. Just in case you happened to think it was the case. Now for a drum roll please...Zachary has gone to bed now 2 nights in a row without crying. Send fireworks up in the air and bring out the band. (Although not to wake him up!) If you had been living in our house for the past month and beyond you would be doing some heel clicks and booty shakes as well. The real torture had begun back when we transitioned Zachary into a toddler bed. He did okay for the first week and then the crying began. We did a sticker chart where he had to go to bed for 7 nights without crying and he would earn himself a train. That worked and the crying ended until we gave up the pacifier. (Really, have you heard? I feel as though every post revolves around this thing and we've rid it from our lives. Maybe I was more attached than he was.) So, on the life altering day of January 2nd when we bid adieu we had only one peaceful night left. Again, we pulled out the sticker chart. This time he had to only go to bed 5 nights without dramatic crying and he earned himself a train. Now I used the word dramatic because that is what happened. Zachary would earn a sticker when he went to bed decently as opposed to hootin' and hollerin' loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Each morning I would debate as to whether or not he really earned a sticker and Tyler of course would think Zach did alright and then on the chart a sticker would go. I mean we were taking away his "security blanket" so he was doing a pretty darn good job of going to bed with out it. Well, he earned his train and the mild crying turned into down right screaming and tantrum throwing. I'm sure even though we were trying to be the best parents we could be, some nights we may not have helped the situation by trying to calm him down or by reading him one more book (which always equaled 3 or more after the original cluster). We kept thinking that something would work to help him go to bed peacefully. Nothing ever seemed to help. I would always be sure to include in our prayer that Heavenly Father help Zachary go to bed peacefully...the subliminal message never seemed to work either. Then, last night some how out of nowhere my prayers were answered and Zachary went to bed without crying. I honestly couldn't believe my ears. Now, he was yelling at me as I was leaving the room I must admit, but as soon as I shut the door and told him good night, I never heard another peep out of him. I honestly thought it was a fluke. I had tried to make a deal with him 2 nights prior by re-instituting the sticker chart. Anything for one night of peace. This time however, I was sticking to the rules...absolutely NO crying and NO noise whatsoever can come from his room in order to earn a sticker. So, the first 2 nights he didn't earn a sticker, but after last night...we were in sticker paradise. Then out of nowhere again tonight he went to bed without screaming. Of course I'm walking away with my little one tucked in and ready to drift off, but he stands right up and protests that I need to cover him up. Anything to prolong the process. I kindly walked back over, laid him down and tucked him in and said good night. On my way out of course he was still pleading his case of not having to go to bed, but I encouragingly remind him that if he goes to bed without any crying or screaming he can earn another sticker. As soon as I shut the door, again I heard not another sound. So, my friends, even though I forced my innocent child to quit cold turkey, it sounds (or no sounds) like he has finally rid himself of the need to have a pacifier when he goes to bed as in all the nicotine is out of his system. He is no longer torturing us with his screams and rants after I tell him goodnight and all seems to be turning back to normal or at least as it once was when he went to bed with his friend each night. KNOCK ON WOOD!!!!