Thumb Sucker

Marley has a new love of Shel Silverstein and we like to read these poems together. But every time dad gets his turn to read he opens right up to ...

Oh the thumb-sucker's thumb

May looked wrinkled and wet

And withered, and white as the snow,

But the taste of the thumb

Is the sweetest taste yet

(As only we thumb-suckers know).

We used to think that thumb-sucking was so great! A built in pacifier that never got lost or worn out. I wish someone would have told us the downfalls of letting our baby suck her thumb. Because ... you can throw the pacis away! We learned our lesson with Ethan and he took a paci. When we were done with him sucking his beloved pacis - we tied them to balloons and he released them into the air to fly away to paci-heaven. I'm afraid, however, the thumb is permanently attached and hence the habit is much more difficult to break.

Marley has been trying really hard lately to stop sucking her thumb. Usually she doesn't do it during the day, only at nights or if she is really tired. It's so hard for her to fall asleep, though, if she isn't sucking her thumb. We finally convinced her how important it was and we came up with a reward for successfully completing her goal of no thumb for one whole week - she would get to go to the store and pick out a Barbie!

Challenge on!

Every night before bed she would put a band-aid on each of her thumbs so she would be reminded. It was working! On night six, however, she ran into a snag and couldn't find any more band-aids. So she improvised ...

She's so smart ... and committed! (Yes, those are socks on her hands.)

And finally she made it .... one whole week!

We are still putting band-aids on every night, just in case, but I think she has finally kicked the habit! Hooray!! Of course, we are still putting money away for the inevitable orthodontist bills but ... good-bye stinky, shriveled thumb!