Pearce has had two special blankies since he was born. He always had a paci and loved his paci, but from about 6 months on, he dropped the paci and started sucking on his blankies. Later on, he named them BB or sometimes he would call them "Brown BB and Blue BB." Eventually he and BBs were pretty much inseparable. He slept with them, took them in the car, held them when he watched TV, wanted them next to him when he ate...you get the point :) I started noticing his front teeth were starting to have an overbite around 1 1/2. He went to the dentist for his first visit around this time and his
dentist asked if he still had a paci. I said no...he has BB and at that
moment, Pearce got BB (the brown one) and stuffed it in his mouth to
start sucking on it. The dentist just looked at me and then said
"Ohhhhh." Well, he said he really needed to stop by age 3 and that if
he did, his teeth would almost 100% go back to normal. I didn't think too much about it at that time. By age 2, the overbite was definitely more noticeable and again, the dentist commented on it. I kept thinking, I still have another year. Then in October after his 3rd dentist visit, I decided I have to start limiting his time with them to make it easier to get rid of them when he turns 3. I just didn't let him have them when he went to bed. He cried and cried, but then eventually went to sleep. I was strong for a while, but slowly, he was able to talk me into having them for a nap here and there. And then we would go out of town, so he needed them because he was sleeping somewhere different....eventually, he had BBs pretty much 24/7 again and he just could NOT stop sucking on them. I would even sneak into his room and take them after he was asleep, but he started waking up at night crying for them. I was weak. So now Pearce is 3 and I decided we just have to get rid of them for good. I was totally dreading it, but I just did not want to feel any guilt if he ever had anything wrong with his teeth and I didn't listen to his dentist. I first thought that I would "lose" them and then it's quick and if they're lost, then there's no way he can have them. Then I decided that would not be fair to Pearce and he needed to be aware that BBs were going to go away. Several friends suggested the BB Fairy...just like the Paci Fairy. The BB Fairy will take his BBs and send them to a new baby who needs them and in return, leave Pearce some special prizes. So, last week, I started talking to Pearce about the BB Fairy and how he is a big boy now, so he doesn't need to suck on BBs anymore and a new baby needs to have them. He actually liked this idea. At one point he did say that the BB Fairy could have his Blue BB and he would keep the brown one. At first, Chris and I thought that would be ok, but then I decided that it has to be both. I decided Friday was going to be the day. Chris had a dinner to go to and I wanted to do it my way. Plus, I thought doing it over the weekend would be easier. I let Pearce skip his nap on Friday so that he would be extra tired that night in the hopes that going to sleep without BBs would be easier. That afternoon I told Pearce that the BB Fairy was on her way and that we needed to put BBs in a special bag. He was so excited! I told him to give them hugs and kisses and I took a few pictures of him doing this. Then he put BBs in the bag and we walked outside and he put the bag by the door. I told him to close the door and we would check in a few minutes to see if the BB Fairy came. It took him a while to close that door. Then after he finally closed the door he ran to the front window to see if he could see them. Then he wanted to open the door again to check on them. I told him to go play in the backyard for a few minutes and then we will check to see if she had come. He went outside and that's when I did the switch. I quickly got BBs and hid them in the garage and then put his new toys in the bag. Then I went to the backyard and told Pearce that I thought the BB Fairy had come. He ran to the front door and was so excited when he saw his bag of goodies! He got a Transformer, superhero slippers, a superhero cup, and a giant container of Tic Tacs :) He loved his Transformer! We had to go run a few errands and then I told Pearce I would take him to Chick Fil A for dinner to celebrate the BB Fairy. Pearce wanted to take his Transformer with him in the car, so I thgought great...he'll play with it and not want BBs. Well, before we could even get out of our neighborhood, Pearce started crying and saying he wanted BBs...the crying got louder and louder and more desperate. I just kept telling him that we don't have BBs anymore and that the BB Fairy took them and will give them to a new baby to love on because he is a big boy now. Well, after that, for the whole drive, Pearce kept crying and saying "I don't want a new baby to have my BBs, I want BBs, I don't like the BB Fairy, I be on the look out for BBs..." He finally calmed down when we got to Chick Fil A and had fun playing and eating dinner. Then we got home and I started getting him ready for bed and my heart rate started rising. As soon as we sat down in the rocking chair, Pearce just lost it and started crying HYSTERICALLY for BBs. I mean, I have never heard him cry so hard. He would not even let me hold him or hug him or love on him. He was crying and thrashing and saying "Mommy go get BBs, tell BB Fairy to bring them back, I don't like babies, I need BBs, I will just love on BBs, I won't suck on them, Go find the BB Fairy, etc..." This went on for a good 30 minutes. My heart was breaking for him and I literally had no idea how to comfort him or make him feel better. Nothing I did or said helped him and I was on the verge of tears, also. Then, all of a sudden, Pearce stopped crying and said, "Mommy, Jesus so proud of me I give my BBs to a boy baby." I told him yes, Jesus is so proud and that I am so proud of him and that when he starts to feel sad about not having BBs, he just needs to say a prayer to Jesus and ask Jesus to make him feel better. Pearce finally calmed down. I asked if he wanted his Toy Story dolls to sleep with him and he really liked that idea. So I put Pearce and Buzz and Woody and Jessie in bed and got them all tucked in. I asked Pearce if he wanted to say a prayer to Jesus and Pearce said yes and prayed, "Dear Jesus, I miss BBs, help me feel better. Amen." It took everything I had to not break down in tears. I kissed Pearce and and told him I would check on him later. I left his room and then had my breakdown. I've never not been able to comfort Pearce and it just totally broke my heart. BUT, Pearce never woke up during the night and still slept until about 8:30 the next morning. On Saturday, Pearce took an ok nap....wasn't as long as it usually is, but he did go to sleep just fine without BBs and still wanted to sleep with his Toy Story Guys. Saturday night, Pearce asked for BBs and cried about them, but then we started reading books and that took his mind off of them. Then we just started talking and I asked him questions about his day....what was his favorite part of the day, what made him sad, etc... He also asked me to tell him a story about when he was a baby...first time he had ever asked that. I told him about the time I forgot to put the brake on his stroller and he rolled down the sidewalk and over the curb and the stroller toppled over...he LOVED story and I had to tell it to him a gazillion more times :) I put him to bed with his toy story guys and he wanted me to say the prayer for BBs. I said "Dear Jesus, Pearce is sad about BBs, please help him feel better. Amen." He started crying again, but it was just a quiet cry and he asked me to come check on him later. I left his room and had myself another cry. Sunday night was pretty much the same. We said the prayer together again. He took longer to go to sleep for his nap....I realIy hope the naps get better! I know it will get easier, but it's just so heartbreaking for me. I know it had to be done, and I am glad I won't have to worry about him sucking on BBs, but I just hate for him to be sad about them. Chris told me to wash them and then put them in a container in the attic. I told him I would put them in a container in the attic, but no way am I washing them! I don't want to get rid of his special smell on them. I'm probably the only one that loved how they smelled, but I don't care. NOT washing them!
A few last pictures of Pearce with BBs
Getting BBs all packed up.
Excited (at the time) about what the BB Fairy left him !
I took this picture last night. Several hard nights, but at least the Toy Story gang is helping Pearce get through it :)
