Thumbs up!

Brady cut his thumb the other day and I couldn't have planned it better myself.

My hardcore thumbsucker has not sucked his thumb in over 48 hours.  The wound has healed, but the Band-Aid remains.  Brady was so attached to his thumb, we hadn't really thought about trying to cut him (or it) off yet.  I didn't imagine that it would only take a snoopy Band-Aid to stop Brady from this orthodontic nightmare, but he's super stoked about it (the Band-Aid, that is).  We've let the thumb "breathe" at various points during the day, but he's always excited to reapply a Band-Aid.  He hasn't sucked the Band-Aid and hasn't asked for me to take it off!  I saw him make an attempt with his left thumb right after the first Band-Aid went on, but it must not have tasted as good.  He's also given up (at least for now), his hair-twirling habit.  I've realized the two are intimately related...when he sucks his thumb, its an automatic reaction to twirl his hair with the opposite hand.

There is a downside.  Brady has always been such a good self-soother and a wrapped thumb has impacted his sleeping, and not in a good way.  He has a harder time putting himself to sleep and his naps have been shortened.  I have been spoiled with 2-3 hour naps.  I think in the past, he'd often wake up in the middle of his nap but would be able to "suck" himself back to sleep.  Today, he woke up after only 30 minutes.  There were a lot of tears, although he still wasn't trying to suck his thumb . I went into his room and he cried and spoke jibberish for about 10 minutes (entertaining actually).  His eyes were basically closed the whole time so I don't even think he was awake, and he eventually fell back asleep.

I can't promise Brady won't be sucking his thumb next time you see him, but for now, I'm proud of my little (non) thumbsucker!