Thank You Fairies

Last Friday I decided to try something that was mentioned to me in regards to trying to get Calleigh to give up her dummy (pacifier/binky- whatever you want to call it). During her bath she threw it out and didn't seem very interested in getting it back, so I decided to hide it. When she finally decided she wanted it back I told her that the do do fairies had been and they had taken it back with them to live on the fairy tree. She seemed a bit confused and was looking around the room to try and find it. Eventually when she realised it wasn't anywhere to be found she got a little upset.

The first day she asked for it quite a lot but I stuck to my guns and didn't give in. Eventually nearer the end of the day she had stopped asking and seemed to forget about it.
Over the next couple of days it got better and better and although she still asks for it every now and again it's not half as bad as the first day. It seems that she is quite happy to go on without it.

We do give it her back at night because she does struggle to go to bed without it. Naps are fine and she doesn't have it then but it is a real comfort at bedtime and helps her sleep. Getting it back off her in the morning does require a bit of sneakiness. I need to make sure I get it when she is not looking because if she knows I have taken it, the jig will be up!

Since she hasn't had the dummy her speech is coming on so well. She's constantly chatting away, singing and has stopped slurring her words. I'm also really happy that I can finally take pictures of her beautiful face! The dummy was constantly in her mouth in photo's, which completely ruined it when she was smiling behind it!

The only problem we seem to have come across is that without the dummy she keeps licking her lips, all the time, which is making them really red and sore. I'm trying to keep it at bay with some eczema cream I have that's safe for use on her face.
You can see the redness in the photo below, It's not a shadow! Looks pretty bad.

Apart from that I am really happy with her progress and just wish I had tried it sooner.

Once she shows signs that she really doesn't need it anymore I will try and ease it away from her at bed time too, but for now I'll just take it one step at a time.