Then Jamie decided to devise a sadistic plan to compound our pain, taking away Norah's pacifier :-) At the time I thought it was a BAD idea because I didn't want to fight two battles at once. I quickly got on board though because I knew we were doomed to fail if we were not on the same page. So we stuck to the sadistic plan for 2 weeks.... no pacifier for naps or at night. All I can say is that what ensued was a living hell. Norah rarely took naps in those two weeks and would just scream at the top of her lungs when we tried to put her down. There were times I was afraid the neighbors would call cops as loud as Norah was screaming. I have it on video, maybe I'll try and get it uploaded at some point. Anyway, with no nap we then had an over-tired kid who was miserable the rest of the evening.
We were about 10 days into this experiment when both Jamie and I were barely hanging by thread. To my own shame I have been lax over the last year in regularly praying for Norah and us as her parents. So Jamie and I started getting up before Norah and taking some time to pray for Norah, that God would graciously remove the sadness and stubborness from her heart; and for us, that we would be patient and have the grace to break Norah's strong-willed attitude without breaking her spirit. I have also been going into Norah's room after she falls asleep and laying hands on her and praying for her.
I have to say I'm amazed how easily I backslide on prayer when you see God answer it time after time after time. He did again, and in a much shorter time frame than I could have ever hoped or expected. By day 14 Jamie had spent the better part of the last four days in tears. We were both physically and emotionally exhausted. So Jamie called up a friend who dealt with something similar in her daughter. I would like to thank her tremendously for the advice she gave... to give Norah back her pacifier. She may not realize it, but she was a direct answer to prayer because Norah has been a different child over the last 4 days since she's had her pacifier back. Our Norah is back!!!
She certainly has her moments, but she is 2 and we expect that. But she is back to being happy and sleeping again. I can't speak for Jamie, but I feel a hundred times better myself. So the lesson here for me is twofold: (1) never stop praying for your children and spouse, and (2) never take a pacifier away before the kid is ready :-)
