Sneaky, sneaky.

I have known for a while that the nuk still being stuck in my kid's mouth was my issue. I thought it was because I didn't want to deal with the whining and crying I was positive I would have to endure once I took it away. I thought wrong.

When I picked Alex up this afternoon, he was nuk-less. He is nuk-less everyday when I pick him up. He usually even hands it to me before running off to play when we get there in the morning, and it gets put in a cupboard for the day. But the moment I arrive in the afternoon, he asks for it. Which is exactly what happened yet again today. So, as usual, I caved and went to the cupboard to retrieve it. But it wasn't there. He kept asking, we looked but there was no nuk to be found. So, I just said I didn't know where it was and it must be all gone. He seemed to accept that and we headed home. Throughout the evening, he asked for it, but nothing too bad along the whining front. All the way to bed time he didn't ask much, and he went to bed sans nuk.

While we were singing and rocking in his room, I realized what my real problem has been. My baby isn't a baby anymore. Only babies use nuks. Big boys don't. He looked so old. It broke my heart. I love watching him grow and learn and become this hilarious little kid...But I really loved having my snuggly little baby boy.

I have a sneaking suspicion the daycare teachers intentionally took it out of the cupboard. But I think they did it to help me. They knew as well as I did that he is ready to be without a nuk and that I just needed a helpful nudge in the right direction. They didn't fess up to it today, but I'm pretty confident I'll get it out of 'em.