Thumb Sucker No More

Well, she's done it: Leah no longer sucks her thumb. Hurray! Breaking the habit was no easy feat for Leah or us, but she has been free of the habit for almost a month now thanks to some persistence on our end (well, mostly Scott's).

Scott has been lamenting Leah's bad habit for some time now (as in, ever since she was an infant). Knowing how some babies become dependent on the pacifier (which isn't always handy -- no pun intended-- or in reach), I never minded her sucking her thumb. (Read: I didn't want to constantly run into her room at night to replace the pacifier every time it fell out.) I figured she'd break herself of the habit eventually, I just never knew it would take us to do so.

Just before Hunter was born, we began the monumental task of breaking the thumb-sucking habit. First we tried the stuff you apply to the thumb (so cleverly named "Thumb-Suck Stop"). Yeah, that didn't work too well. We'd apply it; Leah would stick her thumb in her mouth and pull it back out. Then she'd try again, and leave it there (the stuff never lasted). 

Before investing some serious money in a solution, we tried wrapping her thumbs in tape and band-aids. Neither worked. She'd just pull and pull until they came off. Guess this was going to be a bit more difficult than I had thought.

The next tactic? Gloves, but not just any gloves. These were special gloves that Scott found on-line (did I mention that he's the one who really wanted her to stop?). Leah's princess gloves (as we called them) are fingerless except for the thumb, and button around the wrist to preclude their removal. They worked initially, but then Leah managed to pull the thumbs off. (Talk about persistent!)

Scott was determined to break Leah of the habit; he even considered ordering a $75 plastic glove contraption! But before doing so, he had one more trick up his sleeve: an attack on multiple fronts. So, that first week in September (remember all the rain?), we hit Leah's thumbs with a triple threat: thumb-suck stop, gloves, and Gorilla tape around the thumbs. Oh, the tears that ensued! The first couple of nights, Leah cried and cried, unable to console herself since her source of comfort was hidden under three layers. Scott or I would lay with her until she fell asleep. Trying to help her settle her mind one night, I told her to listen to the rain. What a blessing that we had it that week! Listening to the rain helped; the following week, Leah even told me that she wanted to listen to it (too bad I couldn't help her out). Of course, I'm making it sound as if Leah was "cured" overnight, which is hardly the case. It took her several nights to fall asleep without the tears or our company. Plus, she'd wake up crying several times during the night, prompting a comforting hug and snuggle from me or Scott. Even now, she still wakes up once during the night (and she's not wearing the gloves anymore). 

So, thanks to some persistence, lots of praying, and a reward from Grandma and Papa, Leah has officially broken the habit. We're so proud of her, and we tell her daily. (How could we not when she tells us each morning, "I didn't suck my thumb!"?)  Guess this is just one more sign that my baby girl is growing up.