Annabelle Sucks...

her thumb, that is! Just this past week she began an obsession with sucking her thumb! I didn't start giving her the pacifier on a regular basis until she was a few weeks old, and even then she would reject it sometimes or spit it out pretty soon after getting it, but now... when I try to give her the pacifier she'll either shut her mouth, make a face like it tastes horrible, act like I'm choking her, or she'll take it then spit it right out! She keeps sneaking her little thumb (and sometimes her whole hand or various other fingers) into her little mouth when she thinks I'm not looking. It's actually quite adorable to see her sneakiness and determination for the thumb, but I don't want to be paying the price for letting her suck her thumb for years as I try to coax her into quitting the habit!

I was a pacifier baby, but my sister rejected the pacifier much like Annabelle is doing. My sister was a thumb sucker until nearly 7 years old despite bribes and thumb nastiness stuff. Then she replaced that oral fixation with nail biting. (Sorry Kel... I hope you don't mind me sharing this)

Anyway... I'm trying my darndest to get her to NOT suck her thumb... covering her hands with mittens, giving her the pacifier every time I catch her sucking her thumb, putting yummy malox on her pacifier to get her to take it, giving her a stuffed animal to hold while she's falling asleep to keep her hands occupied and comforted... If anyone has any other tips, please pass them along!

Also, new miscellaneous pictures of Annabelle are posted.