The case of the missing pacifier!

Before I became a parent, I thought I knew it all! I know many people are the same way. There are things that I just WOULDN'T do! No way, no how!
ONE of those things would be having my 2 1/2 (ok...so he's 2 3/4's but we'll just say 2 1/2!!) year old son STILL sleeping with a pacifier. Although, I did save a little bit of my old way of thought. We NEVER called it a 'nook' or a 'binky' or whatever other names there are for it. It has ALWAYS been a pacifier. ALSO started at 14 months, he was only allowed to have it in his crib. Well, the crib turned into a toddler bed, and the toddler bed turned into a twin bed. I'm hoping there won't still be one when it turns into a college dorm bed, but hey...only time will tell.
Now, don't think I haven't thought about getting rid of this thing, because I have! MANY times! I get lectured by the grandma's many many times...and lord, if the great-grandma's knew, they'd go crazy.
The thing is, Logan is dearly attached. I also read that CONTINOUS use of a pacifier will not cause ANY dental problems until at least 5 yrs old. Logan ONLY uses it at naptime/bedtime.
Now, what would you tell your child if after you tell him its time to give the pacifier to a new baby he says, 'but mommy! My pacifier is my friend! It helps me dream!'
I CAN NOT take it away! I'm a sap!And that sentence I will never forget as long as I live.
So, tonight there was chaos.
The pacifier was MISSING! It was already past his bedtime, and we searched HIGH and LOW. Basically took the bed apart. Took the sheets off, lifted everything off his floor. It was..IS..not there!
We TRIED to get him to go down without it! In 15 minutes he was up 7 times begging to try to look for it again. Poor Dave has to go back to work and work all night, so he was trying to get an hour nap in before that, and poor Logan was devistated! We tried giving him a small flashlight to keep instead of the pacifier...nope! A special stuffed animal...nope! Raised our voices just a little bit...definetly NOPE!
So, what did I do? If I were talking to my pre-parent self, I'd be slapped!
I tucked Logan in bed with Daddy and ran to our local Walgreens at 8:30pm and bought not ONE but TWO pacifiers. One to lock away just in case this nonsence ever happens again!
Now, yes, I know you are supposed to sterilize those things first, but I didn't! Hot water and soap is all I did, so...i'm a bad mom! But tough times call for tough measures! ;)
I went into our bed and he asked in his little pipsqueak voice, 'did you find my pacifier?'
I showed him his new cool blue one, and got a HUGE hug and kiss and put him back into bed. That was 15 minutes ago. He is SOUND asleep already! Didn't make a peep.
That goes to show my pre-parent self that although I THOUGHT I knew everything, a good nights sleep is WAY more important than my 'pacifier principles'!
Who am I to take away his friend, and dream companion?