Pacifier Milestone

Max is 24 weeks old.

Max has been waking up entirely TOO EARLY in recent weeks. 6:30AM was already much earlier than we have ever been awake in our lives (Evie was a 7PM - 7AM sleeper when she was this age). But, we've all adjusted to the 6:30AM and learned to live with it. However, when the wake-up started creeping back to 6:20, then 6:00 and then 5:30 and finally, 4:40AM (last night!) then new rules had to be enforced. We tried getting up (taking turns getting up, I should say) and walking across the house to give Max his pacifier. By the time we got back to our bed, though... Max would wake-up again. This would continue every 5-10 minutes for up to 45 minutes.... at which time we'd give-up.
Rob and I were, in a word, pissed.
So, recently, I told Rob - forget it. He's going to be up with or without us giving him the pacifier so let's just let him "play" in there till he cries.
Funny thing, he'd never cry. He'd "Oh! Oh! *pause!* Ohhh! Heh heh eh! *pause* Heee!" for 10-15 minutes and then ...silence.
But last night he got up at 4:40AM (I was so not happy)... he eventually fell back to sleep. Then at 6AM he was up again. Rob and I laid there discussing what our method of attack would be. Then, strangely enough... silence again. He feel back to sleep when my alarm went off and proceeded to sleep till 7:10AM!

Rob checked on Max at 7AM and asked me, "Did you give him his pacifier? He's in the there sucking away."
"No."

Ah, YES! The milestone of "finding their own pacifier" has finally been reached. This is a great stage to be in.
Of course, I also see he's been ripping down the bumper in his crib, too... which only means he's going to be in the "standing up in the crib" stage next. BOO.