ok, so kids at this age start to get attached to things like blankets, animals, etc. i don't know if it's a texas term, but everyone here calls it a "lovey", but that's the first time i've heard of it. all of us have had one: that treasured, tattered blanket, or the unrecognizable stuffed animal that has been hugged and loved for years. well, the first rule of the lovey is: make sure it is one that can be re-produced. once the kid gets attached, you better have a back-up in case of loss or breakage. not to mention prying it from their grubby fingers to throw it in the wash - it just makes sense to have one (or more) in reserve. think of the bee scene in "best of show".
anyways, we've had a couple of small stuffed animals that we've kept in cal's crib, for him to play around with. sometimes, we also use them on the changing table to keep him distracted. both of the animals are cheap little things; they were usually part of a gift basket as an adornment. for some reason, this week, cal has suddenly become attached to one of them, a yellow bunny that says "my first easter" and is named moondrop (which is a whole other story). we knew we had to act fast. if we wanted any chance of switching it out for a more re-producable one, this weekend might be our only window. already the last three nights in a row, he has had his nightly bottle tightly hugging moondrop and falling asleep with it clutched in his hand.
so, my task for this weekend was clear: find a new lovey. the criteria:
- the big one: had to be something re-producable. amber says she's already bought ten of eli's lovey, and he's only 2
- had moondrop-like characteristics: soft, long limbs, not too big
- didn't want a "character", so pooh, etc. was out
- machine washable
at target, i gave him a couple to play with as we walked around. he held each one, played with it for a little while, then set them aside. later one, i held each one up, and said "how's this one?" and i kid you not, he would look at it and then shake his head. at both of them. after going to three stores, i had three candidates: brown bunny, fuzzy sheep, and small lamb. i'll let you know how it goes.
here are pics of the old stuff animals, moondrop is on the right, and cal evaluating candidates at the store.
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