Security Blankets and Lovies

Most kids have a special toy they take everywhere with them. Some are common like a teddy bear or blankie. Others are, for lack of a better word, downright weird. This would include mom’s bra, a plastic spoon, and other oddities one wouldn’t associate with “comfort.”

My kids each had a special toy and some are still attached. My eldest had Diddly Dog. He was a silly green dog who went everywhere with us. He outgrew his fondness for Diddly Dog, but we still have him as a memento.

My next guy had, and still has, his bunny. Bunny is a bunny head with a blanket bottom. As a baby the only way he would fall asleep was if Bunny was covering his face. Needless to say this freaked me out and you can bet I stood guard and removed that dang thing as soon as I could. It never failed, he would then wake up. Sigh. His love for Bunny grew so deep he ended up with a vast collection. They are all named and to this day he can still tell the difference between each one. Sadly his 2 favorites, Fluffy and Cowboy, have gotten lost along the way. The gross thing about the bunnies is that he prefers them dirty. He is quoted as saying “The stinkier, the better.” Shudder. I use tongs to touch them when I can wrangle them away to the wash.

Then there is my eldest daughter. *Sigh*
She is one of those children who prefers having an odd snuggle toy. It isn’t allowed to leave the house and she has to keep it under her pillow during the day. The reason why is because is it is one of my old bras. It has been so loved it is now only one side and no straps. I keep trying to get her to be done with it,  but she is stubborn.
Hers is like her brother’s; I use tongs to pick it up when I wash it. They get wash together with a vinegar soak.

When Princess arrived I was nervous. Would she have an odd affinity to bras also? Could it be anything worse? I didn’t want to know.
Bless her heart, she loves dolls and stuffed animals. She has her favorites, but rotates through them. She also has a blanket my mom made that she loves, but she isn’t so attached that it has to travel with her everywhere. She is easy in this regard; just like her eldest brother.

Last is our sweet zen baby. He is a snuggler through and through. He loves soft, stuffed animals. He loves baby dolls. He loves purses and cars. It really doesn’t matter. Whatever strikes his fancy is what he holds. However, it is his blankie that he always returns to when he is tired, hurt, sad….
He has a handful of muslin swaddle blankets and he loves them so much. They are his comfort and friend. He walks around with it trailing behind him, like Linus from Peanuts.

For months Mark and I have been trying to get a picture of him walking around with his blankie trailing behind him. He always drops it just as we are about to snap the picture. He is a little stinker. I swear he does it on purpose because he always turns and grins with a sparkly glint in his eye.
I finally got the picture and quickly uploaded it onto Instagram and Facebook. My husband was thrilled the shot was finally captured!

Needless to say I am glad that he likes something normal and that he likes something simple. Those blankets are everywhere and, thankfully, he doesn’t care which one he has so long as it is a muslin swaddle blanket. He also, currently, lets me wash them without a fuss so hopefully I won’t have to use the tongs on them.

~Andrea