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Thursday, January 20, 2011

What’s a lovie?

I talk about Gianna’s lovie (which, in this house is a small blanket) a lot.
Because she loves it. A LOT.
When Sara asked us to write on this topic:
Share how your child, or you, or someone you know, found and adopted his/her lovey and the importance of it in his/her life.  As a bonus, feel free to add cute pictures of your little ones with their loveys.
I could NOT turn it down.

I had a lovie growing up. I still have it. As heartbreaking (and possibly disturbing to some) as that is, it’s literally held together by a thread.  I did take it out of my pillowcase about a year ago and stored it safely in a box. (you’re welcome, Mike). My favorite part about that lovie? The silk edge. I would just run my hands around and around and around it until I fell asleep.

Gianna got her lovie from my mom when she was born. It was the most perfect size for a baby, not a huge honking blanket that would get dragged in the mud. It was SO soft and had that perfect silk edge.
I gave it to her from day one, she caught on that this was HERS around month 2 or 3 and has never let it go since.
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Being the highly intelligent beings that Mike and I are, we RAN to the store my mom bought it at to get backup. Because, holy crap if we left it at sea world* one day in the future THE WORLD WOULD END. DOOM. FOR SURE. They had 3 left, in the clearance aisle. We bought 2 of them. Bringing our total lovie count to 3.
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2 lovies are on constant rotation so they are both equally “broken in”. 1 is untouched. When I look at that “fresh” one, I am AMAZED at just how soft and cuddly that sucker is! Sometimes G will catch a glimpse of lovie #2 in the laundry basket, grab it and become the happiest little person EVER. Because TWO WUBEEEEEZZZ!
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Then I have to take the TWO WUBEEEZZZ and smell them both to figure out which one is clean and which is not…. I usually do not need to get both up to my nose before I know for sure….

At least that 1 fresh lovie was untouched until this morning. When both lovies ended up in the laundry and THE WORLD ENDED. PERIOD. I tried to tough it out, tell her lovie was getting a bath, no dice. Fresh lovie was unvailed. There were tears of joy, thank yous and claims of FLUFFY WUBEEE.

Another place the WUBEEEE must be at all times? In the car. Before she is even in her carseat she is saying “WUBEE” WUBEE?" “WUBEE!!!!!” followed by BINK.EEEEEEEEEEEEE. I tell you, she brings the opening night performance every day of the week.
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Homegirl takes her lovie everywhere, she gives it hugs and kisses.  She tries to feed it snacks and give it drinks. We play peek-a-boo with it. Her babies get wrapped up in it. She holds on to it tight. She rubs her fingers across the silky edges.

Clearly, the lovie and binkie go hand in hand in this house. And as I said before, we DO need a binkie intervention.  I am just a leetle afraid that will also mean a lovie intervention, because really, I don’t know if *I* want her to give that up. Her lovie is her best friend, her comforter and her security.
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Maybe one day, against her husband’s wishes, she will sleep with her lovie (or both!) in her pillowcase too.



andreasignature2

*my little sister had a bunnie** lovie. and lost it at sea world. it was doom. for sure. until my cousin had a spare. peace was then restored to the world.
**I like to end things in –ie because I think it is cute. deal with it.

8 comments:

Esperanza said...

I also have a love and I still sleep with mine. I even posted a picture of it on my blog once (here: http://esperanzasays.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/atop-the-podium/). My favorite part was also the satin edges, but they have long since disappeared. I still seem to think the edges are the best (softest) part. It's strange though, I can see (and feel when I'm really paying attention) that my blankie is not AT ALL soft anymore but when I put it in my hand just so or on my upper lip, it still feels soft to me. My daughter also has a blankie, she sleeps with it every night. She actually pulls it over her head. I've been meaning to post a picture of that on my blog too, it's hilarious. I actually hope she loves her blankie as much as I did/do.

Thanks for posting about this! It's a very dear topic for me.

Anonymous said...

I had (ok, still have, it's in the basement in a box) a blanket growing up that my grandma made. It was the same situation, big soft and cuddly, with a satin edge that I'd (ok this sounds WEIRD now) run against my lips to fall asleep. And it's so ratty and just one long strip now, it's gross.

We wanted B to have some kind of soothing apparatus so he could get back to sleep if he wakes in the night. Enter the puppy blankets. They're like miniature versions of G's wubee, but have a puppy stuffed animal sewed to the middle of them. Ok, technically one is a bear, but we call them both puppies. We have two - one for daycare, one for home. And holy crap, he LOVES those things. We've slowly gotten to the point where 75% of the time, he'll put his "baby" night-night before we leave in the mornings so we don't have a meltdown when the baby has to stay in the car. It's cute. Exhausting but cute.

seussgirl said...

N has taken to using cloth diapers (burp cloths) as his comfort item. But he is very choosy about which ones he will accept. If it doesn't meet his standards, he will say "this is NOT a clean burp cloth " and give it back.
Both J and Bug have 18"*18" "silkies" with the minky fabric and satin edges that they can't live without. We bought J a backup, but now he needs "TWO silkies". Best laid plans, eh?

Sara said...

I love your girl! And I'm surprised she became so attached at such a young age! O just recently picked his lovey and he's almost a year and a half old.

Danifred said...

Is it wrong that I always wanted my girls to have a lovie? No dice. All they want are thumbs and binkies.

Rebecca said...

Too cute! Matt has a specific tag on his lovey that he rubs on his booboo's...or my booboo's.

We don't let them out of the crib though...aren't we mean?

Paige @ Baby Dust Diaries said...

I love how so many people use their lovies based on how they feel. I was a "touch" girl too and sometimes I put it over my eyes and ears until I fell asleep!

I love the pics! Go slowly with binkie and lovey interventions!

Anonymous said...

OMG Kylie has her bear still... IDK if you remember it, but I gave it to her at like 2 mos old b/c she was having a hard time sleeping at night and I read in a parents magazine to give them something to snuggle with. She's 6- and still snuggling with it! Which melts my heart...and I am in NO hurry to take it away from her! I also have a backup (or 2), but she's never liked the other ones like she likes the 1st one. I love looking at the other ones too b.c they're definitely NOTHING like the one shes been attached to for 6 years lol. Brennen has a blanket he didnt really get attached to until around 1-2 and Emma got a blanket for her 1st birthday that she LOVES. I'm all for them :-)