A Girl and Her Bobby

You've had one haven't you? You might have called it by another name though. Blankie, Lovey, Binky,snuggly, etc. I had two blankets that my Grandma Hedinger made for me...an elephant blanket and a Raggedy Ann blanket...I still have them. Max has a blanket that my Grandma Hedinger made as well. Our girls, ont he other hand, have their Bobbies. Abby has two and Lucy has one. My girls and their Bobbies are inseparable.


It all started when I got a pink and green elephant one as a shower gift for Abby. Once she was a couple of months old I learned that "lovey" (at the time) HAD to be around, especially in the car! By the time she was 1 I couldn't even get it away from her anymore to wash the thing! Around the time she started talking we were driving in the car one day and she was holding him and talking to him. All of a sudden she looked straight into his pink thread eyes and said, clear as a bell, "Bobby". That was his name from then on.

Since a fight would ensue everytime Bobby needed a "bath" in the washing machine I decided to find a twin that I could change out. Just my luck, Carter's stopped making that one. I found one on ebay (see how desperate I was) but they wanted $60 and counting for it...I wasn't THAT desperate! My mom got a different one, a light brown bear that rattled a little. I REALLY didn't think she would take to it but boy did she prove me wrong! Okay, so now I was excited that I had something to give her when Bobby had to be washed...uh uh. She now had to carry BOTH Bobbies (yes, they are Brown Bobby and Pink Bobby...before she knew her colors they were Bobby and Two Bobby...yes I know, original).

Now that she has matured...somewhat (grin)...she has decided that I can wash one at a time. She decides who I get first and upon the return of the first, now clean, Bobby, she will hand over the other one. She gets upset when either Bobby gets something on him and I have to assure her that it can be washed. The Bobbies went to preschool with her last year and Abby's teachers were soooo understanding about her attachment to them and would just place them in her school bag if they got put down somewhere. I was afraid she would want to take them this year as well but Abby surprised me once again and decided that she would take them in the car on the ride and then LEAVE THEM in the car. I let them sit in her car seat until it is time to pick her up and then she has them right there. Bobbies sleep with her at night and travel with us wherever we go. The Bobbies have also been able to soothe all hurt feelings and booboo's...even better than a kiss and hug from Mommy sometimes. Of course, along with the Bobbies comes the thumb :) Out of my 3, Abby is my only thumb sucker. It is interesting to see that the only time she sucks her thumb is when she has her Bobbies. If the Bobbies aren't around and she wants to suck her thumb she goes looking for them. Hopefully that means that once she doesn't need the Bobbies anymore she will stop sucking her thumb...a mom can hope can't she?

It seemed only fitting that when Lucy was born, Abby would present her new baby sister with a Bobby of her very own. A yellow and green giraffe! It has been with Lucy since she came home from the hospital and she has developed a strong attachment to hers as well. When Lucy doesn't want to sleep she starts throwing things out of her crib. Bobby is always the last one "out of the pool" and I can tell when he's out because she starts screaming like someone was threatening to shred him to pieces! I'll walk in her room and she is standing up with her arms reaching down to Bobby. It's not as easy to get Lucy's away from her to wash and you'd think I would have been smart enough to buy two at the same time...well, I wasn't but I'll chalk it up to pregnancy brain :) Abby is kind enough to share one of hers with Lucy but that baby girl knows the difference and a substitute is not going to cut it! She has recently started noticing when Bobby gets something on him and I will hear her say, "Bobby yuck".

A friend of John's joked once (and now it is our running joke) than one or both of the girls is going to end up dating and/or marrying a guy named Bobby :) It wouldn't be too far fetched because my sister and I both married guys named John. As long as the future "Bobbies" treat my girls as well as the current Bobbies...I don't think it will be a problem.

Meet the Bobbies...

Abby and "Pink Bobby" and "Brown Bobby"

Lucy and "Yellow Bobby"

Lucy givin' Bobby some kisses...she'd kiss him all day :)