Love you to pieces!

Our member of the family, Duckie, was in kinda bad shape last week. I think this little guy deserves an entry all his own since he really has become a member of the family. As perhaps you all know, this guy is Caroline's lovey/cozy/woobie...whatever you want to call him. If he was lost I don't think she'd ever recover....or me, for that matter.

Flashback to Summer 2007:
Duckie was not actually Caroline's first love(y). Mr. Bunny was Duckie's predecessor. He went AWOL in late summer of 2007 when we took a trip to the Gateway and I erroneously allowed him to leave the car. I was hysterical and re-traced my steps throughout the entire mall to no avail. I posted ads on Craigslist, KSL.com and even "missing lovey" websites (yes, there are such things as this is apparently a common phenomenon among parents of young children) to either find the original Mr. Bunny or a replica of the same model. Target, of course, had stopped selling them.

I received Mr. Bunny and Duckie as gifts from my friend Brenda at a baby shower before the girls were born. Who knew that these little guys would be the chosen ones for Miss Caroline. They came as a set and had cute little robes on them. Anyway, after HOURS of scouring the internet I actually found and bid $50 for a replacement on Ebay for the exact same model as Mr. Bunny. I won! But before I could get him home, Caroline had attached herself to Mr. Bunny's buddy, Duckie Duck (as he was eventually named by Caroline).

I was so excited to present the new "Mr. Bunny" to her after her nap the day he arrived to show her he finally came home from "vacation." But she just chuckled and barely gave him much notice before she grabbed Duckie and exclaimed, "Duckie Duck!". She was smitten...the rest is history and he hasn't left her side since. Except now, under no circumstances, does Duckie leave the car if we are going to a public place!

August 1, 2007 shortly before Mr. Bunny took his "vacation."

Bounce back to September 14, 2009:

If you could actually love a stuffed animal so much that it eventually became "real," as in the beloved children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit, then Duckie Duck would indeed have blood coursing through his veins and be able to quack and waddle like his buddies in the park. Caroline has "loved him to pieces" (her new bedtime mantra....more on that later) quite literally many times. Last week's injuries were just the latest, albeit most serious, results of her "loving" actions. Over the past two years Duckie has been totally picked clean of his stuffing, had holes chewed and picked in all places of his body and now has had his right foot torn completely off, chewed into pieces and sucked dry. The prognosis looked grim, but Dr. Mom somehow pulled off a miracle.

Patient's injuries pre-operation

Post Op. Right foot, sole and slipper reattached. Patient shows signs of healthy weight gain and improved hygiene habits. Strong odor and age spots significantly reduced. Robe's whereabouts currently unknown.

We are glad you are still with us, Duckie. Even though you are a true master at hide and seek, and I have spent countless hours trying to find your latest hiding spots....I hope you never decide to go on "vacation." You are truly irreplaceable!