Greycinations: Where's Wooly?

Greyson at 11 months, playing with Wooly.

The worst has happened. Greyson's lovey, the Gund Comfy Cozy Mini Lammy has been discontinued. It is sold out everywhere, and we cannot purchase more, not even on eBay. Mind you, I was afraid this day would come, and we have a total of five baby Woolys in our possession. But even then, they are getting worn and crusty, and will need, at some point to be replaced. For months, every time I did laundry and threw another Wooly into the wash, I'd been telling myself that I have to order more. I was too late. Panicked, I sent an email out to my mom's group, pleading for anyone who had a mini Lammy lying around the house to sell it to me. I received several sympathetic responses and suggestions. One mom kept sending me various site links saying, "Try this place, they say they have it in stock!" Twice I went to the link, placed an order, only to receive a regretful email following a full refund. Her last email to me said, "I'll keep looking for you at nap time!" Another mom wrote me to tell me that she was in a similar situation last year and ended up paying top dollar for her child's lovey on eBay. Only another mother could empathize with my desperation.

I kid you not, in my mind this is a catastrophe. Wooly has been with Greyson since he was four months old. Even when he was swaddled, Wooly was with him in his crib. With both his arms pinned, Greyson would turn his head and nuzzle Wooly against his cheek. I even wrote a blog entry titled, "Wooly", detailing his devotion. Wooly has been with us to Singapore and back, when each nanny came and left, Wooly was always here. No matter where we travel, we can make any place feel like home, as long as Wooly comes with us. Yeah, yeah, yeah, nothing lasts forever, and Greyson will have to face that sooner or later, but I'll be d_____ if it has to be so soon. I dread the day that Wooly becomes a bio-chemical hazard and we have to say goodbye to him. I have to start formulating a replacement plan. But as parents, how do we replace the only constant in our child's life, other than ourselves? A lesson learned for all other mothers: Purchase as many loveys as you can afford, keep tabs on the availability of your child's lovey and buy in stages, so that the wear on them doesn't all happen at the same time. From now on, it's the Delicates cycle for Wooly.

This photo was taken on November 2nd, 2006, Greyson was 3.5 months old. Wooly's coat looks so plush and soft, a far cry from the dryer-rattled, Greyson-loved-on crust he wears now.

Greyson at 5 months. He didn't have the motor skills to handle Wooly so a lot of times, Wooly would just sit on his face. He'd fall asleep like that all the time.