The evolution of a wrap.

This baby wrap started life as a gift for a newborn baby. It became a preferred item because it was new, not used by baby number one,  it was perfect for a summer baby in weight and texture.

Notice back corner, Stripy Blanket has entered the house. (About 4 weeks old)

After noticing how much it was used, the provider of the gift actually gave us another identical wrap, the two were then used constantly, one used, one washed.

Over time the stripy wrap become a permanent fixture, over my shoulder, in my handbag, in the cot, in the pram, wherever baby Immy was, stripy blanket went too. It was wonderful when I started back at work to know that such an item could actually make her happy. If she was upset, stripy blanket could calm her down and make her feel safe and happy.

Stripy Blanket is now coming along on car trips. (Immy around 3 months old)

After a while, stripy blanket became blanky and as I worried that blanky 1 or 2 may one day disappear I rang the maker of them to see if they had any left at all as the website said they were no longer making them. They did, so I bought the last seven, I put a few away for emergency situations, and added two more into the regular cycle of use, now that Immy was walking blanky got dragged through all sorts of mess and required more washing.

 11 months old, she could not walk but would stand like this for ages.

As Immy started to talk, blanky became blankLet.

Two blanklets got lost, even with my mobile number written on them and searches far and wide, they were never seen again.

Immy's second birthday and first Carols by Candlelight. Blanklet came too.

I tried to throw another blanklet into the mix but "New Blanklets" were not received. The fabric was just not the same anymore.

Once I realised they would never be used as a comfort toy I sewed all but one of them together and used them for the transition to a big girl bed. There was much delight in having a bed covered in blanklets, but they were still not 'attached' to.

Blanklet was once rubbed on the side of the nose while she went to sleep, but somewhere during the year of two, Blanklet started to be sniffed instead. Blanklet was no longer. Blanklet was now called Sniffy.

The corner were the tag must be sniffed.

We have two Sniffy blanklets and one NEW blanklet that is only used for playing dolls.

This winter, Sniffy has been sniffed like someone with a chroming habit and when Immy got a cold Sniffy became nothing but manky, covered in snot and cough. During this time Sniffy also got a preferred corner (the one with the tag on it) to be sniffed and even in her sleep she will spin that rag around until she gets the appropriate corner and sniffs it up with all her heart.

Sniffy is no longer called Sniffy. Sniffy is now called Stinky.

I could not cope with Stinky any longer so yesterday I snuck one of the remaining two from her bed while she slept and washed and dried it and then snuck it back in.

Stinky is still more brown than white.

In the morning there were tears. Stinky smelt wrong. Stinky was  not stinking properly.  But more had to be done.  I gave her the washed Stinky and threw the other one in the wash too. She was more than distraught. Washed Stinky was thrown against the wall as only an old rag can be (softly) he was stomped on and she hugged the front loader like it was her last friend on earth.

Washed Stinkys are currently being dragged around the house, used much less as they don't feel right, and apparently they 'don't have much stink and my body doesn't like them yet".

But they will not be discarded and 'New' Stinky will still not be touched.

There is life in Washed Stinkys yet.

Do your kids have a comfort object, what crazy things have they attached themselves to?