Thank you, Blue Bunny.

As child I always loved the story of the Velveteen Rabbit. Our librarian, Mrs. Flatt, would read us the book, and on super-special occasions we would even get to watch the low quality, animated movie of the story. I thought the fact that the main character had a stuffed animal that he loved so much was just sweet. I never had a "lovey", security item, or favorite toy growing up. Sure, I had fourteen Cabbage Patch dolls, every My Little Pony (along with their stable, of course!) and quite a litter of Pound Puppies. But never just one item that I couldn't live without. I never really thought I missed out on not having a favorite item, and surely wasn't planning on my children having such a security item. But then came along Aidan. And along came his "blue bunny".

I wish I could remember where "blue bunny" came from. I am pretty sure I received him at a baby shower, but I have looked back at my gift lists and can't figure out who bought this simple, precious item. Blue Bunny lived in a toy basket for Aidan's first six months of life. The toy basket was more for decoration, because honestly, Aidan wasn't doing much more than eating, sleeping and cryyyyying. Then as I started to wean my blue-eyed boy, I realized he was going to have to have something else to "hang onto" other than me during a feeding. You see, I was his "lovey". So during a late night feeding I reached toward the toy basket for anything soft I could grab, and out came Blue Bunny. And he has been one of the most treasured possessions in the Humphrey house ever since.

Aidan has slept with Blue Bunny every single night and nap for the past four years. Oh, except for the one night when he was discovered missing and we realized he was locked in First Baptist Church Hendersonville where Aidan attended Mothers Day Out. Needless to say, it was a long night and I was at the church when the doors were unlocked the next morning. But other than that one time, he has been clutched in Aidan's chubby little hand during all of his sweet little baby dreams.

Blue Bunny is definitely showing his age. His once soft bright white terrycloth fabric is now a very dingy, coarse color of gray. His baby blue satin lining is frayed and pulled from being washed so many times. And his ears...ohhh, his ears. Well, for Aidan's first year of life he carried Blue Bunny around with his satin ears tucked in his rather drooly mouth. And then, and even now, he sleeps rubbing Bunny's left ear. So Blue Bunny is in bad shape, and not at all replaceable. (Trust me. When Aidan first became so attached to Bunny, I realized I needed a Back-up Bunny. My sister-in-law had the same exact one for her little boy. I tried buy his - no go. I then searched Ebay. SURE - they were on there - but they had them priced for almost $200. YES - you read that right! $200!!! This is a Gerber lovey sold at Babies' R Us - nothing fancy! Apparently it was a popular lovey, and those sellers knew it!)

So Jason and I guard Blue Bunny with our lives. Silly, I know, but we cherish our peaceful sleep at nights, and cherish the sweet little boy cuddling that bunny even more. We wonder how long Aidan is going to insist on toting this bunny around. (Not that I am in any hurry for him to stop - I think it's pretty stinkin' sweet.) But I know that someday Blue Bunny is going to get tossed aside just as the Velveteen Rabbit was. And when he does, I will scoop him up and place him in his new home - in a shadowbox frame on the wall where he can safely be treasured and seen by all. Because secretly, I think I love Blue Bunny just as much as Aidan does.