Princess YaYa and the Bootie Queen

Dr. Phil once did a show on adults who had difficulty letting go of their childhood.  His first guest was a US Marine, who refused to give up his baby blankie.  I had a friend who cried even at the age of 17 if she forgot her “Woobie” for overnights.  Years later she refused to share him with her own 2 year old daughter.  I can only imagine how her wedding night went; maybe he was her ”something old” tucked under her dress.  Just recently I handed down to Yaya, 3 large tubs of stuffed animals I had saved.  Some of them I kept since the age of 2 or 3.  We all hold on to items with memories from childhood that comfort us, but I’m surprised my daughter, not quite 16 months and with so little history to cling to, would do the same.  She has her favorite toys, but nothing she can’t live without not even a blankie…or so I thought. 

Today we finished unpacking her room, and repacking baby things she has outgrown.  One item just couldn’t go in the box, her bassinet.  Yaya slept in a moses basket next to my bed for the first 3 months of her life.  I would never imagine she remembered, let alone had formed a bond with, her little bed.  She spent more months sleeping in her crib, and when we came back from our trip this summer, wanted nothing to do with it; she has slept in her big girl bed ever since.  

First came the sit in.  Based upon her body language (back to me, leaning forward, gripping both sides) if she had the vocabulary, she probably would have chanted, “Hell no!  We won’t go!”

“Yaya, can Momma put your basket away?”

She has the cutest little “no” with a long drawn out “ooooooo” and then leaves her mouth frozen in a pucker long after the sound is gone. 

“Yaya, this is for babies.  We have to put it away.”,  I say tugging on the end.

Here comes her second favorite argument, the silent stare down complete with furrowed brow.

Then, as if she remembers those short few months next to my bed, she hops up out of her basket, and drags it into her room.  ”Night night, Momma.”

Here she is pretending to go night night:

Bassinet

Bassinet 2

I decided not to pack this one away; it makes a great dolly bed.  We tucked ”Boo Boo Baby” in with Yaya’s own bottle of Cranberry juice, and left her to go night night.  Some time later, it got very quiet in the house.  Three guesses as to where I found my big baby:

Bassinet 3

Bassinet 4

Here is a comparison shot.  This picture was taken her first day home from the hospital:

Bassinet – 3 Days Old