Back before I had my baby girl, I read that one way to help a baby sleep is to give her a piece of your clothing so she'll be reminded of you even when you are not there.
With that in mind, when we were transitioning Mazzy from our bedroom to her nursery, I took two old cotton tank tops and sewed them together to make a little blankie. (When I say I sewed them together, I mean that I took them to the dry cleaners to see if the tailor could sew them for me. He did it on the spot for free. Thank you, Million Dollar Cleaners!)
Every night, I would place the blankie in the crib next to Mazzy while she slept. Mostly, she ignored it. But I kept it up just in case.
After a month or two, I noticed that she had started sleeping with her head on it like a pillow. And if we wanted her to take a nap in the stroller, all we had to do was lie it over her eyes and she was out.
Gradually, her attachment grew until one day, suddenly Mazzy couldn't live without it. She pointed to it as soon as they were separated. She'd crawl somewhere, realize she had left it behind and then crawl back to retrieve it. If I took her out of the crib while the blankie was still lying inside, all hell broke loose.
Her undying devotion was made even more apparent when she began to refer to it by name. She called it "Boo", due to our use of the blankie when we played peek-a-boo.
"Boo?" (Where is my boo?)
"BOO!" (I SEE BOO! GET ME BOO NOW!!!)
"Booooooooo." (Aaaaaaah. I have my Boo.)
A few weeks ago, in the middle of the night, Mazzy woke up sick and I took her back to our bed. I lay Boo over my chest as a signal to put her head down to rest. We both lay still for a moment and then abruptly, Mazzy sat up and threw up everywhere. Myself, my pajamas, the bed— everything was soaked. Literally, puddles of puke formed around me in the sheets like a log in a river. Mazzy was crying and I (not knowing how to get up without spreading the devastation) screamed for Mike to wake up and help.
Mike flicked on the light to survey the situation. Sick crying baby. Puke drenched wife. River of throw-up running through the bed. And you know what got my husband's immediate attention?
Boo.
Poor puke soaked Boo was wisked away as if it was in the throws of cardiac arrest and the washing machine was the only thing that could save it. Only after Boo was safely spinning it's way back to life, did Mike come back to toss me a towel and retrieve the baby.
But I didn't blame him. Without Boo, there is no sleep. There is no ability to take Mazzy away for the weekend. There is no peace in the car. There is no leaving her with strangers. Boo is as important to us as it is to the baby.
That night, we spent the next hour all together waiting for Boo to complete both it's wash and dry cycle.
Mazzy, exhausted and miserable, repeating, "Boo? Boo? Boo? Boo? Boo? Boo?…"
The ending buzzer finally sounded, the dryer door was pulled back and Boo emerged, soft and clean as ever.
"BOO!!!"
We lay Mazzy down in the crib and slipped that old cut-up tank top rag sewed by the Million Dollar Cleaners into her arms.
"Boooooooooooo."
And only THEN, did everybody sleep.
On one hand I can’t believe that he took care of Boo before getting you a towel and helping get the puke cleaned up but on the other hand I understand the importance of getting Boo clean. My oldest was attached to baby dolls when she was younger and she wouldn’t leave the house or go to sleep without them. My youngest is attached to bottles of nail polish. Not the best toy for a toddler.
One of my husband’s superpowers is his foresight. I might have been screaming “What the hell are you doing?!” at the time but after the dust had settled I understood. The sooner Boo was clean, the sooner everyone would be going back to sleep.
Love the Million Dollar Cleaners part of the story.
Don’t worry. No one goes to college with Boo.
she is so cute!
Maybe you should start scheming a way to create a Boo II that looks exactly like the original. Just in case (and I shudder to even type this) something happens to the beloved Boo that can’t be fixed with soap, the wash cycle and patience.
Darling story, by the way. Shows beautifully that your house is filled with love (and puke).
My baby couldn’t give a crap about the security blanket that I keep in his crib. Many mornings I find the small soft “lovie” on the floor next to his crib; he must have pushed it through the bars or dropped it over the side. While he has some favorite toys, he isn’t attached to any of them. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? I worry he’s a commitment-phobe in the making.
We also have a ‘mankie’ (blankie) fortunately though, it doesn’t matter which one, as longs as there is one. But if Mouse or Minch (Grinch) are missing, there will be hell to pay.
OK, every time you post a picture, I’m completely distracted by the home decor. Is that wallpaper??? And if so–where did you get it?? Love it! love it! love it!
Emma is almost 8 and still sleeps with “Bubby” (kudos to Baby Gap for making the perfectly soft, perfectly adorable baby blanket that’s held up). Your story reminds me of “Knuffle Bunny”, you should read it to Mazzy, she’d totally relate!
at first i was going to scold that he took care of the blanket first, but now i see that you were in agreement with that. so….go husband!
I have a second blankie that I’ve tried to establish as away from home BOO but it hasn’t worked.
Second kid is definitely not getting a blankie that can’t be duplicated. I will stock them like burp clothes.
As long as he sleeps well home and away, I’d say you dodged a bullet that I’ll be facing later on. You know, when I try to rip the thing away from her on her way to college.
My daughter is starting to get obsessed with a bunch of stuffed animals. There will be a post about them soon, I’m sure.
It is wallpaper and I believe it’s by a company called Cole & Son. Thanks for noticing!
Blankie is Amanda’s Boo of choice– as soon as I realized that she was going to be attached to it more than she was to me, I went and bought 4 more of the same blanket. Crisis averted, whew….
Like Dee said– “Knuffle Bunny” is totally apropo 🙂
Oh, man do I wish we had a boo in our house right about now.
My son’s lovey? Is me. Or a soccer ball.
My 7-year-old still sleeps with her “B”. Or is it Bee? Bea? Not sure. Anyway, we once made the mistake of leaving B in my friend’s car before boarding our flight from San Fran back to NYC. My friend left me a panicked message on my phone when she realized it, but there was no way she could get back in time. She ended up fedex-ing B overnight, realizing the magnitude of the situation. That’s a good friend. And a good mom!
I tried to establish a ‘Boo’ of sorts but neither of my kids were down with it.
I blame ‘Boob’ – both my babies reserved their devotion for boob and boob alone.
We actually have that book. I read it to her when she was really little but then forgot about it since now we can’t have anything around her that isn’t a board book or else she will destroy it. Thanks for reminding me!
He infuriates but he is wise.
A friend of mine told me she had a whole drawer full of something her daughter called “Dee”. Unfortunately, she told me that well after “Boo” was firmly established.
Oy. Soccer balls are very hard to throw into the wash.
Oh my goodness! Thank god she was on top of it! I bet that one night was HELL though.
My baby was through with “Boob” way before “Boob” was through with her. I actually pumped for a long time after she stopped breastfeeding because I still wanted her to drink breastmilk— even if it was out of a bottle.
Phew. Initially, I was a little worried, what with the mention of sewing and all. But you redeemed yourself nicely, and I respect you highly for that. Go Team, other people who can sew!
Mike is A-OK in my book. In our house, Bunny BB is washed first, simply b/c we know how very, very long it takes to wash and then dry him on the Extra Low setting (fear of shrinkage). There were a few middle-of-night, post-vomit episodes where I’d have to take Aura into the bathroom, simply so she could stare at Bunny BB doing his calming, countless revolutions in the dryer.
Rereading this post and my above comment, it really stymies me as to why we haven’t been canonized yet. Or, in your case, the equivalent. (Have to ask Adam what this is. You Jews play it very close to the vest.)
We have a few lovies – the blankets with the heads attached. And you are so right – those things are like gold! I thought I lost one in a shop one day – I was frantic until finding it!! (smart mothers would never let a Peanut leave the house with a lovie, by the way 😉
Oh, the self-weaning child! Yes, I’ve heard of this phenomenon. I covet such a child. Breastfeeding until college was NOT part of my plan.
Meanwhile, you kept pumping? Awesome effort.
My older brother by 13 years took my baby blanket as a joke when I was a baby. He then went to his Dad’s for the summer. I never gave it a thought (I was too little to remember much) until he returned the blanket when I was 38 years old.
I used to be smart. I had an at home BOO and an away BOO. But stupidly, away BOO looks like a giraffe and my child wasn’t buying it.
I don’t think we have a version of canonized. That could explain EVERYTHING. For both of us.
Wow. I wonder if you noticed at the time. There’s got to be more story there. Did anybody else know that he was the reason it went missing?
My son just recently started to sleep with a ‘boo’… out of all the cool organic loveys he has in his room, what did he pick ? a good old Elmo made in China…yep ! Now he can’t sleep without him but it’s pretty cute to watch him love something so much
I have no witty commentary for this post. I just really enjoyed it!! My kids never formed these types of attachments (yet…Sophie is only 6 months). I totally understand hubby’s insistence on rescuing boo first! Mama needs sleep!
Awww I love this, love that her “boo” is something of yours. For two seconds I was crazy-jealous of your sewing skills then I laughed out loud at the next sentence. That’s the only way things get sewn in our house too.
yes it is a ratty much loved beautiful thing to have a special blanket/stuffed animal that allows for security and peaceful sleep! Thank you for such a realistic look into life at your house, amid the puke and the husband who gets the importance of Boo enough to race it to the washing machine! You portrayed Mazzy’s attachment so well, too, reminds me of my kids 🙂
Ugh, hate those stomach flu episodes.
My oldest didn’t have a comfort object, but my twins both have blankies. Yup, they get washed first!
Great take on this week’s prompt!
Oh, I can relate to this on so many levels. But in our house Boo is Kitty, a special blanket given to SB as a gift. When we got it, I had no idea what it was for. I thought it was maybe a fancy burp cloth. When she got older, she started carrying it around everywhere, and I realized it was a security blanket. I immediately did an online search, found and purchased a second. I knew we could never afford to be without it. And, when we have to do puke laundry (oh yes, I have been there, Mama!) reserve Kitty can save the day! 🙂
That is the one of the many mistakes of using old clothing. No replacement.
I possess no domestic skills whatsoever.
Without Boo, there is no sleep I remember those days vividly.
My favorite line:
(not knowing how to get up without spreading the devastation
I have been there too, good times.
One of the most important things I learned from watching other parents: If you’re going to give a child a “lovey” always have a clone in case the inconceivable should happen. Any more expendable tank tops that can revisit the dry cleaner?
My son never had an attachment to a cuddly toy, but heaven help if you couldn’t find his favorite train/car..
My Lil Diva went exorcist all over her lovey while we were on vacation in January – luckily I had packed her backup.
I can perfectly picture you, surrounded by a river of puke, afraid to move, while your husband resuscitates Boo. Great writing.
I get the importance of Boo! My son can’t sleep without his buzz blanket, gotta keep it clean and dry. Its an important dance. Good job to your husband to washing it first then you and the baby.
There is always to much puke isn’t there and its always all over the mom!
Oh those lovies are of utmost importance. Many of days my children have sat in from of the clothes washer for hours just waiting for them to emerge. Love this
So sweet and funny. I love it!
I love this story. My husband would do the same thing, and I’d be P.O.’d even though he would be right. I read a similar thing with my oldest and got a little blankie for her and wore it in my bra (so it smelled like milk). She finally got attached to it. And she still is. She’ll be five in June. I think you and Boo are in for a long relationship. 🙂
Thanks goodness for washers and dryers! I’m so glad that Boo is back! 🙂
Oh! How adorable and how gross all at once! I would have been totally ready to kill my husband had he done that, as well. Honestly. I’d be like are you SERIOUS? But yeah, in the aftermath I’d get it, too. Smart thinking. Sorry you had to deal w/that much ick. But glad that Boo helped your lil boo get to bed! And all of you!
YAY For BOO!!
My son has a “bankie”, it’s already falling apart, and he’s not even 4! I do not know what we are going to do. I told my aunt she would need to crochet a replica out of the same yarn, in the same pattern or he is not going to be happy!
This made me giggle. Well, except the puke part. That made me cringe in sympathy.
LOVE that your daughter has her Boo. So sweet and such a special “Million” dollar treasure.
Laughed out loud at the dry cleaner’s bit. 🙂
Visiting from TRDC.
This rode a great line of being poignant and hilarious.
‘And you know what got my husband’s immediate attention?
Boo.
Poor puke soaked Boo was wisked away as if it was in the throws of cardiac arrest and the washing machine was the only thing that could save it. Only after Boo was safely spinning it’s way back to life, did Mike come back to toss me a towel and retrieve the baby.”
Hilarious, Mike is clearly a smart man.
My son has THREE lovies in rotation, all equally loved. He can’t do anything without one of them.
This was a really cute piece.
How incredibly sweet that daddy saved boo first. The thing his child cares about most.
I can picture her sweetness calling for Boo.
This still does not make me want to give my child a blankie. Lol
Abbey has “Boop”, and it is quite crucial to our routine. I only bought one. Dylan is becoming attached to a homemade blanket. Obviously only one of those, too. I’m living on the edge of disaster with you in the one-Boo department.
What a great use of the prompt and also a wonderful illustration of your sense of humor in the face of rivers of vomit 🙂
I love that he saved Boo first.
Though, I probably would have felt differently if I’d been the one drenched in puke…
My kids all have their lovies…and they are taking a turn for the worse.
Max has two; Blue Dog and Blanket (recently renamed Snake for some unknown reason)
If I leave one or both at home, there’s no sleep at daycare. If one’s in the laundry, there’s no sleep ever.
It’s all tied to sleep, isn’t it?
Great post, loved it!
Such a sweet a story, except for the puking of course. Puking is never cute. And kudos to the quick-thinking hubs. Seriously impressed!
My boys are 8 and 5, so we’re passed the object attachment phase, unless you’re talking about the Wii, which I’m sure would not do well with puke.
Mazzy has an Elmo she is obsessed with as well. I think they must have researched that muppet to death to make sure that no child could resist him. There will definitely be an Elmo post in the future.
Mazzy’s love of Boo was made more evident once she was crawling. It was only when she was mobile that I noticed she made sure it was with her at all times.
Thank you! Glad you could relate.
I was working late during Mazzy’s first stomach flu so my husband dealt with it entirely. But she more than made up for it on the second go-round!
We make stupid decisions in the middle of the night. What did I think was going to happen? We were only going to have to wash half the sheet?
I’m going to have to ransack my closet to see if I can create an alternative. She is a smart one though. I don’t think I can fool her.
The trickiest part is figuring out when to wash it. I recently taught Mazzy to put it in the washer herself which is a HUGE step.
That thing is dragged on the floor, used to wipe her nose, drooled on. If I was a germaphobe, it would be washed every fifteen minutes.
That is a nice attention to detail. Now I’m curious how big the blankie was and if you wore it out of the house.
We are very lucky to have a washer/dryer in our NYC apartment. Otherwise we would be screwed on a regular basis.
Oh, I was screaming at him from the other room, I assure you. But he has amazing powers of foresight.
Boo is already falling apart at the seams too. I shudder to think what it will look like in four years. Most people start with a new blankie and then it disintegrates over time. Mine was a rag from the get-go.
The dry cleaners bit is one of my favorite parts as well. It is me to a tee.
Thank you! I try. I had a line about a defibrillator in there at one point but I pulled it back. Too much.
Mazzy had a lot of trouble sleeping and was a nightmare when we tried to take her away for a weekend. Boo has helped A LOT. But if you can make it work without one, more power to you!
We’re like total rebels! We should get together and go skydiving without a chute. See what happens!
I’ve said this before but— my husband is infuriating. Mostly because he is usually right.
I read once that the whole goal is to get them to sleep as much and as well as possible. Quality sleep when they are little leads to better temperaments as they age. So whatever it takes!
Mazzy is also obsessed with my laptop, my phone and the iPad. Her attachment tendencies go beyond the soft and cuddly.
Curious if they are all the same or different. We tried to get her attached to another one but it didn’t work.
Like it had cardiac arrest! I SO relate to this!
Also, sorry about the river of puke. That’s just wrong.
Here we have Beek. Beek and Boo would get along just fine, secure in their places as treasured members of the family.
Beek is everything. And I, too, have put Beek’s needs (which are inseparable from Small Boy’s needs) ahead of everyone else’s.
This just made me smile.
Cheers for loveys!
My daughter has two transitional objects: a stuffed Cat In The Hat from Kohl’s, which they only sell for one month about every 2-4 years, and a polka dot blanket that I got at my baby shower (I don’t remember who gave it to me). Luckily, they have both held up pretty well over the past 5 years, and we have gone to great lengths to make sure they didn’t get lost. We did finally get a replacement Cat In The Hat when they had them at Kohl’s again, just in case. Now that my daughter is 5 though, she is starting to grow out of her attachment to her former lovies, and prefers to cuddle with me. We still have them around though, in case she needs them again when her baby brother is born in a few months. P.S. I love your writing! :-). Many of your posts make me laugh out loud! 🙂
[…] https://www.mommyshorts.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-boo.html […]
I love, love, love this story. It’s so touching and it only makes Mazzy so much more endearing. My baby has bay bay, a hedgehog from Target that has been washed so very much that I bought a backup just in case!