Thursday 7 April 2011

Bring me Comfort

When Joseph was born, we tried tointroduce a dummy, on medical advice. We tried several times, Joseph was a sucky baby,  he had to have a number of procedures and we thought it would bring him comfort, and they are recommended for premature babies. Joseph was having none of it.

In December 2009 a little square of fabric would become very important in our lives. Blankie. Now known as Manky Blankie. Here it is in its first week or two, in its normal position, safe in Joseph's hands (or mouth). Blankie was crocheted by a local lady, and for sale at a stall in Ramsbottom to raise money for the Bury Blind Society. It's soft acrylic, and perfect colours for a little baby.



Blankie was invaluable on our first trip to Australia. Wherever we went, blankie went with us, giving Joseph comfort, and security in an ever changing environment. Blankie had a close call when I mistakenly left it behind at a friends house. It was an awful sinking feeling as I realised I had lost it, and I could have cried. Joseph went without beloved blankie for a whole night, making do with my expensive cardigan!


And on our most recent trip to Australia, blankie was with us still. Not looking quite as bright and fluffy. Joseph sucks blankie quite literally within an inch of its life. I've had to do some amateur macrame to prevent the favourite corner (why he only sucks one I will never know) unravelling and the whole blanket being ruined. I am tempted to unpick and re edge, but I think Joseph would hate me!

We have spares. I even bought a blanket from the same lady to try and rotate, no joy, and my dear friend Stacey helped me find one at a charity shop in Scunthorpe, but nope, another reject. And I recently bought another one in Tasmania. Again, it isn't the same as beloved blankie, and lies folornly at the bottom of the cot.

Blankie only comes out at sleep time. It's so fantastic, the magic blankie, that yesterday when Joseph needed to nap in his pram in between appointments, that the moment I put him in the pram, and got blankie out, he got the message, and slept soundly for an hour and a half. On our trips on planes, trains and buses, it worked like a magic sleep charm.

We love blankie, and it has become like another member of our family. I do picture Joseph going on his first sleepover, his first school camp, and his first night with a girl/boy friend and being attached to blankie!

5 comments:

  1. The infamous blankie! :D Bless him x

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  2. My son has smelly Elllie that he also sucked and chewed to an inch of its life so much so that it's tail disintegrated. He's now 7 and still uses it as a pillow and for comfort. I don't mind as it means he stays a little boy for a bit longer :-)

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  3. I love these photos, so adorable. Made me laugh the mankie blankie.

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  4. i had a blankie too! it's my first girl's now!! such cute piccis!! what a gorgeous lil baby!

    mankie blankies rule!!

    tamsyn xxx

    (http://manic-mums.blogspot.com/)

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  5. Awww, so cute. I wish Babyzoid would have a blankie, but alas she seems to have no sentimental attachment to anything! She does love her dummies though, which I was relieved about as we had the same advice.

    Just wondering what on earth made you go to Scunthorpe - it's half an hour from where I grew up! x

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