amie’s big day.

If you’ve spent much time with our family, you know about Amie’s “babies.” These are her little blankies she has slept with since infancy. But the unique thing about Amie is that she doesn’t just sleep with them, she chews on them (or, “eats them,” as she calls it–see below blog post).

As a result, these things have gained the nickname “Stinky,” from friends and family. They really are gross. We had two so that they could be rotated out and washed very often, but somehow, since returning from South Asia, we’ve back-tracked, and Amie now sleeps with both.

Now that it’s getting cold out, Amie has a red mark on her mouth from sleeping with cold, wet babies, and this was the last straw. Today we said good-bye to her babies. She’s smiling for her last ever photo with her babies, because she was allowed to pick out a toy in Mast General Store to trade for them:

This was her choice, which is funny, since it’s now her fourth Belle.

We made a big deal about her putting her babies into a paper bag and taking them around the living room so the whole family could say “good-bye.” Then she got to open her Belle.

All was well and good until lunch time, when the reality started sinking in with a flood of tears. We talked about it. Judah encouraged her by saying, “Amie, I miss your babies too.” Also overheard:

Judah: “Hey, Amie, I’ll give you my baby!” (he has a similar blankie on his bed that David named Jay-Z and is rarely played with anymore).
Amie: “But your baby isn’t juicy.”

Case in point.

I laid down for naps with her and held her while she cried for thirty minutes. I sang songs, I prayed, I scratched her back. Finally she got to go have play-time with Judah and I now hear nothing but happy voices from their bedroom. We’ll see what bed-time holds . . .

It’s the end of an era.

Not just the “babies” era, but we suspect also the afternoon-nap-era for Amie. We knew it was coming soon. But a little bittersweet just the same, because our baby is growing up.