Bunny Love

We are a family of 6. Daddy, Mommy, Dominic, Sophie, Cuddles and Bunny. Dom got Bunny (or Baba, which is what he called him) as a gift from one of my sisters friends, Kandice. We thought it was cute and put it on his shelf, not thinking too much about it. When we started trying to get Dom to sleep through the night, I gave him Bunny to comfort him. I had slept with it the night before so he had my sent on it, hoping that would help. After that, Dom always slept with him, tucked under his chin with one of the ears in his mouth. Come morning, Bunny would soon be forgotten about and we’d go about our day.

Over the past couple of months, I have noticed that Dom is really attached to him, more than ever. And he now calls him by his name, Bunny. When he sits on my lap as I read him a bedtime story, Bunny is right there too, one ear in his mouth. When it’s time to get up in the morning, Bunny stays firmly planted in Dom’s hand as I lift him out of his crib. Changing his diaper, brushing his teeth, getting dressed…Bunny is a part of it all. Even breakfast time. Dom runs down the hallway, clutching Bunny in his little hands and sits him on his lap when he’s in the high chair. He shares his sippy cup and sometimes his cereal with him. They read books together, watch Yo Gabba Gabba, sing in the car and the new thing is when Dom says “Mama!” and I turn around to look and Bunny is dancing along to the music. Dom giggles with excitement.

Needless to say, Bunny gets washed. A lot. A little dip in the washing machine paired with an air dry and he’s good as new. Now, the ears…well….I’m afraid those will never be the same again. They have been sucked and chewed on over a year and are permanently discolored. I have even tried scrubbing them with a toothbrush and soap, but no go.

What would happen if we lost bunny? I don’t even want to think about it. I have scoured the internet looking for a backup Bunny, but haven’t found one. I think it’s pretty cute to see him so drag him all over the house and always wanting him to be right there. I wonder how long Dom will be so attached to him? When the day comes that he doesn’t need Bunny anymore, I will wash him one last time, put him in an acrylic display box and hang him on Dominic’s bedroom wall. And one day, I will tell him about all the adventures he had with his first best friend.