Monkey (my son) has taken on a favorite lovey, comfort object or whatever you want to call it. Actually, he fell in love with it months ago but I haven’t mentioned it because I’m trying to get him to transfer that love and comfort feeling to his blue stuffed monkey.
Why?
Well, BuBu Bear is a one of a kind. He came with a diaper cake we received from my MIL during the baby shower. Plus, he’s not really machine washable and his fur isn’t “crib safe” meaning Monkey can rip it out with his teeth (and did for a little bit there). So I wanted to find something simliar for him that he could not eat the fur of and could be machine washed as often as needed without falling apart, thus ending the love affair. Plus, finding something online or at a store, meant we could buy TWO of them, should one be lost. Which we have … so we have a back up for something he won’t attach to … yet.
BuBu and Blue Monkey
In the picture shown, you’ll see BuBu Bear and Blue Monkey. I like Blue Monkey for all of the reasons mentioned before, plus he’s pretty cute. I like BuBu bear too because he’s soft and so flimsy that my Monkey (not the stuffed one) can wrap his little hand around BuBu’s neck to carry him around the house. Plus, he was the stuffed animal I used during the breastfeeding class. Which brings me to next point …
Could it be the reason Monkey likes BuBu so much is that the bear smells like me when he was in the womb? Does that even make sense? Or is it because BuBu is very pliable and easy to tote around?
And why does he reject the Blue Monkey so much? He’ll sleep with him in the crib but he doesn’t hold him or cuddle him like he does BuBu. Is it because his stuffing is a little more substantial? Or because we haven’t given him a cute name like BuBu possesses?
I slept with Blue Monkey last night to see if infusing him with my scent would make a difference. So far it hasn’t. I put both in his crib tonight and when I checked on him before getting online, Blue Monkey was at the far corner of the crib, neglected. And BuBu was safely tucked under the arm of my Monkey.
I really want him to like Blue Monkey for all of the practical reasons and I’m starting to feel bad for that inanimate object which is crazy, I know. Maybe it’s needs a name. Something simple that my Monkey could pronounce when he feels ready. What do you think about Abe? Or JoJo? Or KiKi?
Actually, I think you just need to figure out what is so great about Bubu first.
When Sasha was attatched to Linus, but he was posing problems (Not good to sleep with, too hard, and unwashable because of the electronics) it was actually fairly easy. We knew Sasha had a thing for tags or fabric strips to the lion’s mane and tail being ribbons were something he liked.
We got him to be okay with Mallory the Monkey. But still, she was firm and lumpy. Taggie ended up best for him.
So, once you figure out what makes Bubu, Bubu…I think you’ll be good to go.
becoming mommy — I think you have a good point. And I’ve been pondering this since. Besides his pliability, I did think of one other reason he might prefer BuBu. We watch the Baby Einstein My First Signs DVD a good bit in the morning (usually while I try to get ready for work). In that DVD, there is a puppet that’s supposed to be a beaver I think or otter but it really looks like a blue bear. I think the shape of its head and BuBu’s are very similar and my Monkey thinks this Einstein puppet is very funny. So perhaps BuBu reminds him of a washed out otter or whatever that thing is supposed to be. I guess I’ll be searching the internet for something like BuBu or just give up and pray he won’t ever need serious washing.
I like the idea of you sleeping with the monkey a few times to see if the scent has anything to do with it. Maybe you could try calling the monkey MoMo? Just a thought.
But, generally, they pick what they like for their own little reasons that are a mystery to us. DD is finally taking to the lovey that we want her to use but for a while, and sometimes still, she wanted one of her cloth bibs. She’d snatch it from our hands, put it to her face and insert thumb. Sadly, we knew this was b/c the poor girl has worn a bib almost every day of her life due to her terrible reflux.
For now, sounds like Monkey has made his choice. Keep trying, he may let the blue monkey into his heart eventually.