I can remember that one of the first things I purchased for my expanding baby bump was something that he would have no real need for right away.
It is something that I know lot’s of Mummy’s to be give quite a lot of thought, and that is a comforter for your baby.
All parent’s want to know that their baby has everything they need, and can snuggle down in bed at night with that one very special toy that they have had since they entered the world.
I had a visualisation in my mind’s eye about the comforter that I wanted to bestow upon Leo, and it was a Lion. You see ‘Lion’ is my pet name for Luke, so it seemed like the perfect personal touch for our baby boy. The visualisation came into my head before we had even agreed on a name. In fact we were so far away from Leo’s name at this point, that when I did eventually find the perfect Lion comforter, with its bright colours and taggies. It very almost had a completely different name embroidered on the front.
The name we had both been favouring for the majority of my pregnancy was ‘Dylan’ and it was only a week before Leo actually arrived that we finally decided on the name for our beautiful baby boy. Ironically it is very fitting that we did eventually fall in love with the name ‘Leo’ which actually means ‘Lion’.
I hunted high and low for the perfect Lion comforter and it was so much harder than I had anticipated. Funnily enough there are not very many Lion designs out there, eventually I found a line that had been discontinued, and I finally found the comforter for Leo after trawling the Internet. For the many months before Leo’s due date, this little Lion slept in our bed, in the hope that it would pick up our scents and act as a soother for our baby.
I used to sit and hold the comforter as it made me feel close to the baby that I was yet to meet, and looking back I think it may have been more for me than it was for my little man.
When the day came to finally meet the baby boy who had given me consistent jolts to the ribs and multiple bouts of heartburn, Luke and I both completely forgot the comforter that we had all ready for our impending Blue bundle. We were in such a daze getting everything together and out to the car that Lion was completely forgotten.
It was only when I got the hospital and had settled into my birthing pool, that I realised that Lion was no where to be found. I had really wanted to have him with us in the hospital so it could be there as a source of consistency for Leo from the very start. Lion was soon brought in by Leo’s Granny and it was the very first gift presented to Leo.
As the months went on I thought that Lion was going to be a big hit with Leo. It was one of the first toy’s that he grasped and he used to love suckling on his nose. When I put Leo down at night I would make sure that Lion was located in Leo’s arms so that he was there to offer safety and reassurance. Soon though Leo was not interested in Lion at all, and I thought that he may be like I was as a child and not actually need a comforter.
We introduced the cot duvet quite early on, I would say probably back around January when Leo was 6 months old. I didn’t notice the bond that Leo was forming with it at the time, but looking back it is crystal clear now. Leo was using his snugly duvet as his comforter. The duvet that has now earned it’s self the name ‘Blankie’.
Blankie is there for nap time and bed time, we bring it down stairs and snuggle up together in the middle of the night if Leo is being a terror and not wanting to go back to the land of nodd right away. It even provides a source of play, and Leo loves it if we both sit underneath it.
It is safe to say that Leo absolutely loves his blankie, he buries his face into it taking in the scent, a scent that must make him feel comforted and safe. It was only back in June I realised just how attached Leo was to it, when we travelled to France for a week. Leo would not sleep due to the un-familiar surroundings and change to his routine, but his blankie offered the consistent reassurance of home and all that he knows.
We take blankie with us religiously now if we are staying away from home, I wouldn’t like to think of how he would be without it. Luckily he does not seem to mind when I wash it, which is great as he is always managing to spill his milk over it. I did worry that he may not take to it after I had blitzed it through the washing machine, but he took it back straight away.
After all the thought that went into finding the perfect comforter for Leo, it really wasn’t necessary. Babies will find comfort in any way they see fit and Leo was no exception to this rule. He took to his blankie as it is always just an arms throw away and as long as my little man feels contented, I don’t mind where he places his loyalties, be it with blankie or even Lion.
As for Lion he still lies in Leo’s cot with him, keeping an eye on my sleeping baby. He may not be Leo’s most treasured possession but he really did keep me company while I awaited the arrival of my beautiful baby boy.
Do your little one’s have any special comforters?
