The Dirty Dishrag

When I think about Libby, I think about two things:

1. How am I ever gonna raise this wonderful, amazing, super-smart kid in a way that will do her justice?

and

2. Lovie

Lib and her Lovie are a two-for-one kind of deal. They’ve been together since Libby was only about one month old and have spent a grand total of one night apart in all of Lib’s five years and eight months.

Lovie (Yes, at our house, ‘Lovie’ is a proper noun.) is as much a part of my daughter as anything possibly can be. I associate it with her just as much as I associate her own name with who she is. She’s been there for all of Libby’s major milestones, special firsts, and day-in, day-out moments. She’s kissed her boo boo’s, soothed her to sleep, and comforted her in a way that only she can.

To put it short, Lovie is Libby’s security.

Sleep without Mom or Dad or even better still MOM AND DAD? No problem.

Sleep without Lovie? Not gonna happen.

*I’d like to take this moment to apologize for the 1,765th time to my mother, the brave soul who had to attempt to comfort Libby the night we accidentally forgot to pack Lovie for a trip to Mimi’s house. The fact that you didn’t write me out of your will that night is a true testament to your love for me.*

We love Lovie. All of us, and she’s here to stay. However, we have a wee bit of problem. What’s this you say? Well, Libby sleeps with Lovie. And when Libby sleeps with Lovie, she sucks her thumb. She’s almost six.

The thumb sucking’s gotta go.

So, the problem is, how can she keep Lovie and not suck her thumb? It’s kind of her ‘thang’, if you know what I’m sayin’. How does one go about breaking a habit that is approximately 2035 days old?

To say I’m desperate just doesn’t do it justice.

 I’ve tried nasty thumb sucking medicine.

I’ve bribed her.

I’ve pleaded and begged her.

I’ve even (shamefully) fussed at her about it, all of which are to no prevail.

Taking her Lovie away, I believe, will be the cruelest, worst thing that will have happened to her in her entire, albeit little, life. It will rock her world in the worst possible way……and I refuse. We’ll go to the dentist this summer, and if he wants to fight the thumb sucking battle via some sort of metal mouth piece, more power to him. I, however, am choosing to believe that security in this life is hard to come by sometimes, and I refuse to be the one who takes hers away, even if it does smell like morning breath and come dressed as a dirty dishrag.