Ode to Pink Giraffe, Green Ticker

Gretchen has always been a good sleeper.  She goes to bed without complaint, she wakes up happy and alert, she still naps like a champion daily. Jon and I plan on using many of the same resources with baby #2 that we used with Gretchen; the swaddle blanket, the pacifier, bottle feeding before bed, with full awareness that what works for one child is not guaranteed to work for another - but hopeful that we were doing something right.

It got me thinking, I need to commemorate two of the most important constants in our daughter's life, Pink Giraffe and Green Ticker, one of which has already been retired.  

Pink Giraffe is a super soft little blanket with a precious baby giraffe head by the brand Angel Dear. This fantastic little lovey was given to Gretchen by our friends Alex and Carly, and it has become a bedtime staple.  It started out as the way to keep Gretchen's busy hands settled after she grew out of the Miracle Blanket (where her hands were straight-jacketed inside her cocoon), then it grew to be a comfort and to this day she will hold and rub the blanket between her fingers while she sleeps.  I tried to purchase a backup Pink Giraffe during one visit to the US, I purchased the far-inferior Brown Giraffe (the same blanket, but in brown).  He is an emergency-use-only backup for when Pink is in the wash. Gretchen doesn't even give him the time of day otherwise, poor guy.

Green Ticker is a Playtex pacifier, one that I chose at random to register for and now is apparently the most rare pacifier out there.  She has always used a pacifier to settle and sleep, but since she could stand we have limited the pacifier to be used only when she's going to sleep. Though we had a plethora of pacifier colors and varieties, this particular Playtex type - in the color green - has been the only acceptable version for awhile now.  I should mention that in my family growing up we called pacifiers "tickers" (as does most of my extended family) even though I have no idea where the name came from (maybe the ticking sound it makes when in use? I'm stretching for an answer here...). 

We attribute some of her readiness to go to bed at night to her desire to be reunited with these friends. At night, we walk into her room and she asks for "Pink Giraffe, Green Ticker" which melts my heart. Sometimes she'll joke and say "Pink Ticker, Green Giraffe", which provides belly-laughing hilarity. 

A few months ago, Green Ticker acquired a hole, probably due to Gretchen's full set of teeth, and he went into retirement.  This went over surprisingly well with little G, she didn't cry or argue, but moved on to Pink Ticker, Pink Giraffe.  We floated the idea of no ticker, and she was not on board. She will now explain to people "Green Ticker go away because I bite it, it get a hole" and then show how she chomps her teeth together.  

On my second attempt to purchase a back-up Pink, again there were none to be found, I bought a pink horse version of the blanket.  Immediately, Brown Giraffe was pushed into 3rd place and "Casey" (named after my mom's horse that Gretchen fell in love with) is now an additional nighttime staple.  So now, we have a routine, after brushing teeth and getting ready for bed, we get Pink Giraffe, Pink Ticker out of hiding, Gretchen holds onto them during storytime and put Casey in the crib (Pink is still a clear favorite).  When we're ready to say goodnight, inevitably, Pink goes on one side of her body, Casey goes on the other and the three of them are tucked in together.  It's precious.  

Even more heartwarming is when Gretchen saw the blue hippo and green frog blankies that we bought for Baby Brother (we should buy stock in this Angel Dear company...), she immediately recognized that they are for her brother, and put them in his crib - where they wait patiently for his arrival.  

We are now down to 2 backup tickers, and debating whether we just wait for them to all get holes and not replace them or send some to our parents to bring down on their meet-the-baby trips.  At this point, these little guys bring Gretchen so much peace, and equate to such wonderful night's sleep for everyone that it would be hard to say good-bye to our beloved friend, Ticker. Regardless of color.

Sweet dreams!