Tuesday, September 9, 2008

He gets by with a little help from his stuff

Like every other mother I spent the first several months of my child's life terrified by the spectre of SIDS.

Blankets and and soft toys were considered a risk and therefore verboten: I took seriously my responsibility to ensure Graham's sleeping environment was as sparse, and safe, as possible

These days, having survived his infancy, Graham is now serious about the accouterments of slumber.

Apparently he is determined to make up for lost time.

The items - the many, many items - that Graham takes to his crib every night are not optional. If just one of them is not present and accounted for, he will scream absolute bloody murder.

Just for fun, see how many of Graham's nightly must-haves you can pick out in the unretouched, pre-bedtime photo below:

1. Winnie the Pooh blankie commonly referred to as "Nice and Cozy"
2. Blue and white blankie
3. Yellow blankie (just a scrap now)
4. His doggie
5. A bath towel (don't ask, I have no idea)
6. His tiger (actually a cheetah but misidentified as a tiger on day one and therefore now a tiger)
7. Baby Dave (obviously)
8. His parrot
9. His bottle (actually a sippy cup full of water)
10. A Kleenex


You think it's crowded now?

Wait until his future wife and children take up residence.

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52 comments:

Leanne said...

I'm laughing.

My darling son was like this but now at age ten, he was down to just one animal in bed. This animal recently went missing, and he went to his basket and just picked out another...no muss, no fuss.

They will out grow it. Honest. BUT take lots of pictures to remember it by, it's just too darn sweet for words.

Rachel said...

That is absolutely precious. I love all his night night goodies!!

Chelle said...

My kind of kid. I used to surround myself with stuffed animals, dolls, our dog, whatever was around really. I could barely be seen in the piles of "friends" I loaded onto my bed as a youngster.

Now? Give me room people, give me room!

Janice @ Mom On The Run said...

LOL! Nothing worse than spending 30 min at bedtime trying to get all of the kiddos firends together! At least he doesn't take books to bed - Sierra wanted them all the time, then would wake up in the ngith because they weren't exactly comfortable to sleep on.

Brittany said...

I have to take a pic of matt's bed! This is what my child's bed looks like TOO! ha ha.

Jenifer said...

I can barely find him in there! He sure keeps great company.

Kyla said...

Looks like KayTar's bed, although we can get her to keep most of it at the foot of the bed these days.

Anonymous said...

Oh my! I thought my daughter was bad... but she's in a twin bed, so I can at least shove it all down to the bottom! Not that she doesn't completely rearrange it once I leave the room.

Aunt Becky said...

Dude, I needed that laugh today. Thank you.

And he looks so comfortable I could weep.

S said...

LOL! That IS a crowded bed!

~*Jobthingy*~ said...

and a kleenex LOL.

he is so cute.

Speedy needs a kleenex also but she keeps it under her pillow 'just in case'

she sleeps in a double bed by herself. but with all her junk, the sleep space is about that of a crib matress

Gretchen said...

He is just TOOO cute!

Anonymous said...

This is EXACTLY what my daughter's crib looks like. She loves it. At night, when I creep in to check on her and cover her with her blanket, my eyes have to adjust in the darkness before I can tell a difference between the animals and the person!

~Swankymama said...

Oh, my DD would be in heaven like that! How cozy!

Kamis Khlopchyk said...

My 7 year old was bad.
Or so I thought until I saw this...especially the kleenex.

HA!

It's adorable though!

Joanna said...

Too cute! My boys have all done that. They outgrow it but not sure what age. Youngest is fighting it and he is 9!!

Anonymous said...

I always say that if the younger one took any more stuffed animals into his bed, it would be a brothel.

Mandy said...

Awww! I'm cracking up because my son insists on a Kleenex and his sippy cup at bedtime, too. He is so precious!

flutter said...

that looks just like my be! Minus the rails...

Anonymous said...

huahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahua

TB goes to bed only with Tio (his cuddly lion) and Amy (he didn't know how to say napie so he said amy... which is actually a baby blanket... but hey...)

untill about a year ago they HAD to be there... now I think the boy is growing... he would only do as much as complain a bit if they are not there... but it they are not available... then without them it is...

they grow so quick uh!! :)

Bea said...

Pie is the same way. Since she moved into a bed, I've found it handy: if she keeps getting up I issue the ominous warning: "If I have to come back in here, I will take something OUT of your bed." (i.e. one of the fourteen animals there - and not even Kitty, Friend, or Blankie) It always works.

Woman in a Window said...

E.T. comes to mind.

Glowstars said...

That's one helluva lot of toys - but at least he looks really comfy in there.

Shauna said...

Oh my gosh Kelly, that's hilarious!

I'm really not one to talk though. I used to go to bed with about 20 stuffed animals and they all had their "spot" that was assigned to them. :)

SciFi Dad said...

Wow.

My daughter has the pack rat approach to bedtime "friends" too, but we've curbed it by enforcing a trade rule. She had 2 big "friends" and 4 small ones, and she wanted to bring another large one to bed, so we made her put the 4 small ones in her toy bin. I always felt like 3 stuffed animals was excessive.

Now? Not so much. ;)

Anonymous said...

Wow. He's prepared for anything, isn't he? He looks very cosy.

I can't even keep a blanket on Buddy. He goes to bed, I tuck him in with blankets and a toy. A few hours later, when I go up to bed, everything is on the floor (sometimes even Buddy himself). I tuck him back in his bed with his blankets and his toy, but it never lasts long. Monkey, on the other hand, sleeps under his blankets curled up in a little ball with a stuffed animal clutched in his arms. He doesn't seem to care which animal, or which blanket he has.

krissy said...

This could have been me writing this. My daughter has a stuffed animal frat party in her bed every.single.night.

dawn klinge said...

That is so cute! I usually spend a good five minutes every night taking toys and books out of my son's bed after he's fallen asleep so he'll actually have room to...sleep. ;) But the yellow blankie and donkey always have to stay right next to him.

Cassie said...

He definitely looks cozy!! Cute picture :)

Queen of My Domain said...

that is to funny. At least all these things are somewhat clean. My youngest insists on sleeping with her flip flops and her hard plastic piggy bank. This along with about a million other things.

Mary said...

OMG this picture is hilarious!
I love it! He certainly is prepared!
It almost looks like a "where's waldo?" picture :)

Kelly said...

Oh my goodness!!!!!

And I used to think that Little Miss M was taking a lot in there when she grabbed Elephanty, Mumble, Pooh, Tigger, Teddy, and her blankie LOL

Pregnantly Plump said...

I love that picture! He looks so serious!
I was the same way with stuffed animals when I was older. My dad would usually find me in the middle of the bed, sweating up a storm, and have to dig me out of the pile of stuffed animals.
I remember thinking I would hurt the feelings of whichever toy I didn't take to bed with me... sleeping with me was that much of an honor! I completely understand why Graham needs all of those in there with him.

MarĂ­a said...

Oh wow! LOL

Colleen - Mommy Always Wins said...

Aw...that's so sweet!

I say that being the Mama of "Absolute Oppostite" boy. My 18-mo-old throws EVERYTHING out of his crib before falling asleep. In fact, that's how we got rid of the paci - he threw it on the floor and I refused to go in and retrieve it for him! (He's also wearing footie jammies in Sept cuz he won't keep blankets on himself, but you deal with what you're given...)

Jaina said...

Oh goodness, that looks cozy!

Beth Cotell said...

Wow! That's a lot of stuff.

But if it ain't broke, don't fix it...

Bird's Eye View Photography said...

He built a nest. I used to do that too! In fact I still kind of do!!

Anonymous said...

I am soooooo right there with you! That is exactly what Gaby does! EXACTLY! Drives me nuts. But hey, she's happy and comfy and it appears that Graham is too, so I guess that's all that matters!

That picture is adorable!

Laural Out Loud said...

That actually looks pretty darn comfy!

Unknown said...

Whatever gets them to sleep right?

Jyl @ MommyGossip said...

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Loved your comment.

And, this is a great pic! I thought my son's teddy bear collection was growing big, but this takes the cake. This is one of those you will have to blow up and put on an easel at his wedding reception. Too funny!

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

Ha! My daughter went through this stage. It's amazing how they can keep track of what is there and wake you up in the middle of the night frantic because someone is missing. And if they start sneaking in to your bed, they bring all their crap with them....enjoy!

Laski said...

Awe . . . he is so sweet. What a doll. Please let him stay that way . .

*violently hitting PAUSE button*

painted maypole said...

The May Queen used to sleep with piles and piles of BOOKS (umm... cuddly....) Right now she is sleeping with EVERY BLANKET SHE OWNS. That would be about a dozen or more. And no, it's not even beginning to be cold here yet.

Anti-Supermom said...

That is so stinkin' cute. Yes, his wife will be in big trouble chillin' at his 'crib'~

Happy to see you back.

KathyLikesPink said...

Wow! That's almost like that scene in ET where ET hides amongst the stuffed animals!!

He sure looks darn cute in there!

Anonymous said...

awww that is so sweet!! My kids are so into their ONE special bear.

Amy said...

Oh I wish I could jump in! That's the cutest little cave I have ever seen!

Kelli @ writing the waves said...

That is hilarious!

I'm so jealous he still sleeps in his crib...oh how I wish Noah had never learned to climb out.

Tonya Staab said...

HA! I may just have to rethink my blog post for tonight which contains a photograph of all the things my little girl likes to sleep with. This puts her to shame LOL.

Anonymous said...

that is just too cute.. my son will sleep with the most random items.. love that he wants a kleenex..how grown..hahaha