E. has always had “Bear” and “Blankie.” Yes, both. They are both equally loved and both must be present for sleeping and cuddling with. As she has gotten older, both pretty much stay in her bed or on the sofa during the day. She definitely still *needs* to sleep with them, but they don’t go everywhere with her like they once used to. We had searched for a “back-up” bear, bear #2, and finally found an exact replica – but he has never made the cut. Even though he is perfectly clean, not a ratty, nappy spot of fur on him, E. calls him “Icky Bear” and the original Bear is otherwise known as “Clean Bear.” (I know. But it is 3-year old logic. Can’t argue with it.) A while back, “Icky Bear” had been banished to the bottom of the stuffed animal pile in the playroom. Never to be seen from again.

But I think having a lovey (or two!) has helped E. self-soothe, sleep better, and it definitely helps her feel secure, so I am all for it. I’m sure I would feel differently if we were facing preschool and she refused to leave them home, but thankfully we are not in that position.

So when A. latched onto the sweet little teddy that E. picked out for her and brought to the hospital when they met for the first time, I was so excited. Not only that she would hopefully have a little security lovey, but that it happened to be the Bear E. gave her? That is too sweet.

But, Bear has assembled quite the entourage. Bear is now accompanied by Baby (yes, she is always naked, I have no idea where her clothes have run off to), Blankie (the quilt Jeff and Wendy gave her when she was born) and Kitty (the sorriest excuse for a stuffed kitten you have ever seen – he looks like he is missing about 80 percent of his stuffing).

The entourage must ALL be present and accounted for anytime we are going to sleep, whether it is for the night or just a nap. And when you go in to get A. up, the entire entourage must accompany her to the next destination, as well. It is getting a big much, let me tell you. Not only do I haul around 24 pounds of real baby, but another 10 pounds of accessories for the cute real baby. I can’t remember now how I got E. to leave Bear and Blankie home. But I need to do some creative coaxing, because we are doomed to losing one of Addie’s “fantastic four” and then we are all in trouble. She left Bear at the gym one day and we tried to do naptime with Emma’s “Icky Bear” (come to think of it, that might be the last time I saw poor ‘ol Icky Bear) and it just was not happening. So I drove back to the gym to rescue Bear so we could all get to sleep that night.

When I put A. to bed I always sing her this little “Good Night Addie” song. And now, yes, you guessed it. I also have to sing four new verses: “Good Night Bear,” “Good Night Blankie,” “Good Night Baby” and “Good Night Kitty.” A. thinks this is great fun and if I try to skip over one, she will hold the excluded toy up and say “Nyt, Nyt (fill-in-the-blank)!” (Have I mentioned that she is a little too smart for her own good?)

Just as I was ready to scream “Good Night Already!” and was closing her door last night, I hear her sweet little voice-

“Nyt, Nyt Mommy, Nyt Nyt Behar, Nyt Nyt Bay-bee, Nyt Nyt Bankie, Nyt Nyt Ki-yee….”

It was in the same tune of the song I sing to her, but she kind of threw all of the characters into one verse. It was so perfectly adorable.

That I was first in that list, totally makes up for the constant vigil in trying to keep all of the entourage safe, loved and in one place.

P.S. My apologies to anyone who thought that this post was about the AWESOME show on HBO also called Entourage. I am quite addicted to the show, by the way. And the first episode of the new season last week was great. So nice to have it back. I think it will have to stand in for the Sopranos when it is finally done in a few more episodes. I will certainly miss the Sopranos, but enough is enough. I try to wait ever so patiently and get so little for all of my waiting. Don’t they know I have serious Mommy Brain and can’t remember what happened last season when it was really on a year and a half ago??