Recreating my childhood favorites for Finley

In the month or so leading up to Finley’s birth I started to think about things that were intertwined with the memories of my own childhood. Music definitely came to mind. I can remember countless long car rides listening to the same Harry Chapin and Peter, Paul & Marry albums. There may have been other music we listened to, but I remember those two artists more than any others. In the box of tapes under my bed I think I still have the fading copies, so it was time to upgrade. A quick trip to the local CD store and itunes and we had all my favorite songs ready for Fin to listen to. I made a mix CD that is in the stereo in his room. Now I just have to trick Allison into liking them too. (She’s not a folk music fan.)

My other childhood constant was Pillow. Pillow was just that, a pillow in the shape of a lion's face. It was a gift made by a family friend. (Who knows why I named him Pillow...it obviously speaks to the power of my imagination. I had some other great names for stuffed animals like Sealy the seal and Gator the alligator.)

Anyway, when I was first born my parents tied up pillow in my crib for me to look at. As I got older and was able to have loose items in the crib I would sleep with / on top of Pillow.

And as I grew up Pillow and I went everywhere together. So much so that my mom had to make a 2nd Pillow for when the original went in the wash or was misplaced. At my young age I was obviously unaware of the existence of a second pillow, and my parents could easily swap one for another. I remember when I discovered the emergency Pillow and walked around with both of them saying, "Two! Two!" To this day I still have the original (loved to death) Pillow on a shelf on my bedside table.

So about 2 months ago I charged my mom with the task of creating a new Pillow for Finley (using the 2nd pillow as a prototype). When my dad was in town last week he came bearing Pillow 3.0 and we tied him up in the co-sleeper where Finley sleeps (well, where we'd like him to sleep). I guess the odds are pretty slim that Fin will become as attached to his Pillow as I was to mine, but who knows...