My Third Child

Now, now, don't get excited. That's not what I mean. I'm talking about Baseball Guy:

 

He was given to D.L.F. when he was a baby by our friend Anna. We call him Baseball Guy for obvious reasons...he has a baseball in one hand and a baseball bat in the other. He goes pretty much everywhere with D.L.F.

We used to tie Baseball Guy on to the toy bar of the bouncy seat for D.L.F. It was the first (and sometimes the only) toy to make D.L.F. smile and giggle. Until D.L.F. was eight months old, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment, so he was in a crib next to our bed. I used to look over in the middle of the night, and Baseball Guy would be spread out over D.L.F.'s face. I didn't want D.L.F. to suffocate, so I'd carefully remove Baseball Guy and place him next to D.L.F. in the crib. The next time I looked over, there Baseball Guy was again, spread out over D.L.F.'s face. I stopped worrying when I realized if D.L.F. was skilled enough to artfully arrange Baseball Guy over his face just how he wanted, then he would be able to take him off if needed. These days, D.L.F. doesn't sleep with Baseball Guy over his face any more, but he does still hold him to get to sleep.

Baseball Guy talks in a high, squeaky voice and likes to ask D.L.F., "What's your favorite food?"--always a good conversation-starter with a toddler.

We almost always take Baseball Guy with us when we go for walks in the stroller. Yesterday, we needed to walk to the produce market. However, Baseball Guy was taking a bath in the washer because he had earlier that morning been baptized with chocolate milk. I told D.L.F., "We can't take Baseball Guy with us because he is in the washer. Do you want to take Doggy with you instead?" D.L.F. said no. A few minutes later, I put Baseball Guy into the dryer and asked D.L.F., "Don't you want to take one of your friends with you instead of Baseball Guy?" D.L.F. said no. As we were going out the door, I again asked D.L.F., "Are you sure you don't want to take Doggy with you?" D.L.F. was sure. At that point, I realized I was asking more for my own sake than for D.L.F.'s. I'm so used to making sure I have all three of them--D.L.F., Cupcake, and Baseball Guy--whenever we go anywhere. I actually missed Baseball Guy when we were out and about without him. His absence was keenly felt, at least by me. I don't think D.L.F. even gave him a thought.

We were both very happy to retrieve Baseball Guy out of the dryer when we got home. Probably one of us even more than the other.