The story of Juan

Before Mac was born, my sister gave him a Blabla doll. It was a green monkey from Peru, so it only seemed fitting that we name him Verde. Fast forward to Mac at 6 months - Verde has taken the place of a pacifier in the sense that Mac chews on his arm/tail in place of a binky. The only problem with chewing on a toy vs. a pacifier is that the toy gets slobbery, dirty and downright nasty. Thus began the perpetual cycle of buying a new Blabla doll every few months.

Mac now has a small arsenal of these beat up dolls, all with Spanish names. He's always treated them equally until recently. About a month ago, Mac started singling out Juan. Juan is a dog (I think) and is the newest addition to the group of "guys", as Mac calls them. Juan is now officially Mac's "best friend." The other day he picked up Juan, gave him a hug and said, "I MISSED him. Best friend!"

Juan joins us for rides in the stroller. He's been to Hawaii. He joins us for breakfast (he prefers pancakes, oatmeal and apples.) Juan takes naps, for which Mac lovingly "swaddles" him and tucks him into bed. Juan is also know to be a bit mischievous. Sometimes Juan hits Paige. Other times Juan pours his milk on the kitchen floor and Mac says, "Uh-oh. Wha HAPPENED?!?"

As you can see from the picture, Juan is getting old. He's already had extensive surgery (reconstructive surgery, in fact, on his right arm) along with stitches to his head, legs and tail. I'm dreading the day we have to retire Juan, but so cherish how much Mac loves his little buddy.