when ellie was born, bryn’s friend daniel came to the hospital to meet the baby. with him he brought her a small beanie baby, a bear to be exact. his name is baby bear and he’s the only thing ellie has truly become attached to. she’s never been a pacifier user or a thumbsucker, a blanket holder or other stuffed animal lover. but once baby bear was introduced it was love at first sight.

he’s become her favorite bedtime companion and an all-around good friend. he even let’s her chew on his ears, face, and tail.

we never thought anything of it until the discoloration started. no worries, right? just wash him! um, yeah, that’s called a temporary fix. after a wash he looks and smells almost brand new, but it takes all of two nights for him to turn brown again.

you might be wondering why we don’t just buy a new one. unfortunately for ellie, she fell in love with an older man who was headed for retirement. that’s resulted in our formerly $6.95 friend becoming our $47.95 friend. yes, you read that correctly. the man is now retired and a very expensive date. but hey, he looks great for his age.

i feel terrible for her, but i fear this may be her first encounter with heartbreak because there’s no way i’m spending that kind of money on a new one and, at this rate, he’s going to disintegrate.