mr colten, mr carrot

How this blog has existed for over a week and I have yet to mention Colten is beyond me.

Colten

This year I became an Aunt. Insert all the cliche things about an instantaneous love deeper than any you could imagine.  God, I wasn't prepared for how true all those cliches would turn out to be.  I love being an Aunt, but hate being a long-distance Aunt. I met him for the first time when he was a month old.  Ack! According to his parents, so much had already changed in a month. I hated what I had missed and what I would inevitably miss, so I had to hop a plane again to see him at three months. And now I'm counting the weeks until I see him at seven months.

a first meeting, so little

I won't lie: I never thought I would be the type of Aunt (or person) who buys love, yet quickly I've become that person. I have erred on the side of spoiling him rotten. Maybe it's the distance. The easiest thing to shower him with from a distance is little outfits, favorite books, and stuffed creatures. (Something to remember me by??)

One baby company I have always loved is Under the Nile. I've gotten a lot of new babies in my life a onesie or an organic stuffed vegetable from this company. If you want to know why I like them and support them, read their mission statement. Or, on a more shallow and "awww-inducing" note, just check out any footie onesie on the site. Cute. I decided to keep up the tradition and get Colten an Under the Nile stuffed carrot toy. Quickly he was dubbed "Mr Carrot" and was never far. 

Whether in his chubby hands, pushed into his gummy mouth, or lying by his side at his six-month check-up, Mr Carrot was a constant companion.

Sadly, you may have noticed the use of past tense.  It seems Mr Carrot was also a bit too tempting for the dogs in the home. And over a week ago, he got destroyed by one of them.

My brother called me in a panic that "Mr Carrot was ripped apart! Can you find a new one?!" (Aside: the fact that my older brother makes calls of this nature now that he is a Dad brings me endless amounts of amusement. One day, when he is less exhausted from having a nearly-newborn, I will make fun of him as only a sibling can & should.)

For various reasons, I decided to go out on a limb and try asking Under the Nile directly if they could find it in their hearts to replace Mr Carrot. I wrote them a letter, but I honestly expected nothing. Why would they oblige a stranger who openly admitted a dog was the cause of the demise of Mr Carrot?

Well, I now have proof that my years of supporting this company have not been for naught. They are good to their customers and good to the beloved nephews of the world. To my great joy happiness profound surprise elation, I found this in my mailbox five days after writing the letter: