Build a Bear Bodhi

So I'm getting my thoughts jotted down for my Bodhi post.  But I wanted to do a separate post for our trip to Build a Bear for the kids.

The weekend after Bodhi passed we were trying to basically just process what had happened.  We spent the morning at Jump Time so the kids could play together and just be happy.  Then we went to lunch at Smokey Mountain and we were just chatting. Somehow the topic of the kids came up and their attachments to Bodhi.  Because of NICU rules none of the cousins got to meet her.  They only knew her through pictures. I know my girls had grown attached to "baby Jarvis" as they often referred to her because we had gone through all our baby stuff and their clothes etc to pass down.  Anyway, somehow we came up with the idea of Build a Bear.  Steph and John would wear these little flannel hearts around to get their scent and when they would go to see her they would swap the ones in her isolette out for the ones they were wearing.  So we thought to take those little hearts and give each cousin one to put in their build a bear (since they have little hearts there that they do that with anyway)  And it could be their special way to attach to Bodhi.  They might not understand fully what was going on, or even how special these dolls would be... but someday they will and to me that was worth it.

It was done in two sessions because not all the Jarvis cousins and Hodges cousins could meet at the same time. I took the girls on a Thursday night and met up with Steph, John, and Cypress, and her cousin Maddie was there with Sarah (John's sister).

The girls picked out their dolls.  Natalia really really wanted to do Princess Celestia but I tried my best to steer her away from that since I had just ordered her a big one on Zulily for Christmas.  So she chose Princess Luna instead.  Lydia SHOCKED me.  I thought for sure she would go for the Elsa teddy bear, or even a pony like sister.  Instead she went for Toothless the dragon from How To Train Your Dragon.  Don't get me wrong it's so adorable, but it was just a surprise.  They had a great special running that the doll, an outfit, and a pair of shoes were $40 saving you a few bucks... so they got to pick out an outfit and shoes too.  Lydia again surprised me and got Toothless a R2D2 shirt instead of something girly or frilly.  Natalia got Luna a ballerina dress.  They got to go stuff the dolls and do the cute little heart ceremony with them.  It meant a lot more to us then the workers probably realized because they took those little hearts and rubbed them on their own hearts and kissed them etc.  SO SWEET.  They also got to squeeze their dolls to be sure they were the perfect plushness.  They dressed them and registered them etc.  It was perfect.

**Lydia also got her ears pierced that night!! I'll talk more about that on my September Insta post**

That weekend Adam and Jocelyn went with Steph, John, and Cypress, and their niece Dana to make theirs.  I had had second thoughts about making one for Quinton because he's so young and has no clue... but thought he should have one for someday.  If anything it's probably more for me right now anyway.  I had talked to Steph about it and she said it would give Cypress something to do since she had already done hers with us on Thursday.  I told her to just do a simple bear and a cute Seahawks shirt.  Once there they texted me and said that they thought Quinton needed a monkey... and really I had actually thought about it before saying the bear but thought the bear was easier.  So I said go for the monkey.  Then to get the deal I said to do the shirt and find him some cute sneakers.  And he turned out ADORABLE.  He's EXTRA special to me because Cypress made him for us... and he has a recording of Bodhi's heartbeat in him.  (que the tears)  Steph had it saved on her phone and was willing to share.  The girls didn't want it in theirs, Maddie used it too, and then Alison made one for herself with it.  They are so awesome to share Bodhi with us.  Quinton wasn't too sure about the monkey at first.  But when he figured out the heartbeat in the hand, he pushed it like five times in a row and was totally fascinated by it.  I teared up watching him do that.

The girls play with the dolls a lot, but really Lydia has attached the most to hers.  "Tookaless"  as she calls him, we corrected her a lot but she finally told us she knows that he is Toothless but she named hers Tookaless.  She takes him everywhere she goes, and she sleeps with him.  Two nights this last week she has been in bed with us after a nightmare and sure enough he is there too, his little tail poking out.  Seeing her snuggle him and rub her cheek on his head is seriously so so so sweet.  I couldn't have asked for a better reaction.  Another thing to note, so Uncle John had the idea that Princess Luna controls dreams on the show (My Little Pony) and so he told Natalia that Princess Luna would protect her dreams so she wouldn't have nightmares.  She was so funny.  She intentionally got a Scooby Doo book from the library to test that theory... in the past the show has give her nightmares.  And sure enough she had good dreams all night she said.

Natalia choosing her Princess Luna

Lydia choosing Toothless

Bodhi Hearts

Lydia stuffing her dragon

Giving it a good squish to check it's fluffyness

Putting the heart to her heart for love

Putting the heart to her nose for luck

Putting the heart to her head for thoughtfulness

Putting her Bodhi heart into Toothless

Natalia stuffing her pony

Checking it's squishyness

LOVE

Luck

Thoughtfulness

The girls and their Bodhi dolls.  Maddie got a bear that had lots of stars on it and glowed, and it had wings it was so perfect.  Cypress got a horse, because of course she got a horse.  

Cypress making Quinton's monkey

Quinton pressing the hand for Bodhi's heartbeat and totally fascinated by the sound.