Keric's new Puppy!

No! We didn't go out and buy Keric a new REAL puppy, though there are days when I wouldn't mind replacing Chompie, we just got Keric a much needed new STUFFED puppy.



Isn't he cute?!

I'm sure you have noticed in many pictures Keric's little puppy that he carries around. "Puppy" as he refers to him, has been a good loyal friend to Keric for about a year now, but sadly, it was just time for puppy to retire! He was getting so worn out and no matter how many times I washed him, he still just always looked dirty! Poor puppy had everything from chocolate milk and slobber stains on him, to rips and big holes with stuffing coming out!

Even though I had known for awhile that Puppy needed to retire, I just couldn't bring myself to throwing him away and telling Keric that he just had to get over "Puppy". Maybe I will regret that decision one day? I don't know?

A couple weeks ago we were in SLC at my 6 week check up appointment with Dr. Bertin. After my appointment we did a little shopping at the Gateway Mall in SLC. They have a "Build a Bear" store there and I told Chris that I had been wanting to take Keric there to get a new puppy, so we took him.

(As luck would have it, I didn't bring my camera with me, so I didn't get any pictures of the Build A Bear experience! I'm so sad! )

We walked into Build A Bear and I showed Keric all the different stuffed animals he could make. Bears, Tigers, Monkeys, Kitties, and thankfully even Puppies! I took one of the Puppy bodies out of the bin and showed it to him. He quickly grabbed it and gave it a HUGE hug and said "Awww...Puppy!" I asked him if he liked that Puppy and seeing as how he wouldn't put it back in the bin, I took that as a yes. So I told the man that I thought we would go ahead and make a Puppy.

So we went over to the stuffing machine and Keric got to step on the pedal and put as much or as little stuffing in as he wanted, with of course a little help from Mommy and the Build a Bear Man.

Then he got to put a little puffy heart in Puppy before the man sewed him together. Keric was only supposed to put one heart in Puppy, but he insisted Puppy get TWO hearts. So Puppy now has heart problems! ha ha

After Puppy got sewed up then we got to take him over and give him a "bath". They had this cute little station that looked like a big bubble bath and when you put them on it it would blow air on Puppy to get any loose strings or stuffing off of him. This was Keric's FAVORITE part. I think Puppy got like 4 baths that day!

Then we made Puppy an official birth certificate, paid for him and took him home.

The whole ride home Keric seemed happy with his new Puppy and he even snuggled with him and fell asleep with him, but I was still a little worried about what would happen at bedtime.

When bedtime finally came around, we got jammies on, said prayers, and then what I was afraid would happen, did. Keric started asking for Puppy. We gave him his new puppy and told him that this was his puppy now. This of course didn't go over well! He threw puppy across the room and then the screaming for Puppy really started! I felt bad leaving him in his room crying for his old puppy but he eventually stopped crying and when I went in to check on him later, he was snuggled up to his new puppy.

Thankfully Keric has accepted the new Puppy and he even seems to love him just as much as he did his first puppy! I'm hoping that the new puppy will last a little longer than the old one did, he seems to be a little better made, but hey...if he doesn't, at least I know I can run to Build a Bear, make a new one, and he will be none the wiser! Or at least I hope! :)

Oh and just in case you were wondering...no, I didn't end up throwing the first puppy away. I couldn't do it...he's hidden safely in my Cedar Chest. :) One day I'll get him out again and show Keric his very first "Puppy Love!"