Crisis

Today Lilly lost her stuffed kitty cat that she's had since birth. I don't know why she took it to run errands with her. She's never done that before. When we got to our first stop (Target) I kept an eye on it and most of the time it stayed in my bag. We left Target and headed to Old Navy. When I went to get her out of her car seat I said, "Let's leave kitty cat in the car - we don't want to lose it" and Lilly said, "I no lose it Mommy! I hold kitty's hand" and so I let her take it in. My last memory of kitty cat is when Lilly had a small meltdown that I had no change to buy her a bouncy ball (I gave her all my change yesterday to put in her new piggy bank ) in Old Navy. She threw her cat, binky, and lovey on the ground. I vaguely remember that. Once I reminded her that all my change was in her piggy bank she was fine and we continued on our plight to find maternity clothes for Mommy... left empty-handed. Then we walked down the sidewalk to Genuardi's (grocery store). When we left Genuardi's I realized we didn't have kitty cat.

Of course I retraced our steps over and over again. Left my name and number at both stores.

On the way home Lilly kept saying, "Where my kitty cat Mommy" and I told her we lost it and she said, "Ok." However, I was devastated. Called Andy and told him and then when I got home I started crying. He thought I was crazy. I just kept crying while Lilly laughed and said, "Mommy I find kitty cat you no cry Mommy."

I can't describe the feeling I have. It's something she's had since birth. It's worn in and raggedy and it's her kitty cat. What else can I say? I even sent Andy back to look for it but he just called and has not been successful.

In the meantime, our dear friend Jackie, who's been through this before sixteen years ago with her oldest daughter's LiLi (stuffed lion) combed the stores (unbeknownst to me) looking for a replica of kitty cat and then brought over THREE different stuffed cats. One looks very very similar. So if Andy doesn't come home with the real kitty cat we will have to use the substitute. It's Jackie's birthday and how sweet of her to do this for me/Lilly! It's so comforting that she understands how I'm feeling (she said she called her husband crying when Natalie dropped LiLi in JC Penney's!).

Lilly's awake now... time to introduce substitute kitty cat...