Meet Dinosaur

Meet Doddledo, aka Dinosaur.
Doddledo is Patrick's newest best friend. He is the comfort object, that one item that follows Patrick everywhere and would be the cause of great distress if he ever disappeared.

Doddledo does everything with Patrick (except for baths, thank goodness). He participates in every diaper change, which is why you often see him in a diaper in photos. He eats meals with us, and he comes for rides in the car. He is fed some of Patrick's snacks and is given toys to play with and insists on watching Blue's Clues at various times of the day.

I have taken to addressing Doddledo when I have questions for Patrick. Here's a sample of our conversations lately:

Me: Patrick, what do you want for lunch?

Patrick: .....

Me: Patrick, what does Doddledo want to eat for lunch?

Patrick: Doddledo mumblemumble toteeya chee

Me: (thinking How is that easier to say than quesadilla?) Doddledo wants a tortilla with cheese? And what does he want to drink?

Patrick: Doddledo mumblemumble ilk? Ilk sippy?

Me: Okay, then I'll make Doddledo a tortilla with cheese and a milk sippy, and you guys can share.

Then while I start gathering everything for lunch, Patrick straps Doddledo into his own booster seat ("UP, downdowndown") and puts a bib on him. Patrick usually pauses during his own meal to offer bites of his meal and sips of his milk to Doddledo. Apparently, Doddledo usually declares them to be "yummy."

When naptime comes, Patrick is even more eager to hop in bed--if that's even possible. He makes sure to tuck Doddledo in next to him snugly. Then he kisses the top of his head. "Uh wuv oo, Doddledo." I am forced to repeat the routine as well, kissing Doddledo after I give Patrick his naptime kiss.

While they play together during the day, Patrick will pause at random times to lean down and give Doddledo yet another smooch. I grin a bit everytime I hear, "Mmm-mah!" knowing that Doddledo is very loved.

Sometimes Patrick decides that he is tired of carrying Doddledo everywhere. At these times, he tries teaching Doddledo to walk. He hunches over kind of funny, balances Doddledo on his feet on the floor, and rocks him back and forth as though he's walking. He drags him along by the hand at times, like he's holding his hand. Doddledo even dances with Patrick and jumps with him, practicing all those great gross motor skills.

Lately, Patrick has had issues keeping his diaper on when he's supposed to be sleeping, so we've started duct taping down the tabs. (By the way, he can even break through that sometimes. Anybody have any different ideas for us to try to solve this problem?) He somehow got the idea that it resembles a Band-aid, from the one time he saw me with a Band-aid on my boo-boo. Now when I change his diaper, he reminds me that Elmo has a boo-boo and needs a Band-aid. Of course, Doddledo needs one too, though. He has taken to peeling the decals off his car and using the stickers as a Band-aid on Doddledo's diaper.

Anything Patrick has, Doddledo needs too. I can't decide if Doddledo is Patrick, or just someone for Patrick to nurture, more like his baby. Either way, I think Matt and I may go on a mission to find a second Doddledo to keep hidden around here, just in case some sort of tragedy would occur to Doddledo...God forbid.