Just Like Heaven: The Adventures of Boo and Pooh.

It's normal for expectant parents to pick a nursery 'theme' for their upcoming bundle of joy. When it came time to pick ours, and knowing we were having a boy, there was really only one option for us: Winnie the Pooh, specifically Classic Pooh. Both of us had loved Pooh as kids, so it just seemed like a natural fit. We didn't go over the top with this. Just enough to have a presence. Little did we know the love for this character would consume our sweet G.

Modern, Baby Mobile, and Classic Pooh.

I can't even recall when he started becoming aware of Pooh but it seems like it's been since day one. One of his first words? Pooh. And I'm not talking what's found in his diaper. His classic Pooh stuffie is one of his two favorite loveys, the other being Giraffe. He clutches Pooh tight at bedtime. He snuggles with Pooh during reading time. When in the car, we have a separate companion who, to differentiate, I simply call 'Car Pooh'. He's the modern version and is G's snuggle buddy when we're commuting.

At 19 months old and his burgeoning independence blossoming, it seems like G is just constantly on the look out for Pooh. Wherever we go. Yesterday, the three of us stopped at a local mall that has maybe only about a dozen or so stores. One of those stores is a BigLots. Have you ever been into one? It's got everything. No longer wanting to be in a shopping cart, the boy was free to roam and he immediately went over to where all the coloring and reading books were. With a highly sophisticated radar that only he seems to know about, he immediately zeroed in on the Pooh books. He can somehow spot one if it's hidden behind something else. Then a smile slowly breaks out over his face and he looks at us and says "Pooooh." It's like he's reconnecting with an old friend each and every time.

Of course trying to get him to move on from anything Pooh proves to be a challenge. But it just means we move on to the next Pooh find. Pooh puzzles. Pooh clothing. Pooh cups. Pooh books, trinkets.

I have been on a search for Pooh dvds. Harder to find than I imagined. Sure, there's the recent movie that came out, but I'm looking for the old original Pooh classics. I finally found one through Netflix. Let's just say I don't think we'll be able to get any other movies for awhile. The child is transfixed the moment the rumbly tumbly gentle bear appears on screen. While we haven't encouraged much screen time for this little guy, this is the one exception we have to make. This is his best friend, and to see the wonder and contented smile stay on his face as he watches the characters of the 100-Acre Wood romp about to one adventure after another, well, it's just too precious. G has become our very own Christopher Robin.

Who knew, that when we picked this theme for him, that he would embrace it with such unwavering love and devotion. If we've done anything 100% right this past 19 months, it definitely was that.

There's a book we read every single day, multiple times, that is My First Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. The book appropriately starts with the following, a poem that I can't help think was made for Boo and his Pooh.

Us Two

So wherever I am, there's always Pooh,

there's always Pooh and Me.

"What would I do?" I said to Pooh,

"If it wasn't for you," and Pooh said: "True,

It isn't much fun for One, but Two

Can stick together," says Pooh, says he.

"That's how it is," says Pooh.