There… are places in the heart you don't even know
exist until you love a child.
― Anne Lamott, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year
― Anne Lamott, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year
It's true, what people say about how having children changes your lifestyle and priorities completely. The little guy became my whole world and days were spent obsessing over how to make him smile more :) I became a stay-at-home-mum to provide him with the best care possible as I believed.
It was important to me to be by his side when he woke each morning, so as to start his day in a happy and most positive way. He co-slept on a mattress beside our master bed (and still is, at almost 4 years old, as I am typing this in the middle of the night).
The first Puang was born out of this desire to make my child happy. I wanted to gift him something that:
1. Expresses my love for him.
2. Belongs to him and only him.
3. Brightens up his day whenever he looks at it.
4. Accompanies him and becomes his best friend, so that he feels more secure.
As you can see from the photo, Mummy's sewing skills were very amateurish back then! This first Puang prototype was completely handsewn, and hence, met its demise very quickly once the boy started teething.
It was a challenge to come up with a tougher and more resilient Puang as my child grew, especially when he became a toddler and would tear at it intentionally with his teeth *Mummy bangs chest*
Sewing was done on a machine so I could double-stitch the seams. Embroidery was used on Puang's face so that the threads would not unravel as easily as it would when handsewn. Best of all, working on a machine made it possible for me to 'clone' the Puang so that I have duplicates for laundering when they get too stinky.
[Update pic of clones]
The effort was worth it because RK really loved his Puang. When he was a baby I would wear it inside my top (in a non-sweating environment) and my scent would linger on the pillow, giving him some comfort. That warmed him up to it quickly, and after a few days I did not have to do it anymore.
Puang was useful as a bedtime cue, as well as acted as a familiar constant whenever my child went to an unfamiliar environment. Initially it was spending full days at the grandparents' home.
[Update pic of school w pp]
Later it proved a critical tool to help RK settle first into his playgroup, then childcare. He progressed from clutching it in his hand, to feeling reassured simply by knowing that Puang was sitting inside his schoolbag. Even now, Puang is a safe haven for him when we travel overseas on vacation. He is also very proud that his name is tattooed on the pillow ;)
This is my second child with his Puang! Smaller of course, just like he is smaller than his big brother :)
[Update pic of Didi w pp]
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I am making Puang for sale because I truly believe in its function and effectiveness.
Loveys have been used for years to give comfort to babies. In local culture, we call them chou chou (臭臭) or 'smelly pillow'. The name itself says a lot about how well-loved they are to get so stinky! There is even a tribute blog My Chow Chows, collecting loving anecdotes sent in by readers.
I myself had a chou chou when young, handsewn by an aunt. I still have fond memories of it. Here it is, with the Hubby's smelly pillow.
What is left though, is the wonderful memory of their childhood... and moments with you.
One hundred years from now,
It won't matter what car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
How much I had in my bank account,
Nor what my clothes looked like,
But, the world may be a little better
Because I was important in the life of a child.
Because I was important in the life of a child.
- Unknown
