I love birthdays. There are so many milestones to celebrate, goals to set intentions around, not to mention cake.

For a mother, birthdays can be one of the most important annual traditions. The 1st birthday earns you a badge of honor having gone from accomplishing a ton while sleep deprived, dehydrated and maybe with an overdue touch-up, to sticking that landing on the big day where everyone comes together to honor your child’s initial rotation around the sun.

Over time, birthdays have new things to celebrate and more to look forward to. And as your child gets older and starts to near adulthood, his or her personality becomes more defined and then continues to evolve and expand, shaping up so many possibilities for what might be.

Most recently, I found myself reflecting on WubbaNub’s upcoming 20th birthday this October and the similarities of growing this brand and raising my first child who inspired WubbaNub.

The Mother of Invention

In 1999, my husband and I were traveling with our fussy infant son whose pacifier kept falling out of his mouth. The MacGyver in me grabbed the hotel sewing kit and attached his little friend (a stuffed X) to his pacifier with hopes it would be easier for him to grasp and hold onto. It worked!

Before I knew it, I was stopped by strangers and approached by friends asking where they could purchase one and I realized I was onto something. I created a small company that would allow me (a new mom) to work close to home with flexible hours all while producing a solution to a problem many parents face. Soothing their child.

As a child, I had a special stuffed animal that I called Wubby. To me, Wub meant love and that love soothed me back in the day. To me, it was the perfect name.

20 Years Later

I can’t count how many times I had heard from parents ahead of me that “it all goes by so fast.” It’s true, my son who inspired WubbaNub is nearing the end of college and my youngest is in high school just beginning to map out her future. It’s exciting to see how they have grown and wonder what’s next for them.

The same holds true for the WubbaNub brand.  Over time, the list of favorite products has grown to include new, shiny objects. We’ve branched out to partner with charities that use our product to soothe babies going through surgeries or other medical situations. And knowing that we have touched thousands of families makes me a proud mama for how the WubbaNub has served a purpose in society.

Many times, a child is asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” and maybe they have a simple answer like a singer, a doctor or a frog. That same child will be asked a similar question as they wrap up college, “so what are you going to do next?”  

What an exciting time for an evolving person to experience. And, likewise, I’m finding that parallel with my WubbaNub baby. As you reach 20 years and are no longer in the infant stage, what’s next?

Stay tuned, as we are sure you’ll want to be a part of it all!