Can anyone explain this? (long-ish)

[sewpinkgal]

We bought the well-recommended FP Seahorse when J was like 2 months old or something, but it didn't do a lick of good. It wound up forgotten in the toy bin.

This summer, when J learned to stand in the crib, but didn't know how to sit down, sleep went to hell in a handcart for 4 awful days and in a fit of desperation, I brought the seahorse back out. I put him down for every nap with it for 4 days - you know, those naps where I basically had to sit there with him helping him down for an hour+ until he would actually sleep. He would play with it while he was messing around not sleeping, but I don't think it really helped lull him to sleep. Once he got back to normal (at the end of the week), we ditched the seahorse again, but have kept the monkey lovey that he uses even now.

Skip to this afternoon.

We're playing in his room and he finds the seahorse. I turned it on for him and he *immediately* starts whimpering. He drags it over to me and starts whining for me to pick him up. Keeps whining. I think he's hungry so we sit in the glider and have some milk with the seahorse in my arms. He laid his head on my shoulder, had some milk and just kept petting the seahorse.

Once he finished the milk, he cuddled up next to me, but just kept petting the seahorse and whimpering. And then he gets actual tears in his eyes and starts crying while looking me right in the eyes.

At this point, I feel like an ass and I distract him with something else and hide the damn seahorse in the closet. He recovered within minutes and then was off happily playing with something else. But gah! Is he associating that seahorse with the horrible sleep situation from this summer? I mean, he's only 13.5 months old. I guess if my 3 year old was having this reaction, it would make sense, but he seems so young to be associating these things.

Does anyone have any other guesses?

[pugz]

that....is really weird

[starlily]

I'd just brush it off. DD has a love/hate relationship sometimes with certain toys.

[Deleted]

Oh that sounds so sad!

I imagine he could have an association to it, but that sounds like such a strong reaction, I'm puzzled as well.