Sunday, January 25th, 2026

When I welcomed my third child, a baby boy, I was full in every sense of the word.

Full of love. Full of responsibility. And, if I am being honest, completely maxed out.

There’s a wide age gap between my first two boys and my youngest, which means I’m needed in very different ways all at once. One needs reassurance and guidance. One needs presence and conversation. And my littlest, now 2.5, still wakes several times a night, searching for comfort and familiarity. Sleep has been fleeting to say the least. Touch has been constant! I was giving everything I had, often feeling touched out while still wanting to give more.

In those quiet and exhausted moments, I went searching for something for him. Not a loud toy. Not another lovey. I was looking for something that would truly help. A stuffed animal that could meet a sensory-seeking child where he was, something that felt familiar, grounding, and soothing in the way a mother’s presence does.

I could not find it.

There were many beautiful plush toys. But there was nothing that thoughtfully combined soft plush with a tactile element in a meaningful, intentional way. Nothing that felt like an heirloom plush designed for real life, real children, and real sensory needs.

So I began imagining what it could be.

A soft, heirloom plush made to be held close. Organic elements and safe materials. A thoughtfully integrated silicone feature that invited touch, pressure, and calm. Not a gadget. Not a novelty. A companion.

That’s where Mama Moo was born, and Mabel became our flagship companion. Her udder was imagined before she was, designed to meet a need that felt deeply personal. A need born from a very touched-out mama trying to give comfort beyond her arms.

Dearling was never meant to be just a handmade teddy bear or a beautiful stuffed animal on a shelf. She was designed as a growing companion. One that supports little hands and big feelings. One that feels just as meaningful as a baby shower gift as it does a birthday plush. One that quietly belongs under the Christmas tree or tucked into an Easter basket, and not because it’s seasonal, but because it endures.

Plush and silicone, intentionally integrated. Softness with purpose. Design rooted in care.

Mama Moo came from motherhood in its most honest form. From sleepless nights. From loving deeply while running on empty. From wanting to give my child something that felt like a familiar touch when my arms could not always be there.

If this story resonates with you, if you’re craving fewer things and more meaning, I invite you to join the waitlist and be part of this journey from idea to heirloom. Mabel is just the beginning.

With care, Steph Founder, Dearling™