My Sweet Little Nelly (And I’m Not Talking About the Rapper)

OK, so I’ve been woefully absent from MomsLA and as much as I love all the amazing women who post here, I have barely found a minute to breathe since July 2011. I am a single mom and career stand-up comedian and actor, but last summer, my life took the craziest turn ever, when my 4-year-old daughter was cast as the new “Lily” on ABC’s mega-hit sitcom, Modern Family. While it has been a wonderful experience and incredibly exciting and fun, it has been… how shall I put this… CHALLENGING trying to juggle everything. So, up front, I’d like to apologize for not posting much. Now you know why.

And now, you know why I am posting a photo from US Weekly of the Modern Family cast at the Golden Globes last weekend, as part of my post. That’s my little turkey girl, right in the middle; Aubrey Anderson-Emmons. She truly is loving every minute of her new life as a tv star and as proud as I am of her and all the accolades the show and her character are receiving, you know what made me most excited about this recent picture in US Weekly? Look closely, down in the bottom right corner. Do you see what Jesse Tyler Ferguson is holding? It’s Nelly The Elephant!

Nelly has been Aubrey’s “buddy” since she was an infant. Some people call it a lovey, a woobie – it’s her security item. Every kid does something cute and simultaneously disgusting with their security item and they are all similar, but slightly different actions. When I was little I used to squeeze the corner of a blanket in my hand. My friend’s little sister used to rub the corner of the sheet under her nose while she sucked her thumb. Aubrey likes to suck one thumb and hold Nelly in the other hand while putting her tail in her nose. See? Cute AND disgusting all at once.

Aubrey has two little buddies that she simply can not live without and one is at my house and one is at her dad’s. We split when she was only 7 months old, so rather than pass one item back and forth we wisely chose one that lives at each house and it has worked out splendidly. Nelly lives with mommy and Monkeyloo lives with daddy.

The first time we had a major Nelly MIA scare, when Aubrey was around 18-months-old, I bought a backup Nelly. It wasn’t easy to find because I discovered the line from Gund was discontinued, but I felt it would be worth the hunt if there was ever an emergency. After checking several stores and waiting a little while, I located one on Amazon. Well, of course, Aubrey knew the difference and wanted nothing to do with the impostor Nelly. “New Nelly” was far too soft and colorful and didn’t have that special aroma that Aubrey loved so dearly (ewwww), so she went on the toy shelf and there she remained until August 2011.

August 1, 2011 is when Aubrey started shooting on Modern Family and even though she was excited, she is only 4 and it was a new experience with LOTS of new people. Even though I go on set and on location with her, I’m not always right there with her as she’s with the studio teacher when she’s actually shooting each scene. I used Nelly’s doppleganger to ease the transition, hoping it would help Aubrey to feel secure and confident in her new surroundings and with her new tv family. I let her take New Nelly to work while Old Nelly held down the fort at home. This was acceptable to Aubrey and it worked like a charm.

A therapist friend told me that a child’s security item is a replacement for mom or dad (or whomever the major caretaker is) when they are not available – especially at night time. That is why it is a soothing item and helps them to sleep and relax. Letting Aubrey bring Nelly to work was a wise choice and while she doesn’t need Nelly at work any more, she still brings her on particularly early mornings when we roll out of bed to head to the studio.

At some point, I started to realize that I have a soft place in my heart for Nelly. I don’t just see her as a toy, I kind of love her like a little pet. I almost feel like she could talk to me and when Aubrey is at her dad’s house and it’s just me and the dog at home, I sometimes notice Nelly sitting on the couch or on the play table and I feel like a little piece of Aubrey is still with me, still in the house. I think I understand why Aubrey loves her so much.

The night of the Golden Globes was a big deal. While Aubrey wasn’t in the actual ceremony (no children allowed) we were at the network party right across the street which was a separate black tie event with red carpet and lots of unfamiliar adults. Aubrey loves to be with her tv family and friends and loves a party, but she gets a little nervous just like anyone else. Not only did we bring Nelly, we also dressed her up for the occasion in a tutu, hair clip on her ear and a Michael Jackson button and she fulfilled her duties beautifully. She helped Aubrey to relax and gave her a sense of calm when things got a little hectic. Aubrey was excited to show off Nelly’s fancy outfit to her friends and I think we all had a really fun night.

Yesterday, people started Facebook commenting and Tweeting me that Aubrey was in the new US Weekly. I finally got a chance to grab one today and sure enough, there is her super huge smile after the big win for Best Television Show – Comedy or Musical. It was Modern Family’s first Golden Globe win and everyone was very excited. But when I saw Nelly down in the bottom right corner, my heart melted a little bit and I was almost more excited than seeing Aubrey in the photo. Not just because it’s so adorable and funny that Nelly made it into US Weekly, but because Aubrey is not even holding her. She is laughing and smiling independently like a big girl and having the time of her life. I swear, Nelly would have winked at me if she could.

It’s still a bit unfathomable to me that the world will watch my one-and-only grown up on tv. These sweet early years are flitting by so quickly and I fall more and more in love with Aubrey, every day. While it’s strange to share my child’s life with millions, it’s an good thing too. Having the different phases and areas of her childhood and her talents preserved in photos and video from so many different angles is a great gift because she loves this new journey in her life and it’s so much more than I could ever capture on my own.

I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes us next and I know trusty little Nelly will be along for the ride a little while longer before she officially retires from the red carpet. I just wonder what she’ll wear to the SAG Awards on January 29th?

Amy Anderson is a comedian/actor/writer based in Los Angeles. She is a single mom to a preschooler who makes a lot more money than she does. You can view her tour schedule and other ramblings on her personal blog: FunnyYellowMom.blogspot.com.