Audrey being Mommy

Audrey LOVES her baby-doll. She has had a baby in hand for close to 2 years now. I believe she has a total of 8 dolls. She's branched out and become attached to various stuffed animals--my old Care Bear, a stuffed puppy that Daddy got her, a Pink dog I got from Victoria Secret and the occasional teddy bear. The point is, she's very motherly. I'm sure it's a security thing and I'm not sure how I really feel about that, but if nothing else, she's learning how to be nurturing. This past semester in Kindermusik as I became more and more pregnant I couldn't hold her on my lap or swing her around so she would swing dolly instead. Even in quiet time she'd rather rock her dolly than be rocked by me. It was ok when I was pregnant but I didn't realize that after I had the baby she'd still rather sit beside me than on my lap, because dolly, of course, is on her lap and she must bounce her. We've tried to leave dolly/baby home before or in the van and that proved to be a mistake. Dolly started Sign and Sing with Audrey at 6 months and is now in her 4th semester of Kindermusik. Audrey got her first Middleton-Lee doll from Grandmother and Grandpa for Christmas in 2007 and has gotten one every year since. She loved the first one so much I had to buy a body double a few months later. I don't have very many pictures without dolly in them. Here are a few I captured the other day.

Audrey and bitty baby (note the diaper--it's a Pampers newborn diaper)

burping baby

feeding baby

Sarah