LuLu and Baby Ann-belle

I was cleaning out Annabelle's toy bins last week trying to prepare myself for the inevitable onslaught of the Christmas season when I uncovered a Cabbage Patch doll. Now my Aunt gave this to Annabelle last Christmas. She was way too little to appreciate it. And as the box lay unattended and unloved by last year's tree, my sister and I silently fumed. Well, not really silently. In our list of parental grievances, not having a Cabbage Patch doll is in the top ten. Perhaps the top 5, closely behind not having jelly shoes("junk shoes made of plastic"). Cabbage Patch dolls were too expensive and too ugly. Instead we got some homemade crap doll that was fat with a fat ugly face. Of course mine had stupid red hair, brown eyes, ridiculous freckles and was wearing a dreadful orange dress, and Audrey's had slightly less stupid blond hair, blue eyes and had a blue dress.

Audrey: "A cabbage Patch doll! She's not even one! What's in the other box? Hmm? Jellies???"

I am not sure how mature it is for 30 year olds to begrudge their niece/daughter a doll, but whatever.

So Annabelle has taken an interest in her. She also has taken an interest in the doll my other Aunt got her. Her name is Lulu, and is third in a long line of Lulu's, dating back from one given to my mom when she was little, one to me when I was little and now one to Annabelle, all from my Aunt Belia.

Lulu was pretty low maintenance and only required an occasional diaper change. But this Cabbage Patch doll is something else. Her shoes come off and so does her hat. Annabelle doesn't like it when that happens and has a tiny fit until the situation is resolved. She likes to have snacks. She likes grapes especially. She likes to sit with Annabelle on her high chair while she is eating these snacks. She also needs to pee pee in the potty, but sometimes has to be changed. She drinks a bottle and a sippy cup, but her mouth doesn't open, and that is a cause for concern. She goes with us places and lost a shoelace at our friends' house. Annabelle notices this from time to time and then we have to spend some time looking for it.

Annabelle is a loving mom, and makes sure her children are provided for, but doesn't always tend to them herself. I can now add "Doll nanny" to my CV.

In short, I have two new babies.

And the Cabbage Patch doll's name? Why it's "Baby Ann-belle" of course.