Mama in Training

There have been lots of changes around our house in the last three months since Chloe was born. We have all had to get used to having a new baby in the house, but Clara Anne has especially had to adjust to being the "big sister" rather than the baby. Thankfully she has done quite well with this adjustment, and takes her role as big sister very seriously. She loves to help me change Chloe's diaper (she is the official powderer and trash lady--she puts the dirty diaper in the trash can) and usually wants to "help" Chloe by stuffing Chloe's pacifier in her mouth. We have encouraged Clara Anne to kiss Chloe, and hug her from time to time, but alas for Clara Anne, Chloe has turned out to be kind of a boring sister so far. She sleeps, she eats, she lies on her back and plays, and then does all those things again. So since Chloe is "my" baby, happily for Clara Anne, she has Doll.

Doll was my doll when I was a little girl, a gift from my Aunt Judy. She is a Holly Hobbie doll named Amy, and I loved her as a little girl, and my mom saved her all these years and sent her to Clara Anne last Christmas. When Doll first arrived, Clara Anne didn't show much interest in her so I thought perhaps Doll would just join the ranks of her stuffed animal menagerie, to be played with occasionally and then put back on the shelf. I was wrong. Doll has become Clara Anne's baby, the one toy that Clara Anne cannot live without. She started taking Doll with her everywhere around May or so, and then started wanting to cuddle Doll even at night. So Doll is actually quite well-traveled; she has been dragged around through several Asian countries and is looking a little worse for wear, sorry to say.

Now Doll absorbs Clara Anne's full mothering attention. She tries to feed Doll, tries to put Chloe's pacifier in Doll's mouth, wants to put lotion on Doll's face (see my previous post), makes Doll's hand wave bye-bye when we are leaving somewhere, and often Clara Anne pretends to change Doll's diaper.

But today Doll had her most exciting adventure yet. I was sitting nursing Chloe and Clara Anne was playing with Doll around my feet. All of a sudden Clara Anne said, "Pee-pee, Doll, pee-pee Doll!" I said, "Does Doll need to pee-pee, Clara Anne? Quick, run to the potty!" Clara Anne trotted off to the bathroom and then quickly returned with a triumphant look on her face. "Pee-pee Doll" she said proudly. "Wow, did Doll pee-pee? Yay Doll! Let's give Doll some candy!" So then we pretended to give Doll some candy and Clara Anne, beaming with delight, accepted my imaginary candy and stuffed it in Doll's mouth.

That was easy. So now that we've got Doll potty-trained, maybe it's Clara Anne's turn next!