The little angel fell in love with baby dolls this weekend.  Her cousin A. brought TWO baby dolls, and the little angel immediately mastered the word "baby."  In fact, it was all she would say all weekend - "baby, baby, baby, baaabbeeeeee!"  They put the babies in their booster seats, in the high chair, on the cat, etc.  When A. left, the little angel looked around.  "Baby?"

So off we went to Target in search of a baby for the little angel.  We found one for $10.  It has a plastic head, hands and feet, eyes that open and shut and an outfit that would make a gay man cringe.  All the baby dolls said they were for ages two and above, but when your sixteen-month-old decides she needs to give birth NOW, what can you do?

We ripped the box open and cut off all the tags right there in the store.  The little angel's excitement had built to a fever pitch.  "BBAAABBBEEEE!" she cried upon realizing it was hers.  "BAABBBEEEEE!"  As she covered the baby with kisses in the cart on the way to the car, I was surprised by my own reaction.  She's liked toys before, but never like this.  Every time she sees the baby, she kisses and kisses it (she just learned to kiss this weekend, too). 

My baby isn't a baby anymore.