Big baby!

We arrive at Nana's in the morning, as per usual. Animalia, still a little sleepy, walks in and says Hi to Nanitas (her words, not mine) and Tatati (again, her word). Nana asks me if we saw the big baby in Animalia's high chair. We have yet to notice it. I turn and see a large baby doll. I tell Animalia to look and see the baby in her high chair. She looks and immediately assumes "shy baby position," taking my hand and puts her hand to her mouth. I think she thinks that it's a real baby, and though she has a good sight line to the doll, we're really in another room, and I understand her hesitation. This doll, from this distance, looks real and chubby and big.

We walk toward the doll. As we get closer, Animalia says, "It's a big baby!" And it IS a big baby. It has moveable arms and legs and eyes that open and close. It looks old, though, good condition but definitely not made recently. Nana bought it at a rummage sale, took off it's clothes and washed them, cleaned off the molded soft plastic body with warm water and bleach. The baby is marked "American Char."

She's a heavy baby and has a little hole in her mouth made for feeding with a tiny bottle. I immediately ask Nana if the doll can potty but she hasn't opened up the diaper to check. I think that this was one of those dolls made for institutional use, either daycare or to teach teenagers how hard it is to have a baby by dragging one along for a few days. We google. It is neither. It's an American Character Doll Co. doll called Toodles made way back in 1953. Nana finds one on ebay, similar condition to Animalia's big baby, starting bid $125. Holy. Crap.

It seems pretty indestructable. We're not taking it away from Animalia. She's attached. She spent most of the morning taking care of her and calling the Big Baby her "baby sister." BABY SISTER? Where did she learn that one?