I can't recall (and I'm too lazy to dig through archives) just how much I've shared with you all about the special relationship between Beatrix and Dolly. Dolly is the doll in our house. In fact, the little floppy and well loved stuffed toy plopped in a wagon that you see in my banner right now is Dolly.
Beatrix and Dolly go way back. When we brought Beatrix home, Dolly came to us through the mail from Byron's Aunt Lynne. For the first six months of Beatrix's life, little Dolly sat on a low shelf in her room, serving mostly as a really cute decoration.
When Beatrix began sleeping on her floor bed and creeping, we found her and Dolly asleep together on her floor mattress. She evidently crept to Dolly and dragged her back to her bed. The rest is history. Dolly has been with Beatrix ever since.
Dolly is her number one. She goes nearly everywhere we go. Beatrix sees to this. She sings to her, takes her for stroller, wagon, and wheelbarrow rides, has lengthy conversations with her, feeds her, nurses her, dances and plays with her. Dolly is forever loyal and always smiling. We can't help but love Dolly. In fact, I get all misty eyed at the thought of the day that Beatrix grows beyond her adoration for Dolly...(Can I forbid my child to grow that BIG?)
Magic happens at Christmas though. And for some unexplainable reason, on the morning of our departure to visit family for the holidays, Dolly was forgotten. Yep. She was the only toy we intended to take with us. We didn't realize it until it was too late. How could we forget Dolly of all things? It was meant to be, perhaps.
My heart broke for Bea. How would she cope a whole week without her companion? Naptime? Bedtime? She holds onto Dolly's arm as she drifts to sleep. Would she think about Dolly alone in our house? I contemplated returning home solo the next day to bring Dolly back to Beatrix. Byron thought that was a crazy idea.
So we came up with the next best solution. Dolly is a Bla Bla doll. Lucky for us, we located a store that sold this particular brand near my in-law's house and arranged for Saint Nicholas to deliver Dolly's sister, Lolly, to Beatrix a few days before Christams. In fact, he came right into our bedroom and left a sweet little letter for Beatrix with Lolly on our nightstand.
Beatrix swooped Lolly up and carried her everywhere the entire week we were away from home. Byron and I were both stunned by how much she accepted Lolly.
Still, as skeptics will do, we wondered how the reunification of Dolly and Beatrix would play out. Would she forget about Dolly or Lolly and choose one over the other? Could she love two? Is there enough love and playtime to go around?
Well, friends, she's taught us that, in fact, there is enough love to go around. Dolly, Lolly, and Beatrix are inseparable. It is as if Lolly were always with us. Dolly is adjusting beautifully as an older sister. All is well. All three are snoozing peacefully in Beatrix's bed as I type. The heart has no limits...Though I think Dolly will always hold a special spot in Beatrix's heart as her first.
