Bella is all about babies right now. Our friends, Joanna and Dwayne have Baby Leo. He's not yet 6 months old, but Bella says that he is her best friend. Until Baby Liam is over. Liam is 4 months old, and her second cousin, but when he's around he is also her best friend.
There was one day when we were babysitting Baby Leo for the day when Baby Liam came to visit us. Liam is Macy's little brother, and over all, Bella refers to Macy as her best friend. But when there is a baby in the house, (or lucky day, two babies!!) Bella has to take a break from Macy's friendship for a minute to hold and feed a baby. It's absolutely adorable to see her do her very best to cuddle a wiggling infant, but even with her toddler hands, she tries her hardest to be gentle and seems to enjoy rubbing the baby heads the very most.
There was a day when Bella was barely over a year old herself when we were shopping at the local Walmart store. A mother strolled past us with a baby in her infant seat in the front of a shopping cart, which happened to be right on the level that Bella was riding at in our cart. Before she even saw the bundle in the seat, the pink or blue blankets struck a cord in Bella and she let out the sweetest, most genuine "awwwww" that I have ever heard come from a little one. She was smitten immediately just thinking of what was under those covers. And she wanted a peak.
When we went out east to be with our son and his wife for the birth of our 3rd grandson last October, Bella had her 2 year old nephew (I know that sounds weird!) to play with. Her and Keegan are really best of buddies when they are together, and she really loves talking to him on the phone just about anytime she can even now. But once that baby nephew was born it was "watch out world!! there's a baby and I'm gonna hold him!!" Bella just loves babies. Alot.
Mike and I have never forced gender preference on any of our kids. If they wanted to play with dolls and they are boys, we figured it would teach them to be kind and loving fathers. If the girls wanted to push around the Tonka trucks, we knew it would just help them be well rounded individuals when they grew up. This month, one of Bella's favorite toys is the huge dinosaur that Tommy got for Christmas, so if he isn't being too selfish, she carries that around all the time.
But, girls play different than boys. When our oldest son was young, his older sisters would get him to play "Barbies" with them. They would set up hair salons or art studios with their fashion dolls, and while changing clothes and primping their hair, Scotty would be dive-bombing the dolls off the china cabinet. If the girls were playing trucks along side Scotty, it was typical to see Ashleigh trying to take it apart, while Jenni was using the biggest truck she could find in the toy box to ferry around a massive amount of stuffed animals. They just played differently.
So, I dont' worry that we are raising a girl that is too prissy, or that we are forcing a "mom" role on her at an early age. She likes it. She comes up with the style of play all by herself.
But I do think it's adorable when I see her strolling a huge dinosaur around the house in her pink and purple doll stroller, covered to his scarey monster sized eye balls in a delicate blankie, all the while cooing to him, "it's ok...shhhhh...it's ok. Ni-Night baby."
After all, I have always loved babies myself. And I can't complain since I am living the life I always hoped to live: surrounded by babies.
Maybe Bella will be a mechanic, or a drag racer when she grows up. I think she'd like playing football or soccer and I believe she has the personality that will prove she won't be easily mislead or taken advantage of. But maybe she will want to grow up to be a mom, and surround herself with babies. If she does, I think the practice she is getting now is just a perfect way to spend her toddler days.
Whatever the future holds for Bella, I sure enjoy watching her love her babies. And I think it's sweet that a three year old can see a tiny baby as her best friend.
The rest of the world could learn alot from her. I am taking notes every day.
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