[baby]

 When Chloe was tiny she started sucking her fingers. As she got older she became attached to fleece blankets with the cut edges. She would rub one of the cut pieces by her face while she sucked her fingers. It became a security blanket, not necessarily any one in particular, just any fleece blanket. She needed it so she could suck her fingers at night, for naps, when she was sad, or just whenever. As she got old she went from sucking three fingers, to  two fingers, down to just her pointer finger.

When Chloe was about 2 and half I was cleaning out the garage and found my trunk with my old stuff in it. Nick and Chloe fought over this baby and Chloe won. This baby eventually took the place as Chloe's security blanket and helped her to stop sucking her fingers.

She LOVED her baby and took her everywhere. For the longest time her baby's name was 'Baby'.

We lost her many times. I remember losing her at Target one time. I was crushed, Chloe was hysterical.

We searched that store forever, retracing our steps, over and over. Chris called and talked to a manager. He gave him his number and asked him to call if they found it. They called a couple of days later and we got 'Baby' back! But that was definitely a very long couple of days.

Chloe loved her baby so much my grandma made her and her baby matching clothes. All birthdays and Christmas' after that Chloe asked for stuff for her baby.

Baby has been a lot of places and seen a lot of things. She has also been left a lot of places. After too many close calls of me not being able to remember where the last place I saw Chloe with her, I decided we needed to have a 'back up baby'. This is when I became thankful for ebay. Since they don't make that baby anymore I searched and found quite a few on ebay and immediately started placing bids. I won 4! 

They came and Chloe could have cared less. They didn't have the same smile as her baby, and she so my plan failed!

Life went on. It was kind of like I had another baby to take care of. I had to wash her all the time and Chloe left me to babysit whenever she went anywhere that Baby couldn't go. After so many washes her cloth upper arm became pretty worn and with a little tug-o-war with a cousin her arm fell off. Chloe was sad! Luckily I searched ebay again and found a new baby with the same smile. I may have lied to Chloe and told her that I was sending her baby to the doll hospital to be fixed. I just couldn't break my 4 year old girl's heart! Especially since she is so much like me and our baby doll(s) mean the world to us! 

She was so excited when the new baby came in the mail!

Over the years baby finally got a name. Her name is Emily.

Last year she did find her old baby in my trunk at the end of my bed. She is older now and handled the truth just fine.

Aubrey LOVES the babies now too. Most of the time she wants Chloe's baby. They fight a lot over THE baby. Chloe is a good big sister to share most of the time. And luckily we have all these extra little babies now. Chloe and Aubrey love having twins, triplets, quadruplets, and even quintuplets! They are such good mommies!

I think I will be sad when Chloe doesn't need Baby anymore.