The First Baby Doll

Everyone was so generous with Sweet Pea on her birthday- she got lots of birthday money from her many grandparents (my kids have 10 grandparents and great-grandparents still living!  Lucky ducks!)   I went out and bought her some clothes- including the ones in the pictures from her birthday- a sun hat, and shoes.  Yesterday we took the last of her birthday money to go and buy her first baby doll.

I am a huge doll lover, so buying my first daughter her first real baby doll was a big deal for me.  So big, in fact, that I started researching dolls while I was still pregnant with her.

So I am a big nerd.  It’s okay.  I have accepted it.

For Christmas she did receive some small Kathe Kruse Waldorf dolls, but they were not real baby dolls.  They were just baby toys.  She took to one of them, this multicolored doll with knotted hands and feet whose hat is tied to a wooden teething ring- she really loved to chew on it.  The other, she never really was interested in.  Too bad, but it’s small and beautiful and will probably become more of a “pretty” than a toy.

So we set out with the last of her birthday money to buy her a good quality baby doll.  It had to meet my criteria: durable, good quality, washable, and something she could grow with.  If I have my way this might be her only baby doll, so I want something that will last her.

And we found…

Baby Stella!

She is absolutely adorable and meets all my standards for a baby doll.  She is made entirely from a very soft velour type cloth with adorable little fingers, toes, and even a tiny belly button.  She is completely washable.  How fantastic is that?  Plus she’s in our budget!

In Baby Stella’s mouth is a tiny magnet (sewn in very well) and her pacifier has a magnet as well, so Sweet Pea has figured out how to attach and detach Stella’s little pacifier.  It’s a great game for her and really keeps her occupied.  Baby Stella is recommended for ages 12 months and up, so it was the perfect first birthday present.  Sweet Pea can even say her own version of Stella: Saaayyaaaaah.  This doll is so cute and already a big hit around our house.

As Sweet Pea gets older I hope to be able to get a few of Baby Stella’s accessories and some well made wooden doll furniture.  There was a woman shopping in the store while we picked out Stella – a grandmother- who said she had purchased Baby Stella for her granddaughter’s first birthday.  Her granddaughter is now four and still completely loves Baby Stella.  As she has gotten older the grandmother has purchased the accessories that were age appropriate so her granddaughter’s play with Baby Stella could continue.  Exactly what I wanted to hear.  Hopefully it works out the same for us.

As for now, we’re all head over heels for Baby Stella.

I even saw Hockey Guy playing with Sweet Pea and Baby Stella. 

Shhh… don’t tell him I told you that.

~ by Krista on May 14, 2009.