We take Squishy everywhere we go. Baby girl needs lots of stimulation for her brain, so we take her everywhere and let her see everything. The store, Doctor visits, restaurants, school functions, knitting group, she does it all, and drinks it all in. Sometimes she sits in the sling. Other times she lays in her car seat. The Greatest prefers to straight up carry his little girl if he's around. She is our constant companion.
Make no mistake. We love her, and we love this. We love taking her everywhere we go.
But...
At least twice a week a stranger comments to me "I thought she was a doll until I saw her move."
At least twice a week.
I know what they are saying is that my little girl is so sweet, so perfectly formed, with such a nice complexion that she appears to have come straight from a factory line. We mere mortals are not supposed to be that flawless.
They are complimenting my baby.
I get it.
But still, I am left to wonder...
What is it about me that makes people think I would be walking around with a baby doll in a sling, talking to it, playing with it, kissing it, like it was a real baby?
I know there are women that do this. They buy very detailed life like "newborns" and carry them around. They even have conventions where they get together and show off their "babies."
Every one needs a hobby.
What is it about me that makes strangers think I might be one of those women?
Is it my (unwashed) hair, my (lack of) make up, or the sleep deprived look in my eyes that makes them think I'm crazy enough to be wandering around in public with a doll?
Maybe I should go take a nap.
The source of those comments is not you or Squishy. It lies far more in the fact that people like to engage their mouths without putting their brains in gear. It amazes me how often they all say the SAME dumb thing. If I had a dime for every time someone asked my thumbsuckers what their thumb tastes like... I think I've heard IT ALL, including the doll thing. My personal fave was when people (OFTEN) asked me if my girls were boys or said, "He is so cute!". I dressed them in frills and pink with shiny mary janes, lace socks and little flowery headbands. I so wanted to say, "Yes, he's my little budding drag queen." Lol People seriously just say whatever dumbass thing crosses their minds and, yes, they tend to be extra dumb when faced with extra "awesome" kids. They are afraid they'll say something insensitive so they go with dumb instead. As for the doll comment, you would think that the sleep-deprived look would make it more likely that the baby was REAL. I don't know any of those weird doll ladies but I'm guessing the dolls don't cry at night, need to be fed every 5 minutes or require you to pump for hours on end. BTW, I so admire you for your commitment to providing breast milk for Squishy. I'm a shameless boob nazi. For every woman who says, "Oh,I TRIED and just could not nurse." There is someone like you being a rock star. You are doing a great thing for her health and development.
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