Introducing Mary Rose

One of the biggest hits of R's birthday was this gift from Grandma and Grandpa (although there were a lot of big hits, to be honest with you--more pictures and updates will be coming up!)

Anyway, here's R opening up the big box--what's in it?
It's a doll!!!! "She looks like me!" R just stared at her lovingly for about five minutes. It was so cute.
Grandma and Grandpa had also found a dress for R that came with a dress for the doll. I cannot even tell you how happy this made R. She was so in love. Here she is posing with the doll, who has been named Mary Rose. I'm sure everyone can see where that name came from. Note that R has even put in her own headband to match Mary Rose's, and they both have leggings on underneath their dresses.

Ms. W

One day last month while Grammie and Grampie were visiting, R was playing by herself while Grammie and I were doing something--I can't remember what. R kept running around with her dolls and arranging them just so in the kitchen.

Then she dragged one of the chairs that goes to her little table into the kitchen. At this point, Grammie got curious and went into the kitchen to see what she was doing. This is what she saw.
When Grammie asked R what she was doing, she said, "SHHHHHHH!! The babies are sleeping. I'm Ms. W!" (Ms. W is R's day care teacher-- and she sits on a chair and reads quietly while the kids nap).

Reading to Baby

In the mornings, when I get R ready for day care*, I often let her play by herself in the living room while I get all her stuff ready to take (like her lunch or extra clothes or anything like that). One morning, I found her holding her doll and a book, and trying to climb into her chair. I picked her up and put her into her chair and she proceeded to read to her doll, even taking the doll's hand to point to things on the page. So. Cute.*To be fair, I should note that J has been doing most of the morning wake ups with R.

Grandma and Grandpa's Latest Visit

My parents came out a couple weekends ago to visit. It was great--we always love having visitors, but especially grandparents who love to spoil R. She just eats up all the attention.

On Saturday, we went to a really good Asian restaurant in town. Thank goodness we went early because by the time we left the place was so crowded we had to literally push through the crowd so we could get to the door.
On Sunday we had a really good breakfast out and then spent time hanging around the house. My mom and I went shopping briefly.

R was sick most of the weekend, so she spent a lot of time cuddling up to all of us, especially Grandpa. Here she is with Grandpa and all of her dolls. Grandpa named them "G", "Trucker", and "Tyke" even though they're mostly wearing pink clothes.
(Speaking of doll names, I don't know what R will end up naming hers, but whenever I think of doll names, I think of Ramona Quimby and her doll Chevrolet. The blonde-haired cabbage-patch style doll I had when I was little I named Megan, and I had another preemie Cabbage Patch named Bruce Trevor. I don't remember any of my other doll names. What did you name your dolls when you were little?)