One day, amidst the bustle of children at the Early Years Pre-pre-school play center we've been attending, I found Gabriel cradling a doll. The children were slamming doors on the little playhouse, banging play hammers, dripping paint, pouring sand, pushing cars and trucks and trains. And there he was. He had spotted a sweet little neglected baby doll under a pile of blankets. And, like the tenderhearted soul that he is, took her under his wing--wrapping her up in a blanket, rocking her and kissing her little head. All without prompting I might add. He carried her around for a good 10 minutes before dropping her (toddler style) in the middle of the floor to play with trucks.
As you know, Gabriel is a truck-boy, a train-boy, a "boy-boy" but there is nothing that speaks to him like the whimper of a baby in distress. And it cheers my mama heart to know that our little man, despite his gruff/burly boyishness, is a compassionate little guy.
So my parents are visiting us in Toronto this week. And with them came a few presents (mostly in the form of relics from my past). One such gift was a little doll, one from my sister's collection, on loan temporarily for Gabriel to practice being a big brother with. His eyes lit up.
Last night, he spotted baby doll (who still remains nameless - we are welcoming suggestions) and wrapped his little arms around her. We found her a blanket, a bottle and the little infant seat she could sleep in. Gabriel took her over to his little toddler-sized rocking chair and fumbled to figure out how he could hold her and read to her at the same time--his little foot crossed over one leg, propping up the book, the chair rocking precariously. He settled instead on the couch, a safer bet, placing her beside him, reading his book aloud, his toddler voice full of expression and intonation.
I am sure we'll have some busy and rocky days ahead, come January/February. Especially when JanBug stays and is demanding so much of my mama time. But I am so looking forward to meeting real baby girl and to watching him find his role in all of this.
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That's very sweet! Fiona is great at naming her dolls and special stuffies. So far, we have Baby-Dolly, Dolly, Sarah, Jasmine, Suzy-Q and a horse named Applejack. I'll see if any names "speak" to her regarding Gabriel's doll. What did Angela call the doll?
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