Meet Martha

This is Martha...
Martha is the newest addition to Brooklyn's baby nursery. For her first birthday, I surprised her with her first baby doll. Dolls are her #1 favorite thing in any toy store, and she reaches out her arms and wants to hold them the moment we enter the aisle.

Kevin took her to the toy store today. When they entered the doll aisle, Kevin pressed this baby's hand, and the baby started crying. Brooklyn go so upset because she wanted so much to console the baby. Real-life crying babies upset her, and she will do what is within her power to help soothe the baby, including giving them a hug, kiss and pat on the back.

Last night, I was playing with her and her babies. She has three. She can spend hours and hours wrapping them each up in a blanket of their own, rocking them to sleep, giving them their bottles and then waking them up for more blanket wrapping. It is actually quite sweet. As we were playing, I started making a crying sound, supposedly coming from her babies. She runs over there, grabs the crying baby, walks over to the recliner to rock them. When she gets in the recliner, she starts to rock them, gives them a kiss and holds them tightly, and a couple times she says "ssshhh..." Once she got the baby settled down, she handed her back to me for me to put back in her bed. At one time, she had all three babies that she was trying to console and get back to sleep. It was one of the most precious things to watch.

As I have said before, Brooklyn is one of the most loving, compassionate little kids I have every met. She is very tender-hearted and always very helpful. It shows through all the time, but there's something to be said for those moments like last night where you can just sit back and watch her personality grow as she tends to her babies.

You may be wondering, why the name Martha? Was that on the box from the toy store? No. After the toy store, Brooklyn and Kevin took me out to lunch where I first met her new dolly. I asked Brooklyn at lunch what her dolly's name was and she said "Matha." I said is your dolly's name Martha and she said "Yes Mama." I started doing a quick checklist in my mind..Martha? Do we know a Martha? No. In one of her books is there a character named Martha? No. Is there a Martha in any of the kid's shows she watches? No. The only thing I can come up with is I do this little bit for her about a pet mountain lion named Herman, and maybe she was trying to say that because she has tried to say his name before. Or, maybe she was saying a few words together and it sounded like Martha to me. Regardless, the dolly's name is Martha.

So, Martha...welcome to the family! You're in good hands with Brooklyn as your mommy.