baby, baby....

my sweet baby with her new baby-doll.   She is totally in love.

I am in such awe of the natural sweetness Tessa shows with her little baby-doll.   It has me thinking that there is may be something so inherent in nurturing for some people.  Seeing Tessa with her baby-doll had wondering how much of it is a purely female trait.

I don't want to be one of "those people" that categorizes girls and boys into roles.  Really, I am not.  But, having said that, I look at my 3 boys and never once have they spoken sweetly to a baby-doll.
I actually did get a boy doll for my oldest son, but it was never "nurtured".  No, it was yet another item to be stuffed into the Tonka truck.  Really it was rarely played with, but if it was it was because Buzz Lightyear and Spiderman were missing in action.   That boy doll was never snuggled, rocked, burped or given a bottle by one of my boys.

In our family I have always really made an effort to show feelings, talk about feelings...love, sadness, fear, etc.   And although I  haven't seen the boys "nurture" a doll, what is important is that theyvery naturally have done this with a real baby-their sister, or to their baby cousin.  The difference is it just has never happened with a baby-doll, and that is why I took notice when Tessa absolutely fell in love with this doll and immediately began nurturing her, giving her a bottle, burping her and even speaking in a sweet voice to her!

I will say that Jack once show me how he would hold his new sister when she came home.....it made for a great photo session of practicing being a big brother to his new sister.

BUT that baby also went for some scary rides soon after.

The truth is that we all have the ability to nurture, for some (boys and girls, men and women) it comes more naturally, or has to be learned and practiced.  But we all know people that exude nurturance naturally, that have such an ease with it.  Who knows how Tessa will grow and change over time, but this certainly was a glimpse into her sweet soul...and perhaps for some it just comes more naturally with a baby-doll.