My baby has real mama instincts

A month or so ago, I thought maybe Eva was getting a little bored with some of her toys. We don't have tons, but I still "saved" some from her birthday and have a box downstairs for ones that get "rotated". I remembered she had 2 baby dolls, and had an inkling that she might be really into them by now. One is just a little baby with an outfit and a bottle; the other is a baby that does it all (takes a bottle, sleeps, cries, coos, laughs, burps, etc.). I got them both out and put batteries in the one to see what she thought.
Well, folks, it's been a baby-fest at our house ever since! Although, when the "does-everything baby" began to cry real tears, Evangeline's tears started flowing, too. We've since put that baby away and we'll give it another try in a couple months. I don't need Eva getting unnecessarily upset over her fake crying baby :)
Her baby doll doesn't have a name yet, but she takes her everywhere! Eva knows how to burp baby, and gives baby her own silky blanket and pacifier to put "baby night-night".  When "baby's crying" she hugs and loves on baby the way I do with her. Baby goes shopping with her (she has a little grocery cart I found at a consignment sale for $2- I couldn't pass it up) and baby sits in the front seat basket. Baby gets hungry and Eva gives her a bottle. Evangeline does such a good job with her little baby. I am such a proud mama!
I know that when Evangeline's baby brother comes, she'll have her terrorizing moments of jealousy and anger, but I truly believe that she will be kind and sweet and nurturing, too. There is something very sensitive and tender inside my angel girl. I'm very aware of it and working hard to nurture it instead of trying to stifle, manage, or contain it. I was told a lot that I was overly sensitive as a kid and it was hurtful to me. I don't want Eva to hate being this way like I did as a kid. I hated my tendency to feel all emotions very deeply. I'm not that way as much as I was as a kid and teen, mostly because I never liked it about myself. God has been challenging me with this and I hope that I can do right by my daughter who is clearly so very much like me- both in the good and bad (she can be very strong-willed and over-zealous, too).