Baby Doll Mei Tai

It started when we got pajamas that happened to have matching doll pjs... 

When Anna realized that she matched her doll, she decided that her baby had to be with her at all times.  For some reason, the picture of her with her doll in matching pjs seems to have disappeared... But I will definitely take another one.  She loves her doll, but usually it stays upstairs in her room and she plays with it there.

Yyesterday, however, she carried her doll around ALL. DAY. LONG.  At one point, she kept tossing the doll over her shoulder and then crying when the doll fell on the floor.  I didn't understand what she was doing until it dawned on me that she was trying to put her baby on her back, like her Mama does with her and her brother!

So I makeshifted a sling out of one of Anthony's blankets.  And that's definitely what she wanted.  She waltzed around the house like this: 

Doing all kinds of different things while babywearing.

So I decided it was time to make her a real carrier for her doll.  I had made one before for a friend for her girls, so I knew it wasn't hard.  So I bought some cute material for super cheap (I think the whole thing cost me about $7). 

 I cut some strips for the waist and shoulder straps.  I totally winged it on the length.  They ended up kind of long, but it will work as Anna gets older and I can tie them in cute little bows when I tie it on her now :-)

I laid her doll down and measured for the body of the Mei Tai.  Again, I winged it on the measurements, but it ended up being about 9in x 11in.  I could've made it a little longer and it would be a little better, but whatever, it's for a doll, not a real child :-). 

And then I sewed it together!  It took me about an hour start to finish and I think it turned out really well!  I didn't even fight with my sewing machine at all!

And this morning I had Anna model it.  And she loved it and refused to take it off at all.  She kept checking herself out in the mirror and smiling real big.  She also begged me to take pictures of her so that she could look at the picture on the camera. 

And I had to laugh when I saw her here because isn't this a typical female?  Doing three things at once?  She's wearing her baby, sniffing her giraffe and rocking her baby brother to keep him happy while Mama went to the bathroom.  All at once.  Such a multitasker!



 And I just had to throw this picture in there too.  Anna wanted her baby to do all the same things as Anthony.  So she kept laying baby down next to him when he played on the playgym or putting it in the swing after Anthony had been in the swing or feeding her baby a bottle when I fed Anthony.  She's such a little Mama!  It is unbelievable the things she picks up from what I do.