The Story of the Lost Baby.

Once upon a time, there was a baby.  She was clean.  She was new. She was actually Brynn's 2nd birthday present. But Brynn doesn't like dolls.  This story is not about Brynn.

This is about Coby - and her undying love of a slightly used, unloved birthday present from a year before she was born...This is about her baby "Sweetie" She found Sweetie under a pile of forgotten toys. And claimed her as her own.  This was very near Coby's first birthday.

Coby loved Sweetie and took her everywhere.  For years this baby went to the store, church and bed with her.  She sat beside Coby during meals - and Coby took her to the park - and around the yard to help with chores...making sure she was never left out.

Then ONE day (Sunday to be exact) Sweetie didn't make it home from church.  Her mother (Coby) was devistated - we looked in the car - under the couches, in the beds, cleaned the rooms, did the laundry - looked in closets - we cried - we worried "Sweetie all alone and sad, she cwying" we couldn't sleep - we cried ourselves to sleep.  Substitutes were attempted - but not accepted.  We wanted our dirty baby, Sweetie.  We tried to go to the grocery store with another baby doll.  It didn't work.  She had hair.  Her pants kept falling off.  So - "Grandma" (that's me) went to the church in search of the baby - it MUST have been left there.  I looked in the nursery, I looked in the cabinets.  There was nothing.  I was trouble shooting with my friend, who told me that I should make Coby suck it up.  I told her I couldn't.  I tried, I missed the baby - I missed the interaction between Coby and Sweetie.  I didn't want Coby to miss her.  I didn't want Coby to lose that lovin' feeling toward a loved toy!

At that point, a nosy 12 year old walked into our conversation. "Are you talking about a really dirty doll that didn't have any hair and it's head was all colored on?"  uh. "Yes?"  "I was emptying the trash on Sunday - and saw a really dirty doll in there - I said 'hey, look a doll' and they said 'it's in the trash for a reason...LOOK at it! Leave it there...' so I threw it out.  I'm SO sorry!"

Again, my friend said to leave it alone.  "If you were me and I came to you about a dirty lost doll, wouldn't you tell me to just forget about it?" I said, "Noo, I'd help you dumpster dive tomorrow."  She got a concerned smile on her face - and I told her "Just kidding, ha ha."

But I wasn't - after the high school let out - I went to pick up Kiersten.  I drove behind the church - and using the tire of the car, boosted myself into the garbage and dug and dug and dug (thankfully this was church garbage and clean - because it's a church and cleanliness is next to godliness - and all the garbage bags are CLEAR!!!) NOT too much digging, actually - I picked up a few large clear bags - and...MY FRIEND DROVE UP! Yes, THAT friend, the one that told me to suck it up...and she said "Do you want me to come in and help?" (If I was closer to "that time of month," I would have started bawling at this point, my dear friend who is a dumpster-dive-a-phobic was willing to jump in the trash receptacle with me and look for a dirty old doll. Awe touching!  But, luckily for her, my razor sharp eyes FOUND Sweetie!  I ripped her out of the bag, she was cushioned and protected by paper towels from the nursery kids (used as napkins during snack time!) She was virtually as dirty as she was when she was left for the devices of the next nursery kids (which was the trash - WHO DARE? right?!)

I almost burst into tears when I found her!  Coby had fallen asleep in the car - THANKFULLY, so I went home and threw the baby in the washing machine with a few towels, and VIOLA - she's as good as new!

I brought her to Coby and she grabbed it and said ""THIS is my sweetie, ah, sweetie..." walked over to the "replacement doll" and said "Not THAT baby" and hugged Sweetie and continued, "come on, sweetie, mommy luffs you. Awe, it's all right" (like the baby was crying, but all would be well tonight, she was with her mommy!)

Now it's bed time - and for the first night - in THREE long nights - she crashed right at 8:00 with Sweetie by her side! I love this girl!  She's so tender! And SOOO cute!