Due Date

Today was Eliza's due date.

Last year I had a small celebration for the anniversary of the day Eliza should have been born. This year I decided to forgo that and spend a quiet evening with just the two of us. There is such a startling contrast between what Eliza looked liked when she was born and when she should have been born.





Anyone who thinks that a baby born 14 weeks too soon is just a smaller version of a 40 weeker should look at these two photos. People want to believe that an extremely premature baby is just a miniature 40 weeker who needs to be fattened up a bit because they don't want to accept that maybe, just maybe there is a hell of a lot more involved in that last trimester of development.

And for a little more comparison, here is Eliza in 2007,



And in 2008.



Happy should-have-been Birthday Eliza Grace.

The Island of Misfit Toys

Where is the Island of Misfit Toys when you need it? I was lucky enough to receive an email from Hasbro Toys offering a discount on the "Baby Alive Doll." Only $49.99 with free shipping! A bargain! Having been lured to the Hasbro website I was astonished to see that Baby Alive has been around for several decades and that continuous improvements have been made to Baby Alive so that your toddler's pretend play is more realistic than ever.

BABY ALIVE Doll (Caucasian)- Product Detail



The Product Description reads as follows:


Playing “mommy” is more fun than ever with BABY ALIVE, the doll that “eats” and “poops” like a real baby! Feed her or give her a bottle, and then get ready to change her messy diaper! She’s ready to play, laugh and talk with you… and you will love taking care of her!

When this doll is “hungry” you can mix up some of her special doll food! She really "eats" and tells you how she likes it with fun electronic phrases like, “Mmm…good!” She’ll even tell you it’s time to change her diaper when she says, “Uh-oh, I made a stinky!” When your BABY ALIVE doll is tired, she gets drowsy and falls asleep!

Doll comes with dress, 2 doll diapers, bottle with nipple and cap, bowl, spoon, 4 packets of doll food and bib.
Includes 4 "AA" batteries.

Baby Alive has even won awards:

NAPPA Awards – Honors Family Fun Grand Prize Winner & Top 10 list (#5)
Creative Child Magazine
Seal of Excellence Award
Dolls for Preschoolers Category

If the pooping Baby Alive doesn't suit you or your toddler, you could try

Baby Alive Pat 'n Burp



Or Baby Alive Sip 'n Slurp



Better yet Baby Alive Wets 'n Wiggles



Or my personal favorite, Baby Alive Sip 'n Snooze



I will admit to being fearful of Baby Alive Poops-a-Lot so since Eliza neither sips her bottle too often and has yet to fully enjoy a snooze, I'm going to order up a Baby Alive Sips 'n Snooze so I can finally figure what the heck these other parents are talking about when they tell me about their wee ones who plow through 60 ounces of formula a day and have take two hour naps. Pretend play can be so much more rewarding than real life!

Just ask the fine folks at Hasbro.