The Smaller Tribe

I never have considered myself a super girlie girl, but the one thing that makes me go soft are dolls. Not just any dolls, but Waldorf dolls. I love these dolls hand-made out of natural materials, stuffed with wool, covered with organic cotton for skin and if they're super special- they have semi precious stones and crystals placed into their bellies for their special healing and comforting properties. Having boys, it's a bit off the beaten path to justify having dolls, but with the birth of Nico 2 years ago, it seemed the most natural thing for Matteo to receive his first doll, Felix, in anticipation of being a big brother. Matteo is pretty gentle in nature and spirit so he took right away to caring for Felix, carrying him in a baby sling made out of a playsilk and sometimes even holding him to his chest to "feed him".


When I learned I was pregnant this year, we got Pablo (all our doll names are based upon names we've thought about using for the "live" babies) a heavy baby doll, stuffed with millet and lavender. Pablo is so sweet to hold and smell, but he is truly a heavy baby. When Nico picks him up he holds him tight and yells "heavy! heavy!"

Kaisa is my doll. As a soon to be mother of 3 boys, I desperately wanted my own little girl to dress up (and Ivan was happy to oblige getting her as I think he feared I would put our boys in fairy princess dresses just to satisfy my small-but present- need for pink). I have a not-so-small stack of fabric just waiting to be made into doll dresses.

This is Nico with his new doll, Paolo. We gave him to Nico last weekend right before we went to the special sibling preparation class at the hospital where I am giving birth. He wouldn't let go of his new "little brother" the entire time.

In the new Mothering magazine, there was a great article about boys and dolls and how having dolls prepares boys to be good fathers by allowing their nurturing instincts develop. I love seeing how the boys play with these beautiful dolls and couldn't agree more.