For a long time now Julia has been taking care of her favorite stuffed animal, “B” (short for bunny), in the same way Stacey takes care of Julia. What’s funny about this is that Julia does and says the EXACT same things to B as we do and say to her. Essentially, she takes on our role as parents and B becomes Julia.
This morning, while I was getting ready for work, Julia ran through her entire bedtime routine with B. First, Julia carried some Tupperware up to her bathroom in order to give B a bath. She had a few smaller empty Tupperware containers that contained her baby shampoo. B got a “bath” in the big container on the bathroom floor and then Julia dried her off with her blanket in the same manner she gets dried off. Julia laid her blanket on the floor, laid B on it, wrapped B in the blanket and then dried B off. All the while telling B that after her bath and nap that she was going to go to “UMPA OMA’S HOUSE!!!”. I estimate she yelled Umpa Oma’s house at least 5 times to B this morning.
After B was given a bath I went back to our room to continue getting ready for work. A few minutes later Julia came running into our room yelling “Dadda Dadda – B went stinkies on the potty! I show you!”. I responded in the same way I do with Julia, so we went running to the bathroom to see what B had done on the potty. When I looked in the bathroom B was sitting perfectly on the potty all by herself. Julia showed me B’s stinkies in the potty and we had a big celebration where I gave B “kisses and lovies”, told B how proud I was of her, and Julia excitedly celebrating herself. After the celebration, Julia said she had to wipe B. So, she went over to the toilet paper and ripped off a little corner for B. Then, Julia said she had to pour B’s stinkies into the toilet…and so she opened the toilet seat lid and acted like she dumped something from her blanket into the toilet. What’s also funny about the entire process is that Julia had left B in the bathroom by herself to do her business while she stood outside (just like Stacey). The entire routine was being acted out in front of our eyes.
Once B was ready to go to bed, Julia tucked her into her own bed and turned on the humidifier. She put her stuffed bear next to B so they could “cuddle”. When I was finished getting ready Julia wanted to show me B sleeping. We went to her room and then B wanted to cuddle with Julia (apparently). So, Julia picked her up, carried her to her own chair where we cuddle with Julia, and sat down. Julia closed her eyes for a few seconds until cuddling was over and put B back to bed. After B was tucked into to bed Julia turned to her and said “kisses and lovies last time then you have to go ni-night”. Hmm, where have I heard that before? What’s funny is that this is what we tell her each night so that she knows it’s time to go to sleep and that stalling games are over. Sometimes Julia cries because she wants “kisses and lovies one more time”. Apparently, B also wanted more “kisses and lovies” but Julia lovingly told her that this was the last time and that she needed to go to sleep....because, after B’s nap they were going to go to UMPA OMA’S HOUSE!!!
It’s hilarious to watch Julia go through the exact same routine and say the exact same things to her stuffed animal B as we say to her. When I stop and think about it, Julia is acting out both roles by herself at the same time. Somehow I just don’t see Jonathan doing this.