Today

Therapy Reborns

became vital to me while climbing out of my own pit of despair and grief. I was so impressed with the joy and calm I felt while cuddling my first reborn that the old doll-maker in me awoke  and  I decided that I wanted to share this feeling with others. I began making dolls with the goal that they will be held, cuddled, rocked and loved by someone needing comfort. These are not toys for children, nor are they art objects, though made by an artist and doll-maker since the 60s. The doll is made of unbreakable vinyl and cloth, which is organic cotton made by Harmony Art as is used in the best baby clothes, or doe-skin by commercial suppliers. The joints between vinyl and cloth are double tied with string instead of plastic ties so the baby will withstand constant handling.  The stuffing is all new. The fingernails and toenails have been painted to look as real as possible. The hair is also hand painted or a commercial wig. The finished babies are 17 – 22 inches long, (life-sized) and weighing between two and four pounds, come wearing real baby clothes:  a hand-crocheted cotton diaper cover, removable cotton sleepers with a new cotton blanket. They come from my studio which is a pet-free, a non-smoker environment on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. 

SEASIDE ORPHANAGE Gualala, California
Where reborns are turned into therapy babies

Hoping to make it easier for you to find the right baby you are looking for, I have put the descriptions of available babies in a bold font.

NEW ARRIVALS and departures
IN JUly, 2016

LILLY LOVE

Lilly is her official name but while I worked on her I found myself calling her "Lilly Love" and now the name has stuck. I love the way she looks into one's eyes as if she, a bit timid but willing, wants to ask you to love her. I could not find a toy that was  made like a heart so we raided my tin box collection for her to have one to hold. Here she looks ready to travel with everything she needs in the little heart box under her arm. 

~*~

 OHMY

Ohmy came to us name-less. His look of surprise and delight was so apparent that it seemed one could hear him saying, "Oh my!" all day long. In use, his name was then pronounced "oh-me." Yet there were moments when one was sure he wanted to say, "Oh my goodness!" because he is so full of goodness, joy and happiness. I think that any kind person who held him close to their chest would hear him repeating his name. 

~*~

KENDAL

Kenny has several brothers and sisters who have been to the orphanage to learn how to be therapy babies. Every one of them is very smart, a quick learner and delightfully quirky. Their faces show their earnestness and eagerness. I like that kind of person so I accept (probably too easily) Kendals into the orphanage. He (and Kendra his sister) are not shy about letting me know what they want. He saw the giraffe on his sleeper (sorry it does not show in this photograph) and insisted he get to hug one for his photo, Thank goodness I still this one leftover from my beading days. You can see by the lifted corners of his mouth that he is happy.

~*~

MAGGIE

Maggie, or really Margaret, also came to use without a name so I had to walk again through my grade school classroom to find a name for her. Now when I talk to her I feel my long gone school chum has returned. Being a doll, Maggie is even sweeter than I remember her namesake being. Thinking back to when I gave her Cuddle Quiz (to be a therapy reborn; all babies have to take it) I enjoyed holding her so very much. It was as if there was a thread connecting her heart to mine. Over this line I could feel the love zipping back and forth. So you know Maggie is a well-trained baby. She can give and receive love very easily and she takes her job seriously.

~*~

SWEET AND SASSY

Sassy was certainly given the right name. He challenges everything I say to him and wins every verbal battle. I wanted him to wear these kitty sleepers. He found a cat "bor-ing" and would only accept these jammies if he could have a cat fight. For that he chose the puppy dog to accompany him to the photo-table. I tried to explain that I wanted a portrait of him and not get flying fur all over the camera. The mischievousness in him, and rather loud screams, won and he got the puppy and I got my photo. This speed-ed up the process as I had to work faster to get what I wanted before the puppy got any closer to the cat. Such a sweetie! He always wins in the end with that sweet face.

~*~

BABY BEE

This baby came to us from Spain without a name. I tried to think of  a Spanish name for him but he is such a cheerful engaging baby I simply could not call him Degas, or Salvador, so for now he is Baby Bee. He is still small, he wears preemie sized sleepers, but he is very alert and eager to be held and talked to. He seems to find my English okay as he tries to figure out what I am saying to him. He finds everyone to be interesting and I've have found him jumping into the arms of others. He is a lover and I think he wants to be your baby!

~*~ 

NEW ARRIVALS and departures
IN JUNE, 2016

TOBIAS
by Tina Kewy

Tobian was born on June 23, weighing in at 2 pounds 13 ounces and is 19" long. His little mouth shows that he is still trying to make up his mind whether he likes being on this earth. I tried to make him happy by showing him the frog like the ones on his jammies but he was in no mood for my jokes. I think he found me a bit silly. Perhaps there is no room in him for jokes, just the real thing - love. He does cuddle very sweetly and gives only one little squirm and then settles down in your arms for a long, quiet love.

~*~

RINA

Rina is a new baby to me so I am adjusting to her. She is from Utah and I think of her as my Discerning One. She seems to observe the whole world as if she is deciding whether it is good enough for her. Maybe she squints because she needs glasses. She too was born on June 23 and is 19" long but she weighs 3 pounds and 1 ounce and wears NB sized clothes. Maybe she did not like the sleeper I picked out for her. Maybe her new mommy with have a better taste in what is cute on babies than I do. I think she would fun to shop with. She could certainly pick out the best jammies.

~*~

JUNEY

As you can guess Juney came with no name so she shares her name with the month she was born in. She too is 19" long  and weighs only 3 pounds. I love her look of happy surprise so that when I talk to her I often call her Jany to complete the connection between us. She is such a hopeful, bright, easy-going child. Everything delights her and nothing makes her cranky or whiny. I don't think I have heard her cry the whole time she has been here.  I hope someone gets her who needs such joy and sunshine in their lives. She is like a new morning in June.

~*~
adopted

COOKIE

This Cookie is very special because she is a custom made baby; something which I rarely do. With her new Mommy asking that she be brown-eyed, have lots of  dark, curly hair and be specially weighted to be the baby she is. For this reason she has she has been very special to me during her whole creation. Her complexion has been specially darken so the hair and eyes look as if they fit her. This baby knows no limits. Whatever she wants she is capable of getting. She wanted another Cookie's outfit, so that other Cookie gave it up, let me launder and iron it so she now sits in her jammies while this new Cookie gets all the admiration.

~*~

adopted

JOSE

Jose is another custom baby so I have had someone else's instructions in my head during his whole creation. I wanted him to look straight out of his eyes into mine but he insisted on this corner look. I think he knows he is smarter than I am and has only put up with me in order to get to his new Mommy looking the way she wants him to be. He will do what he has to, but he knows very securely what and who he wants to be. I told him his new Mommy would go shopping and buy new jammies for him which made him take on the happy expectant look he has in this photo. Otherwise, he has only one objective. He wants to get in the box and get on his way to Pennsylvania.

adopted

CANDY and CANDIE
THE CANDY GIRLS

Here is a double dose of sweetness. These two girls, with their wigs, are destined for Mommies not in nursing homes but in facilities where they can be allowed to really act like real babies. Their new mommies can shop for them, put them in strollers or cradles, take them out to show off to others. These girls have a great life ahead of them. 

~*~

adopted

KENDOLL and ELIZA

To balance all the sweetness of the Candy Sister we also have in this shipment Kendal (Kendoll) and Eliza to keep them company on the journey. I am sending blessings with each baby that their new Mommies may be especially blessed by owning these babies. I am already missing them with a big hole in my heart.

NEW ARRIVALS
APRIL, 2016

adopted

SUZANNA

Suzanna is a remade Beranger baby who now weighs 2 pounds and 10 ounces and is 22 inches long so she is one of the bigger newborns. She has already had a haircut. She has an exceptionally soft body as her legs are the older kind that are only vinyl from the knees down. When one holds her in your arms you have that extra softness in the tush and thigh. 

~*~
adopted

KIMI

Kimi also has her hair rooted into her scalp so it is not a wig that can slip or be removed. This means she too, like Suzanna, is a baby only suited for the person just entering dementia who can still enjoy her hair. She is 19 inches long, so she is shorter and smaller but still very soft since she only weighs 2 pounds and 6 ounces. She is the last of her line as this baby is no longer being made by Bountiful Baby in Utah.

~*~
adopted

SHYANNE

Shyanne came from the factory in this color so her skin is still soft and feels like she is a real baby. No paint on this girl! If someone picks her to be their companion in their loneliness she will get her hand drawn hair to go under that ribbon. She is 18 inches long and weighs 2 pounds and 8 ounces.

~*~
adopted

 KYRA

Kyra also arrived with this skin color and no paint has been added to her. In some of the books she is listed as being bi-racial. She is 21 inches long and weighs 2 pounds 10 ounces. Like Shyanne she will get hand-drawn hair so she always looks perfect so matter how many hugs she is given.

~*~
adopted

GRACE

Grace came to us as a white child but with AA facial features so I panted her with many coats of air-dry paints. She is still soft and cuddly but her skin tone is very similar to the babies who arrive with AA skin tones.  She is from an older Secrist line of babies so she has her hair molded in already. I have painted in her curls for her so she is already complete. She is 18 inches long and weighs 2 pounds 10 ounces, so she is right in line, in size, with all her companions. In this photo taken a couple of weeks ago I did not like the color of her lips. In between times I have redone them so they compliment her skin tones better. There! can you see her hair better?

NEW ARRIVALS IN
MARCH, 2016

KAY DANCE

Kay is the smallest baby that I have in the orphanage. Even though she is so small, she could feel like a doll, but when you take her in your arms you feel she is a real baby. Just one that came a bit too soon to our world but still very much a  part of it. She weighs only one pound and 9 ounces and is 15 inches long. She wears the smallest preemie clothes. I wanted to take her photo sitting up but she is more comfortable lying on her tummy. Soon I expect she will be able to hold up her head so she can the world around her. 

~*~
adopted

ELIJAH

Elli already knows he is the poster child for March in next year's calendar. Since he fit so perfectly in these newborn sleepers he was chosen. I love the fact that he can already fold his hands in prayer (none of the other kids at the orphanage can do it) and that makes me think maybe he is really St. Patrick! That sweet smile of his is such a comfort. Just to look across the room and catch him smiling in your direction gives an whole shine to the day. It is impossible to be sad one minute longer when that smile lights up your world. He is 19 inches long and weighs 2 pounds and 6 ounces - so he is kind of a medium sized baby. 

~*~
adopted

RASPBERRY

I cannot help it, I love this baby. She is sticking out her tongue to make the 'raspberry' sound and she turns her big blue eyes a bit to the side to see if anyone is coming along to make her stop. She is a wily child, always up to something. I see in this picture she was wearing the t-shirt she thought was too small for her, so she insisted I take a second photo.

~*~

adopted

She also insisted that she get to hold the new sterling silver dolly rattle from Portugal. For that she stopped making the spitting sound but is still showing us her tongue. She is one of the biggest babies we have, weighing 4 pounds and 4 ounces and is 22 inches long. I find her a delight to squeeze  and rock. She curls her feet around your waist to give two big hugs instead of just one.

~*~

NATALIE

Natalie is one of the left-over babies from Secrist so they are throwing away the mold from which she was made. She does not let that bother her, though. She keeps her sweet expression and the feeling she is just about to speak as she is just herself. She is 20 inches long and weighs 2 pounds and 12 ounces. She knows she is real baby size and rather lords it over the smaller ones. I find her so cute that I cannot discipline her. Already she has learned that I will not say 'no' to anything she tries to do. While making her body I caught her hand in the candy jar which I only found to be just more cute.

~*~

BOBBIE

Bobbie is from a discontinued line so there are not many more like him. Thus, he is a baby with a lot of experience and yet the world of the orphanage is still very new to him. He kept asking, "Meye Wabby?" over and over. I think he could not believe that we were giving him his very own rabbit just for sitting in front of the camera. He is one of the smaller new babies being he is only 18 inches long and weighing just 2 pounds. When you hold him in your lap to talk to him, his big blue eyes focus on your as if you are the only person in the world. You feel drawn in to him by his eyes. He may be on your lap but the eyes have put him into your heart.

NEW ARRIVALS
FEBRUARY, 2016

adopted

BLOND BLAZE

The factory painted Blaze babies by Bountiful Baby have supposedly been all sold and this is one of the last ones. She is smaller then the unpainted Blaze babies by Donna Rupert being 19 inches long and weighing about 3 pounds or slightly less. She has the rooted mohair so she is really not suited for a patient in dementia as the mohair, as cute as it is, is harder to maintain.  If the patient has a relative who visits often and delights in fiddling with curls, even this baby could be the love of the life of a patient with memory  problems. Otherwise, to the difficulties of hanging on to reality, would be the addition job of keeping the baby's hair from becoming matted. Still she is a very cuddly package and her hint of smile is just what many need to feel loved and accepted.

~*~

 BLAZE

How different the same baby without hair seems. No less lovable but this Blaze seems to reach out to grab a heart. Maybe it is her softer coloring but she is more retiring. She balances these two qualities to become a very special therapy baby. We tried these brighter, more colorful jammies but she really looks more at home in the softer colors of white and yellow. I hope whoever gets her loves to shop for new born sleepers and will offer her a whole wardrobe so she can blaze forth as a baby of someone's heart in a different way each day.

~*~
my keeper
he looks so like my new
great grandson

 PUNKIN as EVERETT

I know it is not good to have favorites but since my 4th great grandchild arrived a week ago, Punkin has increased his hold on my heart. Baby Everett has blond hair much like this so when I look at Punkin I see Everett at the age of four months. Punkin is only 18 inches long and weighs just over 2 pounds so he is the perfect size for so many women wanting a baby to hold and keep. Someday, Everett's mom will look back with fondness to how much Punkin has stayed the same as her baby was when he was first born.

NEW ARRIVALS

IN JANUARY, 2016

The new year has brought some new policies and practices that will change what we have available for therapy reborns. Last year I would take in almost any baby with the hope that he or she would make a valuable therapy baby sooner or later. What I found was that there were certain babies, with open eyes, attractive expressions, and often a smile or almost-smile made me happier while making them. I like open-handed babies, babies that seem to thinking or wanting to do something interesting. So in this new year I am taking in only babies that I know and love already. I may seem to be stuck in certain families, but right now I prefer that to be making so many experiments and being disappointed. I hope that when you are searching this site for your own therapy reborn, you can more quickly find the child that feels right for you.

CHING CHILD

I admit that I have a huge soft spot in my heart for all the kids from the Ching family. No one can get me giggling as quickly as one of these super bright beings. Being 22 inches long, and weighing on the average about 3 pound and 2-4 ounces, these babes fill the arm, balance on your hip, lean on your chest with the feeling of a young baby. The face is filled with expression, that open mouth accepts the nipples of bottles or pacifiers without magnet and the tiny hands lay on your chest with the needs and desires of a real child. Like the other babies, they are able to take on most poses and are as easy to dress as a child.

~*~

SAMANTHA

Samantha is an all time favorite. Her smile fills her face and goes right to enter her eyes. When you see her you feel she wants to come to you, to crawl in your arms, to snuggle down there forever. There may be ups and downs in your life but Samantha stays directly on course to being the energetic child of happiness. See how she holds her hands? She is relaxed but is also ready to take on any job you give her. And she can do anything! Being 21 inches long and weighing 3 pounds and 3 - 5 ounces, she feels like the baby you have brought home from the hospital, healthy and glowing with vitality and good will.

~*~

PUNKIN

Punkin was the first baby I made into a reborn therapy baby. For many smaller older, more frail persons, he is just the right size. Only 18 inches long and weighing only slightly more than two pounds he fits in the curve of the elbow and is light enough to go everywhere with his new mommy. Even someone with only a little strength and energy can snuggle Punkin into his place in her arms. He is not a wiggler, but sits quietly wherever he is set down. Patience is on his face so he accepts whatever one does to or with him. He loves to put his arms around your neck and gently rub away any sore place. He will often know what the lonely person needs before he or she does. There he is, waiting for someone to receive the love he gives so easily.

~*~

AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION

DECEMBER, 2015

KENDAL

We could almost call him Christmas Kendal because he arrived on the scene just  the week before Christmas. Those big brown eyes look very serious, this is a determined serious little boy, but his lips give him away. That is where he lets the sweetness shin out. He is one of the bigger children so he is a nice armful for a larger person. Still a smaller person who remembers the size of a newborn will find that he feels exactly like that. I admit that while giving him the cuddle quiz I felt so comfortable and happy with him in my arms that both of us wondered if I could ever return him to his cot. 

~*~

HOLLY

I love this shot of Holly because I told her I wanted a photo of her beautiful hands so she turned all her energy and charm into showing off her hands. Off all the kids in this week's crew she has the biggest smile. One cannot help loving her. She did not like the saying on her sleeper but when I told her that bright, hot pink would show up best against the white fur in the dimmer light of December she obeyed and straighten her back so she looks proud of the jammies too.

~*~

MOLLY

Molly, too, wanted to show off her hands. She also wanted to wave. When I told her we were taking these photos so some new mommy could find her she would not sit still but started waving her hands. I think she wants to attract someone' s attention to look at her. Since she is smaller that the other two in this crew, she has already learned she must work extra hard if she wants to attract attention.  She communicates very easily. The first jammies I put on her she did not like so she kept stretching out her arms so the sleeves looked too short. I recognized her trick and gladly gave in to find her these jammies with the expensive quilted look. The girl has good tastes!

~*~
adopted

ANNIE

Annie is slightly older than most of the babies in the orphanage. She already wears 3 month sized clothes and has a bit of hair. Thus, she is not suitable for memory-challenged persons who might not be able to care for her hair, or someone too small for her 23 inch length and 4 pounds. The advantage of Annie is she is big enough to go shopping and it IS more fun to find sweet clothes in her size than for the newborns. So if you know someone who lives alone, needs a constant (but very quiet) companion, here is the perfect gift for them. Maybe she even looks like you did as a child. Wouldn't it be great to give your Mom the gift of your babyhood without the work and worries?

~*~
adopted

ASHER

Asher is such a serious little lad.  I think he worries about finding a permanent home and wondering who will adopt him. Those little lips do want to smile, but at the moment he has bigger concerns on his mind.  Where am I going? Who will love me? Will they hold me enough? Will I get kisses? Will they play with me? When do I get to leave this place?

~*~

CANDY

Candy wanted the jammies with frogs on them, because she likes kisses - both the candy and the ones on lips! - but she had no idea that she would attract one of the beaded frogs! You can see in her little hands that on one side she is frightened of the frog but on the other hand she is indicating to him (wordlessly - she is still learning words) she wants him to keep his distance. The frog, who is very well-behaved, obeyed her and jumped away. Here you can see Candy's sweet nature quickly 
returned.

~*~

~*~
adopted

KENDAL

We call him Kenny because he is such a honey so it comes out as Kenny-honey. Everything about this boy is bigger, look at those eyes!, his sweet lips are so well formed, as well as his head. He is also brighter and more intelligent than the average bear. Sometimes that idea makes him shy but he soon figures out a way to get into your lap for a snuggle. He looks so real and so eager to be the little boy you want and need. I do not know yet if I can give him up. Just looking into those big eyes makes me feel all is right in the world and I need a close reminder of that! You see he has a puppy dog on his sleeper and a puppy toy, too, but there is nothing like a puppy about this boy. He is a little adult wearing size NB sleepers.

~*~

adopted

MORGAN

Morgan is a smaller baby, only 17 inches long and weighing in at a mere 2 pounds 2 ounces, yet he has already managed to get hold of one of the candy canes.  He is a serious kid and I think he has serious intents on that candy. I got to know Morgan while we searched for a sleeper to fit him. He was very patient with me, but also very determined to be able to wear the right thing for his photo. He is so cuddly in these jammies that I only wanted to hold him as long as possible. I think a bit more rocking and holding him until his insecurities melt away and his face will have a much more positive expression.

~*~

SAMANTHA

SAM

Samantha is our tomboy of the day. She is ready for any activity. Nothing scares her or makes her insecure. She will even tackle jobs way too big for her but her determination usually carries her to victory, surprising us all. It is a delight just to see her smile and the will it shows. She makes everyone feel they are as strong as she is. Just looking at her gives a person added assurance and fortitude. You can see in the photo she wants to get up and get going although she cannot walk yet. She thinks she can!  Her laughter draws in the laughter of others. She uses this charm of hers to get others to share her self-confidence and willingness to accomplish whatever a heart desires.

~*~
adopted

GLENN CHING

Glenn is such a little soldier. His posture is always correct and of all the kids in this crew, he sits the most straight. Most often his mouth is smiling but if he sees someone doing something wrong in the orphanage, (like sliding down a banister), it will be Glenn who will have a little talk with the miscreant. I have gotten to depend on him to be my second pair of eyes. When the place is full of babies, as it is now again, he is my second in command. I asked him if he wanted a toy to hold in his photo but he said he wanted to think about how to pose so he could make the best possible picture. That is how he is. He will probably grow up to be an over-achiever unless someone very kind takes him in hand to teach him how to love himself and others.

~*~

adopted

ELIZA

Eliza is the newest child in this week's crew. She was only born today and has already stolen my heart. I love the sweetness that shines off her face. She is one of the biggest in this batch being 22 inches long and weighing 3 pounds, 8 ounces, Still she is newborn size but can already sit up, lie down and sleep on her tummy. As you can read in the blog about her birth (http://janesdollydaze.blogspot.com/  ), she still has a lot to learn about being a therapy baby, but I found loving her takes her forward very fast. She responds beautifully to cuddling, songs and attention so I feel the right person can easily train her to be a constant companion. Just seeing that gentle loving face across the room is therapy for me. It just begs for her to lay her cheek on your shoulder and snuggle into  your embrace.

~*~

CAMRYN

Camryn's face affects me the same way I feel when I see Eliza. At some level I rarely check on, I feel very happy, contented, hopeful when I see them. It is as if both of these babies, a boy and a girl, are so filled with goodness and mercy  that just being in their presence fills up a well of longing and a need for all to be right with the world. Comparing the owl on Camryn's arm with the drawings on his sleeper is a bit of the way I feel around him. The real world may be gray and brown, but with him it turns to brighter  pinks, oranges, and fuchsias. Some people do not like open mouthed babies but the happiness that pours out of his is, I think, worth overcoming the resistance of open lips. This is Camryn's Halloween picture. That is about as scary as he gets! The owl got more scared and flew away when Cammy started giggling when it tickled his cheek.

~*~

RAINE

Renee, as we call her, is determined to expose my 'cheating' with the photographs. I was trying to create a Halloween mood with her wearing a black witch's hat. At first I tried just using a headband with purple in it but when that did not give the effect I was after, I plopped the hat over it. She felt that was being 'dishonest' so she showed you what I was trying to cover up. This is so like Renee. She is one straight arrow girl. The only reason I am allowing her to go out to become a therapy reborn is because I am keeping her sister. I need someone who is this straight forward, so determined to follow the lines, to do everything as right as possible. Those little clenched fists (which I normally do not like on babies) show me the determination that she wants to share with me to keep me going.  A little back-set and there she is waving her fists and encouraging me to never give up. I hope this baby can give someone else this much encouragement and will.

~*~

JASON

Here Jason does not look like he trusts me or my photographic skills. I think he and Bruce were talking things over while I worked on the others and they managed to scare each other with their imaginations.  I tried to put Jason's eyes so he was looking straight ahead so his new companion could look him in the eye as they talked. No, he had to be looking out of the corner of his eye. After so many struggles with others in this crew about eyes and how they should fit, I simply gave up and let Jason have his eyes any way he wanted them as long as they matched.

~*~

adopted

LESTER CHING

Finally a Ching baby that is not a joker! Lester is built like the rest of the kids in his family but this one is serious.  He overheard Lena praising the looks of his tribe and now, eager to go on pleasing her, he only interested in being a therapy reborn so he can go with her the next time she picks out babies. I think he has a serious crush on her. Being one of the bigger babies this is a big crush. To him, being a therapy baby is even more important than Christmas (which he has never experienced I think). I thought he would want to show off the design on his sleepers, but the red color was more vital to him than anything to do with Christmas. Maybe someone will adopt him soon so they can show what a real Christmas is to find the one you  love.

~*~

SAMANTHA

It was Samantha. She did not like the yellow sleepers I had on her. She let me know in no uncertain terms that she wanted her portrait taken in girly clothes - not in something yellow. Yellow if for babies when one is not sure if they are boy or girl and she knows she is female. She is a very determined little girl, but her cheerfulness and ready smile soften any of her demands. It is actually a pleasure to give her what she wants because it makes her so much happier and her smile only gets bigger. Her eyes follow you around the room, hoping you will turn around and see her smile. That is her goal in life, to make someone with turned-down lips, turn them upside down into a smile. She knows life on this earth is far too short so she feels we should only find joy while we are still here. She wants to help someone do this. Who will it be?

~*~

GLENN CHING

Glenn is such a little soldier. His posture is always correct and of all the kids in this crew, he sits the most straight. Most often his mouth is smiling but if he sees someone doing something wrong in the orphanage, (like sliding down a banister), it will be Glenn who will have a little talk with the miscreant. I have gotten to depend on him to be my second pair of eyes. When the place is full of babies, as it is now again, he is my second in command. I asked him if he wanted a toy to hold in his photo but he said he wanted to think about how to pose so he could make the best possible picture. That is how he is. He will probably grow up to be an over-achiever unless someone very kind takes him in hand to teach him how to love himself and others.

~*~

adopted

RIEKE

Rieke also had to wear sleepers saying, "I love mommy."  but this child made no fuss about it. She is so easy-going. She understands that sleepers are such a small part of her being. What is really important is the love she gives. Her smile tells you that love is what it is all about. The reason to be a therapy reborn is to give someone the love that is missing in their lives. What a beautiful reason for being - to give love others! She knows it and she wants to live with someone who has forgotten this important fact so her smile can remind them minute by minute how important it is to give love.

~*~

ELI

Eli is our muscle boy. Look at those shoulders! He is the sportsman through and through. And yet. . . 

look at that sweet face. That tells you more about Eli than his muscles or interest in sports. You have heard of 'gentle giants'; well Eli is ours. If someone trips and falls Eli is right there helping them back on their feet, making sure nothing is bleeding, or hurt. He also emotionally wants to help right people so their worlds come back into focus. Giving of his strength and calm happiness makes Eli happier than if he hit a home-run. He loves the word 'home-run' because that is also something he wants very much. He wants to run to your home. He wants a home. The Orphanage has rescued him but he wants a real home with someone who will play catch with him, teach him to ride a pony (on your shoe) and show him that it is not unmanly to give someone a kiss.

~*~

CINDY

No one has tried as hard as Cindy has to become the best therapy baby possible. She came to us only with the name Sweet & Sassy, from the worst neighborhood on that side of town, and it was obvious she had,even at her young age, many painful memories. A friend visiting last night said she looked more like a Cindy and that made me wonder more of her conception. Now a little girl she is determined to become better than she has known. She has kept us busy getting her into brighter colored jammies, at first they were only gray, getting her hair fixed, and always trying something new like the hair ribbon.

Just yesterday she looked like this wearing a bib advertising the cuteness she did not have. 

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adopted

DEE-DEE

Dee-Dee came to us as a very sweet child only interested in clothes. Her goal was to wear the prettiest jammies, and have her hair style to match. You haven't styled hair until you have attempted to make it look special with a sleeper! Then Dee-Dee came into contact with Charity and a new species of child was invented. Now she pours her energies into challenging the challenger. Everything Charity does Dee-Dee wants to do better. At the moment she is practicing sucking her thumb. At least it keeps her quiet and she has no teeth to push out of position. She also challenged Charity on her pick of sleepers so Dee-Dee's are covered with lipsticks, purses, diamond rings and even eye make-up. If any one adopts this pair they are in for a joy ride! Keeping these two out of the cosmetic drawers will take special locks. What Dee-Dee cannot get with her fingers, she uses her up-turned eyes to whittle the nearest person into giving her what she wants.

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SAMANTHA

"SLEEPY SAM"

Sammy or 'Sleepy Sam' looks as if she is half asleep but that is her method of catching people off-guard so she can do what she wants. She wanted this doggy pacifier, even though I am against the therapy babies depending on a paci for their pleasure instead of the arms of a companion. I would put her in one place but as soon as my back was turned, she would have found some way to wiggle over to grab the dog. Still she knew I was not in favor of the pacifier, or the colors on the beanie baby dog, so she would bark to get my attention. Then she would smile her shy little smile. She knows that smile will grab my heart so I cannot deny her anything. She is a Berenguer baby, so her kit is older (she has incised hair) and her limbs are firmer. As you can see she is pose-able but what you cannot see is how interested she is in everything even when she seems not to be looking at anything but her own thoughts. She wants to be someone's love baby. That is why she picked the sleepers with hearts all over them. This girl wears her heart on her sleeve!

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CRICKET CHING

Cricket is from the Ching family so she, too, enjoys jokes. She actually talked the bundle baby Robin out of his paci-elephant just so she could be a cricket that has an elephant in her portrait. When no one is looking she will bend her head down to suck on the pacifier nipple. It fits so easily in her mouth that she finds that a joke too and a reason for her big smile.  Her other joke is the name Cricket, a baby who gives, (are you ready for this?), butterfly kisses! With Cricket around the jokes abound! She seems to be just making jokes but her real purpose is to make those around her laugh. If her laugh does not bring a smile to your lips then you have only to discover her latest joke and you will joining her in joy and giggles.

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adopted

PEANUT

Peanut is a most happy child even with the name. Most people thought it was a nickname but she has taken it for her name. She loves this pink sleeper with the off-center opening. She likes everything to be slightly odd. She thinks that makes the world more interesting. This is not a conventional child. Anywhere she is put she immediately tries to find a way to go somewhere else. Here at the orphanage we can never find her so go around calling, "Peanut! Peanut!" and people think we are crazy. That is what Peanut does - she makes you go crazy in the best possible way.

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DORA CHING

Dora saw this name on these jammies and she laughed out loud saying it must be her name. She knows she is adorable and is the kind of girl that wants the whole world to know. No matter what you are feeling, in Dora's presence you can only return her laughter with a smile. She loves to take a bottle but is so contented she never needs a pacifier. Just being close to someone who loves her is her idea of perfect peace.

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