Orange Baby

Kristy gave me the idea to write about my favorite toy growing up. She was/is Orange Baby. A small bean doll with a ruffled hat and a velcro diaper. She saw some rough times. I chewed her hands to fluff. I nibbled holes in hers ears. Her hat fell almost completely off. The velcro on her diaper lost its stick - exposing her bare bottom. Then in 1993, in seventh grade, I came home from school and sat on my bed. I no longer carried her around, but she had a permanent spot in the very center of the pillows on my bed. I noticed that the pillows weren't proped up and that there were beans all over the bed. It took me a second, but as I lifted a pillow the realization hit me. Orange Baby had been destroyed. Our new dog Bandit had ripped her open and she was gone. I cried and cried. But still I held on to her.

Fast forward to last year. I was introduced to eBay. I began searching for vintage toys just to see what was out there. I looked up bean baby; there she was. Near mint condition. I didn't even remember how she looked when I got her. She had straight blonde bangs, not the brown matted ones mine had. She had a bow in the front. She was bright and shiny. I had to have her. I put in a bid immediately; in four days she would be mine.

I called my mom, who told my dad. They were both amazed that I had found her. As the days passed, someone else began bidding on her. I became very frustrated. Eventually, I lost out. When I told my parents how upset I was, they showed her picture to me from eBay and told me that they had bid against me and won. She was mine!

Now I have two. I planned on giving my daughter the new one, but I thnk I'll keep her for myself.