The Stuffed Menagerie

Mia has always had a favorite plush animal that she took to bed with her. At first it was little "blue bear", then later "lambie". (We aren't very creative with names in our house.) She also has a Pooh bear and a big brown bear (whom we call - what else - "brown bear") and a panda that hang out in her crib, though neither has the sacred status of lambie or blue bear. (It could happen for the panda one day.) More recently, she has wanted her baby doll with her at night.
Now, Mia has gotten quite particular about having ALL of her favorites in bed with her. And when we take her out of her crib in the morning, she often tries to scoop them all up in her arms so that they can join her on the changing table. I think it is pretty adorable, but then I'm her mother.
Last night, I put her to bed with lambie, blue bear, and the other lesser bears. As I left the room, I heard her little voice say, "baby doll." I realized the preferred baby doll was downstairs but, a-ha, her other slightly larger baby doll was in her room. Tired of tramping the stairs, I decided to put baby doll #2 into the crib. After all, Mia was just barely awake, she surely wouldn't notice.
As soon as I put #2 in the crib, I heard Mia's tiny voice saying, "LITTLE baby doll" in that plaintive tone that tells you a tantrum is on the way if you don't get her what she wants, and fast. She might as well have said, "Busted!"