Our Daddy Doll

image via Daddy Dolls

I don't remember how we first learned about Daddy Dolls but I am definitely a huge fan. Our Daddy Doll is in uniform, from a photo taken the last day he saw Clementine before he deployed. Our beloved Daddy Doll and Clementine have been fast friends since the day he arrived in the mail to us. She sleeps with Daddy under her arm every night, he always sits on the couch with her to watch kid shows or deployment videos. He rides in the car with us and some days she leaves him at home "because he needs to stand guard" while we're away.

Our doll even has a short 10-second voice recorder with a cheery message from Daddy to his little girl. We love hearing Daddy's voice, although it can be a little annoying when it gets bumped and starts playing out unexpectedly or a little scary when you hear a voice and can't figure out where it's coming from. But it's removable, so on those Sundays when Daddy Doll has gone to church with us, I've just popped the recorder out of the back of the doll before we go.

Daddy Dolls come in three sizes, 12", 17" and the more than three feet tall Big Daddy. We have the 17" doll, but there has been a serious campaign going on by a certain little person for the BIG one.

It was great fun to introduce Daddy to Daddy Doll during R and R. I'm sure it's a little weird for him. But we love our Daddy Doll. He often snuggles in bed with us in the early mornings when Clementine sneaks into my room. He travels with us. I have even been know to occasionally talk to him by myself, just a hello, or a "Wish you were here." Clementine will squeal in disgust if I pretent to flirt with Daddy Doll and give him a kiss on the lips. She's at that age where any adults kissing is completely scream-worthy. "Ewwwww! Dis-s-s-s-gusting!"

If you know a small child who is saying goodbye to a parent for a military deployment I can't recommend a Daddy or Mommy doll enough. Such comfort for young children and a great way for them to stay visually connected to their parent who is far away for a long time. We have received other deployment stuffed animals and dolls but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest - and he's so handsome too. Haha.