Looking for doll recommendations for my 2 year old DD

[KayK]

She has a Corolle Calin doll now and I'd like to get her another doll. I was thinking it could be a bigger doll that I could more easily buy doll clothes for. Is there such a thing? The clothes for Calin seemed a bit pricey to me.

Is there a doll that you can use preemie clothes on?

Thanks for any help,

Kay

[MamaKath]

Have you looked at the Bitty Baby from American Girl? They have lots of clothes available for her and you can often find clothes at crafts fairs, etc.

Zapf also has out some nice dolls, especially the ChouChou and Baby Annabelle dolls. They are jointed and filled with beans. They are heavier than the Bitty Baby and for some kids more awkward to carry. They are great fun for kids to dress though. Baby Annabelle is kind of neat because she is interactive. Better at a little older age probably. The ChouChou series has more than one doll and size but many would work with premie clothes. They also make Baby Born (which is the size of a newborn) which can go in the bath etc.

ETA: Gotz makes the Muffin dolls which I think are similar to the Calins. Not sure how they sompare in price. Both are more collector/play dolls. Some of the Madame Alexanders too, but they tend to be pricier. BabyCatalog (sp?) often has them at a discount or on sale depending on the doll model.

Fisher Price also has the Little Mommy dolls. They are an inexpensive doll for that age. Soft and lightweight, easy to play with. They don't always get steller ratings of how they hold up though it seems.

My kids have really liked Water Babies over the years also. They come in a few styles and many are perfectly sized for a 2 year old. They liked taking them in the tub also.

My dd has lots of great dolls! Her favorites baby dolls have always been 2 Madame Alexander Baby Huggums dolls. One has a soft body, the other is bean filled with vinyl arms and legs. She will make up outfits for them, they are easily carried, lightweight, sweet faces, etc. I always thought she would like more "real" sized dolls and she plays with them but those have stood the test of many years (she turns 7 tomorrow and has had one since she was 6 months). They are only about 12 inches tall in size. Her next favorite is probably Bitty Baby. Third would Baby Annabelle and another doll of similar size and jointed style (Baby Rose by Madame Alexander).
ETA: Here is a link to one like my dd's very favorite doll though hers has a different outfit (Baby Huggums) It has lasted through trips, daycare, the washing machine numerous times, being lost and found, 6 moves, etc. A true classic in our house!!! :-)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_15/601-5045792-0004941?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0009351SY

Good luck shopping! Dolls are such fun for girls and mothers alike. :-) Oh and check places like Marshall's, they sometimes have very nice dolls (Madame Alexander and Gotz) in their toy sections for good prices.

HTH~

[mommato2boys]

I have to second the bitty baby recommendation. For quality, she can't be beat! Very nice doll, and if you need repairs (scratches or marks, body work, practically anything) can be fixed. The clothes are super cute, and they are always coming out with new things, and older things go on sale!!! The bitty twins are cute, if you want a doll with hair, and there are normally someone looking for the boy doll that you could split the cost if you didn't want the boy doll or wanted to help on cost! Overall, I think Bitty Baby is a good investment for a doll, I have never heard anyone say that they regretted getting one!!!!