MARYSVILLE, Wash. – Laura Berry's nursery is filled with baby bliss -- a half-dozen sets of tiny toes and rosy cheeks all wrapped in blankets for a peaceful slumber.
"People come up and tell me my babies are so cute, and I just have to smile," she said.
Laura has given life to more than 20 little creations. She loves them all, but tries not to grow too attached. After all, most of them end up in her oven eventually.
"It was weird at first, but I'm just so used to it now. It doesn't bother me," said Laura.
"I just tell my friends not to come in the house when she's doing it," added her 12-year-old daughter, Ashley.
Before you think they are part of some bizarre Hansel and Gretel death cult, it's all perfectly benign, even sweet.
The "babies" are dolls created by Laura. The baking is part of the painting process that seals in the color she painstakingly brushes on each doll.
The dolls are strikingly realistic, right down to each strand of hair, even the location of veins beneath their delicate skin. Their heads flop back if you don't support the necks. Some have runny noses, mottled feet, others are preemies. Each one is a work of art, taking weeks to create.
What started as a hobby has developed into a nascent business called "Forever Angels Reborn Dolls."
"My heart does go into every piece," said Laura.
That's because Laura knows what it's like to see your babies grow up too fast. She also knows what it's like to lose one too soon. The piece she's currently working on is for a woman who also knows that pain.
"It's not something you forget. It's always in your mind. The doll is something to have, to hold on to and remember that child," said Laura.
The Marysville mother of two sells the dolls. Some go to collectors. Others just want something that looks and feels like a real baby because they miss that closeness. But Laura also likes bringing them to places like retirement homes, where the lonely can relive those days when life was new and magical.
It's art imitating life, and taking on a life of its own.
"It's healing people," said Laura. "It's making them smile and remember good things."
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