Our New Baby
Our New Baby is the precursor line to Bitty Baby.
The line was launched in 1990 and retired in 1995 with the debut of Bitty Baby.
History
The dolls were marketed as a way to get children of all ages, particularly young ones, to adjust to having a new baby in the family and household. Dolls were advertised as gender neutral, unlike the later Bitty Baby, with items available that allowed dolls to be portrayed as male or female.
Our New Baby was available in Caucasian (with blond hair), African-American, and Asian-American. Dolls could be purchased alone or with the book Our New Baby, a pop-up activity book with a baby that matched the doll it was sold with. Retail cost was $54 for the doll alone and $68 with the book.
Doll
Each Our New Baby doll measured 15" and had the same anatomy as the later Bitty Baby, though their hands were shaped slightly differently.
Dolls came dressed in a white cotton sleeper with a small pink and blue heart print. The sleeper was trimmed at the neck with lace and closed in front with a zipper. The baby also came with a matching undershirt and cloth diaper.
When the line became Bitty Baby, all three dolls were transitioned into the new line.
Clothing and Accessories
As Our New Baby was marketed as being a baby that could be of any gender, clothing choices for the dolls reflected this. Each outfit was available in both "boy" and "girl" styles. The "boy" styles, as well as the Doll's Sweatshirt set, were clearanced out of the catalog by 1993 with dropped costs to $10 before final retirement in 1994.
Clothing: These outfits came in either "boy" or "girl" versions. The "boy" styles were retired in 1994.
- Party Dress
- Party Suit
- Play Dress
- Overalls
- Knit Dress
- Knit Soaker
- Red Jumper and Tee
- Red Overalls and Tee
These outfits only came in one style which was gender neutral:
Accessories:
- Doll's Bunting
- Doll's Diaper Bag
- Lullaby Basket
- Doll's Carrier
- Doll's Changing Table
- Doll's Stroller
Books
Along with Our New Baby, a memory book was sold titled Memory Book: Our New Baby, designed for first data about a new baby. The book was released in 1991 and later retired.
There was also a Photo Album available.
Little Bunny
A small stuffed toy bunny called Little Bunny was available as a separate purchase for Our New Baby. This was possibly the precursor to Bitty Bear; however, Little Bunny was not a character in its own right and was advertised as a toy.
Children's clothing--both to match/coordinate with doll's clothing and as unique components--were released for both young children and infants.
Infant Clothing
- Snuggle Suit
- Diaper Shirt
- Sleeper
- Bib
- Bonnet, Sweater, and Booties
- Baby's Headband, Ribbed Anklets, Lacy Anklets, Party Romper
- Knit Creeper
Infant Accessories
- Baby Baskinet
- Blanket and Pillow
- Baby Bunting
- Sacque
- Bath Set
- Baby Bottle
- Burp Pad
- Receiving Blanket
- Diaper Bag
- Big Bunny
Children's Clothing
- Knit Dress
- Knit Soaker
- Party Dress, Tights, Hairbow, Mary Janes
- Party Suit, Knee Socks, Saddle Shoes
- Party Pants
- Denim Jumper
- Denim Overalls
- Long-Sleeve Tee
- Play Dress
- Knit Overalls
- Red and White Tee
- Play Pants
- Hooded Sweatshirt
Miscellaneous
- Gift Basket
- Birth Announcements
- Picture Frame
Trivia
- The catalog spread for Our New Baby, unlike the later ones for Bitty Baby, was not initially integrated into the main catalog. It either came as a miniature catalog in the middle of the full sized one, or was printed in reverse from the Historical Characters and their collections and read from the back cover inwards. At the release of Addy Walker, it was appended after the Historical Characters.