Dottie and the Wombat
Posted on by Debbie

Dottie and the Wombat

A story about Dottie and the Wombat

by Granny Debs

A Wombat is an Australian animal.

A baby Wombat is called a joey.

Wombats are fat, sturdy, hardy and can be a bit of a nuisance, luckily they’re also cute!

They have a thick rump (bottom) to help them survive in their burrows.

Wombat love
Wombat love – before Dottie was born I sent her this baby wombat and it is now looking over her in hospital.

Dottie was called a Wombat at first, then she became a baby girl.

She was born very, very early and was a very, very tiny girl.

She needed a lot of help to keep growing big and strong like her namesake the Wombat.

At first she wasn’t very sturdy but she was determined to grow big and strong and hardy. She wanted a thick rump too.

She was a tiny fighter.

Dottie was loved by everyone because she was so special. Dottie’s mummy and daddy loved her very much and even though she was very small, they loved her a whole lot!

Dottie had two brothers at home – Ozzy dog, a chunky, black Labrador and Bruce the Rabbit. Together with mummy and daddy they were a family!

Over on the other side of the world Dottie had lots of family – grandparents, great-grandmothers, aunts, great aunts, uncles, great uncles and a very special cousin called Emilia. Another cousin was hatching as Dottie was born and he/she was called Gundoo at first. Gundoo means little child in Aboriginal language.

Dottie wanted to meet all her family from Australia. The first one to visit was Granny Debs who was very excited to fly all the way on a big plane, all by herself, just a week after Dottie had arrived. Granny Debs just couldn’t stay away as it was her first born girl who was Dottie’s mummy.

Granny Debs on the kid's chair
Granny Debs on the kid’s chair

Papa G, her grandfather, stayed home to take care of cousin Emilia who turned one year old, Aunty Sarah (Emilia’s mummy), Aunty Eliza (Gundoo’s mummy), Great-Grandma Ruby and Great-Grandma Bus and GAC – Great-Aunty Carol. It was a very important job he had to do but he loved nothing more than getting news and photos of Dottie as she grew bigger, and telling everyone about how clever she was!

Granny Debs and Papa G have a big trip planned for later in the year for Dottie’s first Christmas! How exciting!

Just like Wombats in the bush Dottie was determined to grow. She needed lots of help at first with a special bed called a humidicrib, with a machine to help her breathe and wires that connected her to the medicine and food she needed. She had lots of doctors and nurses caring for her but no-one cared more for her than her mummy and daddy.

Dottie’s mummy made special milk for Dottie and collected it many times a day for feeding to Dottie through a tube. It was pure gold milk and just what Dottie needed to grow. Wombats also feed their babies with milk.

One day when Dottie gets big enough she can suckle at mummy’s breast directly rather than get it through a tube. That will be a very special day for both of them.

Dottie’s daddy had a special way of settling her down when she was upset, he talked quietly to her while stroking her tiny hands and feet. She liked that a lot!!

Although she was a Wombat at first, Dottie enjoyed Kangaroo-care cuddles with mummy and daddy, lying on their chest skin to skin. She liked to hear their heartbeat and to smell them. Sometimes she was so happy she just fell asleep, and guess what, so did they!

Dottie’s story will continue…

grandma wombat story book
Grandma Wombat story book – a very appropriate gift from Emilia to Granny Debs

Notes about this original story

I wrote this story while on the plane flying from Australia to London – in anticipation of meeting my newest granddaughter. I haven’t changed it much since finding it in my notebook and I plan to eventually get it printed into a book for Dottie.

The only other children’s story I have written was Big Debbie’s Purple Boots based on an adaptation of the story Big Sarah’s Little Boots.

I’d love to know your thoughts.

Deb xx

I am walking in the event Walk for Prems on 27 October 2019 in Canberra and have set up a fundraising page if anyone is keen to support this great cause, through Life’s Little Treasures. They were fantastic when I first made contact with them and have given me support since. They also sent out a free Prem pack full of useful information and knitted items for Dottie, which my husband sent over to us in England. Very caring and thoughtful! You can click on the link below for more information and thanks again:

Team Tiny Dottie

Recent posts that might help explain a few things:

You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.

62 Replies to “Dottie and the Wombat”

  5. So much love in your story for Dottie. And of course in real life too. I love being a grandma and for each of my first 5 grandchildren, I made a photo/story book about finding out they were coming into our family, adding news of the time and so much more. Each of those I continued until they started school. Sadly, for the remaining 3 Grandma lost some of her mojo. However, they know they are loved. My 5 grandkids all now have the copies of those I started and finished for them. From 1996 till…….2014.
    I hope Miss D continues to do well and her parents too. Gosh in no time you will be back there.
    Denyse #mlstl

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  6. What a beautiful story with the best kind of ending…a happily ever after. So thankful for answered prayers on Dottie’s behalf. Glad to know she is growing sturdier and healthier and on her way to having a ‘thick rump’!! Congratulations on the birth of this very special baby girl.

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    1. Thanks again Leslie, you are the sweetest person with your donation to our cause. I really want you to know how much we appreciate your generosity! I’m sure one day we’ll read it and she’ll giggle at the thick rump comment. xx

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  7. I actually did not know what a Wombat is. How cute. Two of my granddaughters were premature and in the NICU for a period of time. I am sure you have heard many stories from others, Deb, by now. Not as tiny as your baby girl. I do not have adequate words to describe the expert and loving care our babies received.

    It took me awhile to get through your story, through my blurry eyes. I understand how every stage becomes a special milestone. I plan to backtrack and read your previous posts (away camping) Sending Dottie and family, growing and healthy hugs. Thanks for sharing, Deb, a challenging and yet rewarding part of your life. xx #MLSTL and I have shared on my SM

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    1. Oh so sweet of you to persevere through blurry eyes Erica! It’s always lovely to hear of other NICU experiences now that I know what it’s all about. The care and support has been amazing through all the ups and downs – and there’s a lot of them!! Yes challenging is definitely what it all is at the moment but we’re managing OK.

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  8. That’s lovely! Being a grandparent must be such a special thing. Given I don’t have kids and my brother just has one daughter my parents just adored my niece. She was their life. Of course now she’s 23 so things are different but those years when she was young were so special.

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    1. Yes it was along time coming but I’m being thrown in at the deep end now Deb 🙂 . I’m happy to hear you have such fond memories of your niece, it’s a very special bond with an aunt.

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  9. What a sweet story. I didn’t realize you had such a knack for children’s books. Thanks for sharing this. I’m going to check out your fundraising page. Lots of prayers and healing thoughts still going your way every day! XO

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    1. Thanks Christie for your kind words and generous donation to the cause. That is so lovely of you to donate from the other side of the world. I have been so humbled by the support of my blogging friends in words and donations and on going support xx

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  12. Hi Deb – You wrote the story with love and it’s specifically for Dottie so I’m sure when she’s old enough to read with you, she’ll love and treasure it. The story of how quickly you flew to the UK by yourself to meet her already shows your love for her. I’m glad to hear of her weight gain. I hope she continues to do well. #MLSTL

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    1. Thanks Natalie, you’re right it was written with love. I didn’t take long to get away once I decided I was going, so yes it was a strong pull of love! Dottie is going well, kicking goals this last week especially, I’m happy to say 🙂

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  13. Oh Deb the story is gorgeous and it will be so special to have it made into a book for Dottie to enjoy into the future. BTW – I adore Wombats! One of the biggest thrills in my life was when I was hiking around Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and saw a Mama Wombat and her baby. I hope Dottie is doing well and I bet you’re so looking forward to heading back over for Christmas! xo

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    1. Oh that’s so sweet of you Dave! Dottie is progressing well and now weighs 1.72kg which is brilliant considering her birth weight was only 845g!! Thanks for your good wishes 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much Sue, it was certainly written from the heart and I enjoyed doing it immensely. I’d encourage you to use your creativity and write something for the boys, I’m sure they’d love it!

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  22. Lovely story Deb. So personal and full of love so what could be better than that. This will be something for Dottie to treasure forever. Making up stories for your children and grandchildren is always magical isn’t it?

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  24. Lovely story Deb – I hope you turn it into a book (I used Canva for the one I made for Sophia) She’d love to have it when she’s old enough to enjoy having books read to her – and the photos will be really special. And isn’t it wonderful to have a happy ending x

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      1. It was pretty straightforward Deb – just needed to figure out what order to format the pages into afterwards so they made sense when folded into a book form (not just one after the other like an e-book)
        And thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂

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  26. Wonderful Deb. Children relate well to animal stories, especially ones that come alive with someone special telling it. I used to make up stories when I was a preschool teacher, usually with props for those children who found it hard to stay focused. The props to highlight the books were stored in a special vault [old suitcase I brought in] 🙂

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  27. Oh I love it so much! It reminds me of a story Doug used to tell Tash (our youngest) about Wally the Wombat when she was just a toddler. It was based on a womby we had living out the back at the time and she absolutely loved it. A gorgeous post Deb. xx

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  28. Should be given to all with preemies (our middle daughter was a preemie…and she’s now working on her PhD…)
    Yours is extra preemie – so extra prayers go out to her and all who love her.
    Hugs.

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    1. That’s a lovely encouraging comment – thank you so much! I will send it to a few organisations and see if they want to share it around. I’m so happy to read of your preemie doing so well, that’s a great story in itself xx

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