Little Mama

Several people told us (and we ourselves assumed) that once Aimee was born, Kara would become a little mommy.  Well, it was kind of true.
At first, Kara was all over Aimee.  Trying to comfort her if she was crying, trying to get her out of the crib (yikes!), and wanting to do the feedings and diaper changes.  This was all cute, but it was also a little terrifying.  Kara just lacks a certain amount of gentleness and coordination.  We were on edge and felt like we were constantly correcting her or denying her requests.  I guess Kara picked up on that because she began to lose interest in Aimee.
Aimee could still participate in Kara's games... after all, she got to play the part of Flounder when Kara was the Little Mermaid.  But for the most part, Kara realized that Aimee wasn't quite ready for her.

However, Kara has not lost her desire to be a mommy.  She has just redirected her efforts to all of her stuffed animals and dolls.  She gives them diaper changes, swaddles them in blankets, and puts them in Aimee's empty bassinet to sleep.  She gets the Baby B'jorn and carries them around the house (she can stuff about 4 animals into it at a time).

Our awesome neighbor gave me a Moby wrap, so we had to make one for Kara using an Ace bandage.  Here she is caring for a baby elephant.

But the funniest thing was when she decided to breastfeed her toys.  That was a moment I wasn't prepared for.  Even though I have fed both of my babies in this way, and I'm a dietitian which means I completely advocate breastfeeding, I felt like it was awkward and a little wrong to watch Kara pretend to do that.  But I have since gotten over the shock, and Kara's animals and dolls are all well-nourished and seem to be developing a great bond with her :).

Here are a few pictures of Kara and Aimee playing well together:

Kara is encouraging Aimee during tummy time.

 Kara and Aimee both mesmerized by the star that makes music and lights up in different colors.