A sweet big sister

When my brother was born, I thought that life could not possibly get any better.  I had so wanted a baby in my family (I was only 3 when my sister was born and didn't really remember it), and I was going to get one!  Daniel was welcomed into our family the month before I turned 8.  I was so excited I could hardly stand myself.  I stayed awake at night, waiting for him to cry, so I could race into his room and hold him.  (Now that I have a better grip on the lives of babies and mothers, I look back and wonder what exactly I thought that I could do for him in the middle of the night.  No food from this girl!)  I guess it didn't really matter, though.  I loved that sweet baby boy and he was my baby, as far as I was concerned.  Side note: Not a whole lot has changed; I am still crazy protective of him and act like his second mother (probably too often... sorry, D), even though he's 20 and in college.

Long intro to get to my point... Kate is an awful lot like her mama (in about a billion ways, actually).  She has always been very nurturing toward Drew, although she is 362 days older and not 8 years.  Today, her main interest is holding him.  He was "playing" on the floor and she went over to scoop him up.  Oh boy.  So, I had her sit on the floor and I handed him to her.  She wrapped her pudgy little arms all the way around him and looked at his face, adoringly, as though she couldn't get enough of him.  Without prompting, she kissed him several times on his head and forehead (not her usual open mouthed kiss, either) and then gently rubbed his head.  And then she rocked him.  "Ra, ra, ra, ra."  Please keep in mind that Kate weighs all of 21 pounds and Drew weighs 15.  She almost doesn't have room to hold him.  But, oh how she loves him.  I might as well not have even been there.  She was in her own little world, with her real live baby.  Most people don't get to see maternal instincts in a 16 month old.  Hahahahaha!! 

One of the main questions that people ask of me (After staring with mouth wide open, "How close are they in age??") is "Oh man.  Is she jealous?"  Not at all.  Well, kinda.  But not like you'd think.  If I'm holding her baby, she's not jealous because it takes time away from her.  She's jealous because she wants to be holding that little fella.  How I wish I had been near the camera...

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