Last night, Angelina had a couple nightmares. Either that or her fever was waking her up. Usually we rush in there and scoop Angel up before Maddie wakes up and starts crying because she doesn’t want to go back to sleep.
During the first nightmare, I went into the room to pat Angel. Maddie stirred, but seemed like she was okay. The patting wasn’t helping, so I picked Angel up to console her. At some point it looked like Maddie was sitting up. I didn’t dare go over to check on Maddie because I was afraid she would start crying.
So I continued to hold and comfort Angel. After a short while she calmed down. Maddie then laid back down, just as quietly as she sat up.
I began to wonder if maybe Maddie isn’t just a light sleeper, but she’s empathetic toward her sister and concerned for her well being. I’m probably reading too much into it. Or am I?
Tonight, after the babies had been put to bed, an incident occurred that caused Jubilee to start crying very loudly. Consequently, Maddie started crying very loudly. Was this too an expression of empathy or a good excuse to not go to sleep?
The world may never know.
I tend to think of Madeleine as very physical. Typically she is not gentle, e.g. the way she dances.
Another example is over the Christmas holiday. When there were four babies at Pau-Pau and Gaun-Gaun’s house - Angelina (15 mo.), Madeleine (15 mo.), cousin Cayley (14 mo.), and cousin Capri (9 mo.) - Madeleine was:
(1) The first to figure out how to open the closed pocket door. “Everyone else tried and failed, but Maddie went right up to it and opened it without even having to think about it,” Uncle Scot observed.
(2) The first (followed by Cayley) to open the hinged glass doors to the fireplace.
Note that all 4 babies are about the same size and weight.
Anyway, back to the original story…
Since Madeleine is typically very physical, and she has amazing fine motor skills for her age, I tend to not think of her as very feminine. What a silly assumption, right?
Today Madeleine found some bracelets in Jubilee’s room. Three of them, to be exact. And she loved holding them and wearing them. It was very cute to see her dressing up.
Of course, her personality shined through the femininity. She refused to share them with anyone and she simply would not let them go when it was time to feed her. It was not easy pulling them out of her hands!
What a beautiful and intriguing little girl I have!
My kids aren’t sick. Jubilee just has a really bad cough, especially at night. Madeleine also has a cough, but only at nighttime. Angelina and Madeleine have runny noses, but it’s only colored in the morning.
Really, they’re not sick.
Today Angelina has a fever. Okay, maybe she’s now a little sick.
Madeleine is getting better at signing. The biggest motivation? GRAPES!!!
(Reminds me of Jubilee.)
Angelina and Madeleine began eating grapes while visiting Cayley in Redondo Beach. Cayley is very polite at signing “please” when she wants something. So Maddie quickly learned that if she smiles and signs “please,” she will get grapes!
Of course she also quickly learned to sign grapes. And she sometimes forgets her manners and screams while pointing to the grapes.
Angelina isn’t signing as much as Madeleine. She can sign grapes and please, but not as often or as willingly.
Also, it’s taken me awhile now, but I do believe Maddie is signing “help” as well. It was difficult for me to recognize because it looks like the way she signs more. Here’s the difference:
more - using pointer to “clap” with other hand
help - using point to tap the upright palm of other hand
Everyone in the family has graduated from plain ol’ Cheerios to MultiGrain Cheerios. (They’re sweeter.)
Or as Jubilee calls them, Maple Drain Cheerios.
I saw Maddie take 3 steps before falling down. Yay! Over the weekend she started standing without any help. For about half a second. And she maybe took a step once or twice. But today was the first time it really looked like our youngest daughter wanted to walk.
If I were to overanalyze this, I’d say it was because I took the girls to the gym today. Angelina had the privilege of walking to and from the car. I asked Jubilee if she wanted to help Angel or if I should carry her and have Jubilee push Maddie in the stroller like we usually do. Jubilee got soooo excited over the prospect of holding Angel’s hand and walking with her. She didn’t do a perfect job, as Angel fell a couple times - I’m guessing from being tugged a little too hard.
Maddie watched Angel walking and perhaps she got jealous enough to want to start walking herself?
I feel like I’m living in the book of Judges. The same thing keeps happening again and again.
Maddie is now sick with a fever. No other symptoms so far. Last night she woke up so many times crying. We finally resorted to having her in our bed; this is something I’ve been resisting for as long as possible. David ended up sleeping on the couch because Maddie was wide awake in our bed for a long time kicking away.
I also have coughing fits. My medicine isn’t helping. I’m guessing it’s because it expired last year, so the doctor prescribed some more.
Jubilee also has a cough, but it’s not as bad as mine.
David goes back and forth between having a sore throat and not.
Dare I say it, Angelina is the only one not sick. This is a miracle because she’s our most susceptible child.
I am now so thankful that we didn’t put Jubilee into preschool when the babies were born. We thought she could use the social interaction since we were occupied with the twins. Age and other circumstances led to her not starting preschool until March. But to think if she had started earlier, the babies would have gotten very very very very sick. Dangerously sick since they were premature. Thank You, God.