Sisterhood

I never had a sister.  Honestly, I don't ever remember wishing I had one.  It seemed like two females in the family was plenty.  Maybe it's because my mom and I talked so well.  Maybe it's because I didn't want the competition.  I never really thought about it.  Now that I have two sisters whose gap between them is the same time as Jeff and my whirlwind first-date-to-wedding-day time frame of 16 months, I see things a little differently.  They may kill each other.  They may compete and fight and I may have so much drama in my house that I will want to sleep in a pop-up camper in the driveway one day.  But, having a sister might just be worth all that.












Lately, Olive has been so much more verbal.  She can tell us what she wants.  She can sign more signs than any of the other kids.  She can tell us when she is tired, or when she has a diaper rash, or if she wants ice in her juice.  She can also communicate a little better with Ivey.  The two of them have been playing a lot better lately... and I can easily see how small that gap between them really is.  They wear the same clothes, the same shoes a lot of the time.  They make each other laugh... They drive each other nuts.  I think it's the beginning of a beautiful sisterhood that I enjoy being able to witness.

Tonight, Ivey was in bed, crying... which seems to be the norm now.  She is still stuck on this "being scared" thing, although I'm pretty sure that, at this point, she is addicted to the drama of the whole thing.  Mommy don't play that.  Tonight, I decided to try something different.  Ivey was in her bed, trying to stifle back her cries (she wants to be a "big girl" and they don't cry every time you go to bed).  I looked at her, picked her up, and asked her if she would feel better sleeping in the crib with Olive.  The idea took her aback, but she nodded yes... She just needed 'Bug" and "Blanket".  I also grabbed a few books, and left the two of them sitting, flipping pages in the dark.  After about 30 minutes or so of silence, I peered in to see the two of them piled up on each other, on blankets, on books, sleeping peacefully.  Gorgeous.

With Ivey's night-waking, I did move her to her own bed... sparing Olive of kicks to the ear or screams ripping her from her dead sleep.  But, I see a day... pretty soon... when Olive is out of a crib, leaving the two of them free to crash in any way they need to.  Reminds me of the days when the boys had toddler beds.  Mostly, they would sleep apart, but over time, they started piling up on top the small bed together.  Now, they often sleep in the same bunk, leaving the other empty for Tom to stretch his lazy cat legs in.  How sweet to have a sister.  To have a brother.  God is good.