A New Sister

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily starts to eat but stops when she sees the fruit.

"Ma!"

She says reaching for the cantaloupe.

"Do you wanna try this Gracie?"

She says holding a bite in front of her face.

[justagirl4fun]

"Emily, eat you dinner first and you can have some."

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily frowns. It wasn't fair. Gracie got to eat the cantaloupe and she only had a bite! Emily pushes the bowl away and crosses her arms starting to cry.

[justagirl4fun]

"Emily, stop that. You love hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. Eat your dinner and then you can have the cantaloupe," Maggie said firmly, putting Emily's plate back in front of her.

[Shy-Diapers]

She shakes her head, she already ate half of it and it wasn't fair that Gracie got to eat cantaloupe and she only had a bite. Emily starts crying wanting to explain how she feels but she can't. She leaves the table and comes back with crayons and paper. She draws a picture of Maggie and Ashley next to Gracie with hearts all around and then draws herself off to the side. She knew that drawing was the only way to show her feelings.

"Good girl eating so nicely"

Ashley says taking over for Maggie on feeding Gracie.

[justagirl4fun]

"Baby, mommy and I love you too," Maggie said, pulling Emily onto her lap after she saw her drawing. "But Gracie's never had hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. She's used to different kinds of food. There's not much cantaloupe left and we have to make sure she gets enough to eat first. We will buy more tomorrow when we go shopping, I promise."

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily cries not seeing how it was fair. She shakes her head not wanting to eat any knowing Gracie got special treatment.

"Nuh!"

She says not believing mama and feeling second best because Gracie got everything she wanted.

[justagirl4fun]

Maggie sighed, and dumped the remaining melon on Emily's plate, not having the energy or patience to reason with her any more. "Fine. Have it," she snapped, and went to the fridge in the hopes of finding something else Gracie might eat.

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily gets off her chair not eating the melon feeling like mama was mad at her. She picks up her special doll and crawls into mommy's bed curling up to mama's pillow smelling her shampoo and cries.

[justagirl4fun]

Maggie slammed the refrigerator door when Emily went upstairs. "Really? All that and she won't eat it? Babe, I'm too tired to deal with this," she said, close to tears as she sat back down and buried her face in her hands.

[Shy-Diapers]

"Shhh it's okay Gracie."

She says rubbing her back.

"Honey, I know you're tired, but Emily feels second best I think. This is just as hard for her as it is for the rest of us including Gracie. Plus, you know how sensitive she is especially with how hard she tries to tell us how she feels"

She says rubbing her back as well hoping to create peace.

[justagirl4fun]

"I know she is, but there is literally nothing else in this house right now that I know Gracie will eat. What was I supposed to do? Let her go hungry?"

[Shy-Diapers]

"Maybe you should try to calm down, and then talk to her in a calm way without snapping at her. She doesn't understand all the way. She needs to be talked to in a calm manner. You being gone in China for weeks didn't help, she's still afraid you'll leave again."

She says calmly.

"Relax for a while then talk to her. I've got this munchkin under control."

[justagirl4fun]

"Fine," Maggie said, getting up and taking a quick but much-needed shower before going to talk to Emily. When she was done she went to her room and slipped into bed next to Emily. "Baby, mama's sorry she yelled at you," she said softly, rubbing Emily's back.

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily covers her ears afraid of being yelled at again. She keeps signing sorry over and over again feeling it was her fault.

"Shhhh"

She says cuddling Gracie and slowly rocking her back and forth.

[justagirl4fun]

"I know baby, I'm sorry too," Maggie said, pulling Emily close to her.

[Shy-Diapers]

"Shhhh baby please. Mommy is here mama is with emmie"

She says trying to calm her down. Emily rolls over and faces her mama. She hurries her face into her chest still crying.

[justagirl4fun]

"Don't cry, baby. Mama's not mad at you," Maggie said, kissing the top of Emily's head as they snuggled. She could hear Gracie still screaming downstairs and hoped Ashley would be able to calm her down enough to get her to sleep.

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily looks at mommy and signs the number 2 and then points to herself. She signs the letters GR and signs the number one.

"It's okay sweety"

She says gently putting her nightgown back on her before carrying her upstairs and cuddling her in Gracie's bed.

[justagirl4fun]

"No baby, mommy doesn't love Gracie more than you," Maggie assured Emily.

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily nodded and cuddled with her dolly and mama holding onto her shirt with one hand and holding a lock of mamas hair to her nose in the other.

"Shhh baby you want your toy don't you?"

She coos looking arlund seeing it fell under the bed.

"Is this what you wanted?"

[justagirl4fun]

"Mama loves all her girls the same," Maggie said softly, hoping Emily would fall asleep soon.

[Shy-Diapers]

Emily cuddles close and signs the word sleep and then points to you. She cuddles close waiting for an answer. Ashley rubs Gracie's back gently figuring it's best to let Maggie and Emily work things out by themselves.

[Liljessy]

Gabbie heard all the noise and wondered if things would calm down or if they would always be this hectic.

She sat in her bedroom playing with her toys feeling that with Gracie AND Emily both there, she would get pushed out a little.

Gabbie felt a twinge in her bladder so she went to the bathroom before returning to her bedroom.

[justagirl4fun]

"Okay, but just for tonight," Maggie said. Normally they had a rule that the kids had to sleep in their own beds unless they were sick, and the last thing she wanted was a kid in the bed after sharing a bed with Gracie for two weeks, but she figured it was the lesser of two evils when compared to the likelihood of another temper tantrum. "Tomorrow you sleep in your own bed like a big girl."