Archive for May, 2008
Getting Better
Thought I’d post a quick update. Evie is doing much better now.
For the last few weeks she has been terribly worried about anyone touching her shoulder, flinching away and saying “pick up on a bum bum” whenever anyone went to pick her up. And if J or I forgot, she’d scream and cry so hard it was heart breaking.
So concerned was she that she wouldn’t even play Jem and TYettie’s current favourite game – climbing onto the windowsill and leaping like monkeys over the back of the sofa to land on the cushions.
Speaking of which, her sisters’ jealousy also seems to be subsiding. At first they were merely curious. Then they were concerned, asking Evie “Are you well yet?” and “Are you better, Evie?” throughout the first few days. And after that they both started developing injuries of their own, letting out anguished cries of “Hurt a shoulder!” and “Need to see a doctor!” the more attention Evie got.
Evie hasn’t been vying for the attention she’s got. She’s quieter than usual and more anxious. For the first time she’s stopped sleeping well, waking up several times most nights, crying.
When we were talking about their upcoming birthday, Tettie and Jem got really excited at the prospect of getting a present.
“What would you like if you could have anything in the whole, wide world?” I asked them.
“A great, great, great, great big Igglepiggle,” Jem said at once. As you might guess, she’s not one to think small.
I don’t think such a thing had occurred to Scarlett but she jumped in quickly, as if the chance might slip away. “A really, really, really, really, great, great, great, great big Pakka Pakka.”
“And you Evie?” I thought I new what was coming. They’ve divided the main Night Garden characters up between them. Evie’s is Upsy Daisy. I was wrong.
She cuddled her teddy, Beer, close and began to suck her thumb.
“Well Evie?”
“Just want Beer.”
A little later as we were about to go bed, we talked briefly about our wedding, telling the girls that they would have special dresses to wear just like Mummy, and that there would be a bouncy castle and all their friends there.
Evie looked sad again. “I will be all alone when you get married,” she announced and clutched her bear tight again.
We never did manage to understand what she’d misunderstood, poor thing. I just hope that her shoulder healing makes her anxiety fade, too. Her fall has been a big shock. I’m just glad things seem to be getting back to normal.