Trials and Tribulations/Valentine’s Photos

Oh what a week!

Much like last week, Jake has been working like crazy on his arbitration (like an informal trial with just a judge instead of a jury. There’s opening/closing statements, witnesses, cross-examinations, and the like, but instead of the jury handing down the decision, the judge decides. It’s basically “Trial Lite”).

Anyway, much like last week, Samantha and Amelia have literally not seen their beloved Daddy in four days. He’s been leaving for work well before the break of dawn and coming home well after the girls have been in bed. Samantha and Amelia (and Bandit!) are definitely missing him. Whenever they hear a neighbor or someone else’s car pull up, all three of them perk their ears up in anticipation, and are visibly disappointed when they realize it’s not Daddy.

It will be a nice reunion when the arbitration is over (this weekend? Next weekend?)  and he can hang out with the girls again (and by “reunion,” I mean Daddy-Daughter diaper changing/feeding/playing/bath time/clean-up date for the entire weekend while Mommy gets a pedicure and works on craft projects). Yes, a sweet reunion it will be.

I wish we could go to Jake’s trial Legally-Blonde style with pom poms and start cheering, “Vote for Jake!” from the gallery.

So that’s the trial part of our week (hardy har har!) The tribulations part has to do with the plethora of maladies plaguing the twins right now. Of course, they just HAD to have two massive teeth each poking through their upper maxillas (I like to pretend taking Anatomy/Physiology in high school and college wasn’t pointless by using science lingo whenever I can) this week of ALL weeks.

It’s official–both girls officially have FOUR teeth.

These two gigantic white icebergs of enamel decided to cut through at the same time, making for rivers of drool and a whole lot of crankiness. These teeth are seriously MASSIVE! We are not talking cute little nibs of baby teeth; we are talking REAL PEOPLE teeth. It kind of grosses me out, actually, because it even LOOKS painful. So, the girls have been clingy, cranky, tired and generally in foul moods all week.

I don’t know if it’s a side effect of teething or something unrelated, but both girls had runny noses all last week. Amelia’s got better within a few days, but Samantha’s cold worsened over the weekend and by Saturday night, she had a temperature of 101. She was pretty lethargic and was acting so unlike her happy Sammy self Sunday and Monday that I couldn’t help but strap her in the Ergo and carry/cuddle her all day. We took her to the doctor on Monday and she was diagnosed with an ear infection. Poor baby!

Samantha is doing a lot better now, but she’s still clingy and wanting to be held every second. The good news in all this is that Amelia has been quite the understanding little sister. While I’m holding Samantha or reading a book to her, Amelia has been playing by herself across the room and hasn’t been visibly jealous of the extra attention her sister is receiving. If I walk into another room while holding Samantha, I’ll tell Amelia to follow me, and she’ll crawl along, following me wherever I go like a puppy.  It’s as if she knows Samantha needs a little extra TLC right now and wants to help however she can. Simply adorbs!

There have been limits to Amelia’s sympathy, however. Amelia has taken advantage of Samantha feeling under the weather and has become extra aggressive at stealing her Wub or other toys. Samantha just doesn’t have the fight in her to go after Amelia when she steals something, so she usually just breaks down and cries, while looking up at me with huge, sad deer eyes, imploring me to intervene. I feel bad for her, but it’s pretty funny!

Both girls go in for the steal.

Amelia has also taken to stealing food from Samantha. Usually, Samantha is the one done with her meal first, and while Amelia is still snacking, I clean Samantha’s tray and hands/face. As soon as I take her tray away and clean her up, she starts reaching over and stealing food off of Amelia’s tray. Every time. Without fail.

Anyway, Samantha has been picky with her food since she’s been ill, so this week, I’ve been cleaning up Amelia first while Samantha finishes. As soon as I clean her up, Amelia has been giving her sister a taste of her own medicine by stealing food off her tray. When Samantha does this, Amelia doesn’t really mind. As soon as Amelia started doing it back, however, Samantha has gone into complete hysterics. Of course, Amelia thinks it’s all hilarious and Samantha’s anger only fuels Amelia’s desire to stuff more of her sister’s food into her mouth.

That’s been our week in a nutshell. It can only go up from here!

To cheer myself up, here are some random pictures I took of the girls a few weeks ago to bump up the cuteness quotient of this post.

Playing nicely.
Yum.
Our serious Samantha bear.
Our happy Amelia bug.

Lots of love,

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