The other half

I mentioned in the previous post how the chaos of last week was very difficult for Maddie also. Whether you have twins or just multiple children, scary events can traumatize all those around.

When Kate started seizing, I was carrying her around. Matt had grabbed Maddie and was on the phone with 911. I don't remember her being upset until we were in the garage. When Kate started to get worse (we were probably more tense too), Maddie started becoming very upset. As Kate was placed in the ambulance, Matt tried to have a neighbor take Maddie in...nope not gonna work. She was HYSTERICAL! You often hear twins (especially identical) say they sense when something is wrong with the other. It was very clear that Maddie knew something was wrong. Matt's mother arrived quickly and is a familiar face to Maddie, but it even took his mom hours to calm her down. Matt's mom texted Matt and said Maddie had thrown up a little on the couch from getting so worked up...well she was being kind...it was a lot. Maddie crashed eventually and I woke her early the next morning to head to Little Rock.

It's hard to describe how different Maddie was acting. To those of us that know her best, she was not herself. It was as if she was lost, she didn't "talk" much, hard to keep occupied, and the saddest was that she would sometimes crawl around fussing as if looking for Kate. 

Maddie was with my mother majority of the time. She adores my mom...maybe even prefers her over me sometimes! haha But, even my mom had a hard time keeping Maddie content. It didn't help that Matt and I were in and out, trading shifts of being with Kate and Maddie. 

Kate was discharged after Maddie had already gone down for nap. Kate had fallen asleep in the carseat, so we brought the carseat into my grandmother's house. We put it in a different room from where Maddie was sleeping. Maddie woke up from nap, and it was the strangest thing. She was fussing and whining, like she sensed Kate was there. We asked, "Where's Kate?" and she kind of babbled. Matt then showed her a video of Kate talking on his phone...Maddie's face was priceless. She grinned big, pointed, and started talking. Soon Kate woke from her nap and I was excited to see their reaction. It took Maddie a second, but then she grinned big, kept touching Kate, and talking. They were together again! Her whole demeanor change, and she soon became the Maddie we know!

Since the days of my risky pregnancy, their birth, and nicu stay I have always feared losing one of them. Not for me or Matt, but for the twin that is still here. They have a bond and connection that is obvious at this young of age. 

It took Maddie over a week to feel comfortable again. The situation seemed to cause her separation anxiety to get worse. She would have breakdowns if Matt or I left them room, even if one of us was holding her. Slowly but surely she has returned to her normal self!