Another New Arrival Part 2

One morning, after a particularly bad night, Robby suggested that we go pay our friends a visit and see how they were holding up. I thought this was a good idea.

We crept quietly across the room and climbed cautiously up to the curio to check on them.

They were all asleep, finally. Poor Eugene and Rapunzel! How exhausted they looked!

Robby leaned over and whispered, "Let's come back later. I think we should let them sleep."

I wholeheartedly agreed. Robby dropped soundlessly to the bed below, and I carefully turned to do the same. But as I did, I suddenly lost my balance and grabbed onto Beast'sbelle's husband's alarm clock in my panic.

Instantly, a jarring conversation between two radio talk show hosts blared into the silence.

I was so startled, I lost my grip and tumbled head first to the bed below.

And of course, Eugene and Rapunzel (and both babies) woke up with a start!

Thankfully, Robby was there to catch me, so I didn't end up landing on my head. I was so mortified, though. I couldn't believe that I'd messed things up when my friends had finally gotten some much needed sleep!

Once Robby made sure I was okay, he went back up and turned off the alarm. I followed slowly after him, feeling quite ashamed of myself.

I apologized over and over again, almost crying in my embarrassment. Eugene was a bit grouchy, but Rapunzel assured me that all was forgiven.

Eugene fell back asleep almost instantly, as did both babies. Robby decided to leave so that Rapunzel and I could have some time to talk.

I carefully took the sleeping Emmaline from Rapunzel to give her a little break.

"So, how are you holding up?" I asked Rapunzel timidly.

My friend promptly burst into tears. "Oh, Belle, I don't know why I ever thought I could be a good mother. I'm a wreck!!" She looked away and wiped her eyes. "I'm so tired I feel like I could sleep for 3 weeks straight without waking up. Emmaline is completely beyond me. I don't know what to do! I know I should probably just let her cry, but I'm so desperate for sleep, it's just easier to hold her. Abigail's now completely off her schedule, Eugene is snappish because he's tired too, and I'm just...I don't think I can do this!"

I had never seen my friend so worked up like this. Normally I was the one doing this to her!

I didn't really know what I could say that would help, so I just put my arm around her and let her cry.  It was probably good for her to get it all out of her system, anyway.  My poor friend!  I'd never seen her cry before in all the time we'd known each other...at least not like this.  I didn't blame her one bit, though.  I would have been in doll therapy by now if I were in her shoes!!!  I mean, I've heard it said that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture in some countries.  It's amazing that mothers everywhere aren't completely insane!!!

At that moment, Robby popped up over the edge of the curio again. 

"Sorry to interrupt," he began hesitantly. 

Rapunzel, embarrassed to be caught showing such emotion, wiped her eyes and tried to look like she hadn't been bawling.  It didn't really work, but it was a noble effort.

"I was just coming to see if you were ready for Belle and I to take our first babysitting shift," Robby continued.

I glanced at him in confusion.  He gave me a look that said Just play along.  I nodded slightly. 

Rapunzel looked confused, too.  "What?" she sniffled.  "But...we didn't...I mean...I couldn't..."

I came to her rescue.  "Robby and I wanted to do this for you, and now seems like the perfect time.  You could use the sleep, and we could use some practice..." I stopped myself, flustered.  Oh great, Belle!  Now it sounds like you and Robby are practicing for parenthood!  When would I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut?  I purposely did NOT look at Robby as I said, "That is...uh...we need to practice so we can be great babysitters.  That way, you guys can ask us to watch them whenever you need it..."  You're babbling again, Belle!  Just quit before you make it worse!

"I don't know what to say," Rapunzel began, her eyes filling with tears again.  "I hate to let you do my job, but I'm so tired!"

"Give yourself a break," I responded gently, patting her on the back.  "Most parents don't go from zero to two kids in 4 weeks!"

Rapunzel managed a little smile.  "Well, if you guys are sure you don't mind..."

"Not at all," Robby assured her.

Rapunzel handed Abigail over to Robby (I still had Emmaline in my arms), gave us a few instructions, and after flashing us a grateful smile, lay down in exhaustion next to Eugene.  I think she was asleep before we had a chance to leave!

Meanwhile, Robby and I slowly and carefully made our way down the curio with the babies.  We settled ourselves in a comfy spot at the head of Beast'sbelle's bed and let the girls finish their naps.  I hoped that Emmaline would be good for a change and let her parents sleep. 

"Pretty crazy, huh?" I asked Robby, taking care to whisper so I wouldn't wake the babies.  "I wonder if they're regretting their decision to become parents."

"I'm sure there are times when the thought has crossed their minds," Robby agreed.  "But they'll be fine.  It's just going to take some time.  Parenting isn't as easy as it looks."

I raised an eyebrow.  "And what makes you the parenting expert all of a sudden?"

He smiled.  "Well, I do know everything," he said teasingly.

I let a giggle escape, then froze.  Emmaline stirred in my arms.  "Oh no!" I said under my breath.

Emmaline looked up at me with sleepy eyes.  I waited for the screaming to begin.

But to my amazement, she didn't cry!  She just looked up at me curiously. 

"Would you look at that," Robby said in amazement, letting out the breath he'd been holding in.

I couldn't believe it.  "I guess I must just have a way with babies," I joked.

"Maybe she's just getting a little more used to her surroundings, too," Robby suggested.

"Oh, thanks!  I'm glad you're so confident in my abilities," I said, pretending to be offended.

Robby chuckled at this. 

At that moment, Ben appeared in front of me.  "How are the babysitters surviving over here?" he asked with a little smile.

I suddenly lost all capability of speaking. 

"Fine," Robby answered for me, rather stiffly.

"I'm astonished that you managed to end her crying!" Ben said, looking down at me.  "I was sure she would cry forever, and we'd be doomed to a new life of sleepless nights."

Recovering my voice, I said, "She just needed some time to adjust.  And I'm not expecting her to stay this way.  She's bound to cry again in her life," I said teasingly. 

Ben didn't smile in return.  "I must confess, I've never understood the fascination babies hold for others.  They're so helpless and noisy."

My heart sunk a little at this.  I mean, sure, I wasn't planning on becoming a parent any time soon, but it was something I hoped for in the future.  A future that I secretly hoped would include Ben.  Hearing him talk that way about babies was a bit discouraging.  But maybe he just hadn't been around them that much.  And if Emmaline had been his only exposure to them, maybe he'd just gotten a bad first impression.

"Oh, come on," I said, carefully getting to my feet and trying to keep my voice light.  "Babies aren't all bad.  Look how cute she is now."  A crazy idea entered my head.  "Why don't you hold her?"

Ben looked at me as if I'd asked him to stand on his head.  "Surely you're joking."

"Come on, what's the harm?" I persisted.  "Just for a minute."  And before he could protest, I handed her over.

Ben held her away from his body, as if he were afraid of her.  For a moment, Emmaline and Ben just stared at one another.  Then, Emmaline cooed for the first time since her arrival.  A small smile escaped from Ben's lips before he could hide it.

Then Emmaline sneezed and let out a sudden shriek.  The spell was broken.  Ben shoved Emmaline back in my direction, a flustered expression on his face.

It took me a while to calm her, but Emmaline did stop crying. 

Ben didn't leave, but he kept eyeing Emmaline suspiciously, as if he was waiting for her next outburst. 

"That wasn't so terrible, was it?" I asked, when Emmaline had calmed down.

Ben gave me a disbelieving look. 

I looked down at my feet. 

"You do seem to have a way with her," he admitted grudgingly.

I could feel my cheeks heating up at his praise.  "Thank you," I said quietly.  "I'm not sure why...I've never really been around babies before this.  She's probably just getting a little more comfortable with her surroundings."  I tried to figure out why this conversation sounded so familiar, but my similar conversation with Robby had completely slipped my mind.  All I could think of was those piercing blue eyes looking down at me.

"Well, I should go," Ben said abruptly.  "I have plans for the morning."

"Of course," I replied breathlessly. 

He gave me a small smile and a curt little nod before disappearing around the large floral pillow.

I sank down to my seat again, feeling all dreamy and lightheaded.  I found out later that Ben paused around the corner and stared back at me before continuing on his way. (There are dolls everywhere in Mama's room, so I have all sorts of extra sets of eyes in there!) ;)  It's probably good that I didn't know at the time...I would have floated to the ceiling right then and there...I'm sure of it!

My dreamy reverie was interrupted when Robby cleared his throat. 

"Oh, Robby!" I said, startled.  "I'd almost forgotten you were there."

He nodded.  "Yeah, I kinda noticed that."

I blushed again.  "Sorry...I just...well, never mind."

"You know," Robby said slowly, "I really don't understand what you see in that guy.  I mean, the way you're acting, you'd think he'd just told you something wonderful.  I think he could talk to you about the weather and make you lightheaded."

I avoided his eyes.  "He complimented me.  There's nothing wrong with being happy about that."  I suddenly became engrossed with fixing the Velcro on Emmaline's onesie.  "Besides," I said defensively, "someday you'll know how it feels, too!"

At that moment, Emmaline officially decided she'd been good long enough.  She began wailing, and nothing I did would soothe her.  I focused all of my attention on her and left Robby to his own thoughts. 

A few hours later, Eugene and Rapunzel joined us.  They still looked tired, but there were smiles on their faces. 

"Hey, how are you guys feeling?" I asked over Emmaline's whimpering.

"Much better, thank you," Rapunzel said.

Robby got to his feet.  "Maybe you and Belle would like a chance to talk," he encouraged, handing Baby Abigail back to her.  "Eugene and I could take a walk while you girls visited here."  And within moments, the guys were on their way, and Rapunzel and I were left with the babies.

"Typical males," I said teasingly, shaking my head.

Rapunzel gave me a distracted smile.  She was staring down at little Abigail, playing with her tiny fingers and toes and taking in every last detail.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, shifting the still fussing Emmaline in my lap. 

Rapunzel nodded and looked up at me.  "I'm just a little embarrassed, that's all.  I really thought this would be easy.  It's what I've always wanted, and I've always loved children.  I...I had no idea how hard it would be."

"You're doing a great job," I assured her.  "You and Eugene have just had to deal with a lot of changes in a short time.  It would be rough on anybody!"

"I know," Rapunzel.  "I just feel bad that I was so confident before this.  You must think I'm a complete idiot."

"What?" I said incredulously, almost laughing.  "I don't think anything of the sort.  Don't we all do things like this?  I know I've gone through things that ended up being more challenging than I originally thought."  I patted her hand.  "Cut yourself some slack, okay?"

Rapunzel smiled.  "Thank you, Belle.  I don't know what I'd do without you."

I grinned back at her.  "I'm just glad that I'm finally able to give you some advice.  Normally it's the other way around!"

My friend gazed off at something unseen.  "I've learned so much through all of this.  I feel like I've aged about 10 years."

I pretended to scrutinize her.  "Hmm, you don't look any older."

"What?" she asked, coming back to the present. 

I gave her a cheeky grin. 

"Okay, you've been hanging around Robby too long," she said with teasing disapproval.

I nodded and rolled my eyes.  "Tell me about it!  I can't believe I'm stooping to his humor!"

Rapunzel eyed me casually.  "He's been a good friend."

She didn't fool me.  I kept my voice light.  "Yes, a very good friend."

"Maybe...more than a friend?" she offered. 

"Nope!" I said firmly.  "He's my pal and that's all.  I don't think I'll ever think of him as anything else."

Rapunzel seemed to sense that this wasn't the best time to pursue the subject.  She stroked Abigail's soft head.  "I really couldn't have made it without you two stepping in last night."  She looked up at me again, and there were tears in her eyes.  "Thank you, Belle."

"Anytime," I grinned, relieved that the subject of Robby had dropped. 

As if on cue, Emmaline let out another of her bloodcurdling shrieks.  We both jumped and then laughed together.  Rapunzel took Emmaline back and handed Abigail over to me. 

It was wonderful to see a smile on Rapunzel's face again.  Emmaline would most likely never be an easy baby, but at least Rapunzel was more relaxed and had a more realistic view of things now.  And whenever she needed me, I'd be there for her.  That's what friends were for.

Another New Arrival Part 1

Baby Abigail's sweet disposition remained the same as the weeks progressed.  She was such a happy little thing!  She almost never cried, unless she was in pain, and was perfectly content to sit and watch everything going on around her.  She took her naps right on schedule and woke up even more cheerful than before. 

Eugene and Rapunzel adored their little bundle of joy.  Rapunzel couldn't stop cuddling and kissing her.   Eugene was like putty in her little hands.  Robby and I actually chuckled over the way Eugene cooed and babbled with her.  I'd never seen him so completely enamored...which was pretty amazing, considering how strong his love for Rapunzel was!

Around 3 weeks after Baby Abigail's arrival, Beast'sbelle came in to have another chat with Eugene and Rapunzel.  Apparently, she'd found another little one that needed some parents. 

Rapunzel told me later that Beast'sbelle seemed hesitant and felt bad even asking them, since they'd just gotten into a routine with Abigail.  But they seemed like they were enjoying parenthood so much, she figured it couldn't hurt to ask. 

"There's something you need to know, too," Beast'sbelle warned them.  "Emmaline was separated from her parents (not by me!), so she has some pretty major anxiety issues.  She'll need a lot of reassurance and love."

Rapunzel and Eugene discussed things for a few days and came to the conclusion that another addition to their family would only make things better!  (And with a first child like Abigail, who could blame them?)  Not only that, but Rapunzel, ever compassionate, was almost brought to tears at the thought of poor little Emmaline losing her parents.  She was ready to shower this new little one with love and affection in the same way she'd loved and cuddled Baby Abigail.

Little did they know then the consequences of their decision.  Everything was about to change.

Honestly, when Rapunzel told me what they'd decided, I was a little bit concerned.

"Are you sure you guys are ready for a second baby?" I asked her.  "Things are going so well with Abigail, but don't you want this time to just be able to focus on her and developing your family?  There will be plenty of time to add siblings later!"

"But that's just it," Rapunzel said excitedly.  "Things are going well, so why not add another baby?  We can do this, I know we can!  And poor Emmaline!  Can you imagine what it must be like to suddenly have your parents gone, at an age when you need them so desperately?  I couldn't live with myself if I let her go."

"I'm sure Beast'sbelle would be able to find another doll family to take care of her," I reasoned.  "She wouldn't want Emmaline to be alone, either."

Rapunzel looked a little hurt.  "So you don't think we should do this?"

I tried to weigh my words carefully (something I'd been getting better at since hanging around Robby).  "It's not that I don't think you can...I just wonder if you should.  I'd hate to see you and Eugene overdo yourselves."

"Well, it's too late now," Rapunzel said firmly.  "We already told Beast'sbelle we'd do it, and we can't back out now." 

She sat quietly and set her jaw.  It almost looked like she was trying to keep herself from crying.  I'd never seen her like this!  What had happened to my steady, unruffled friend?

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel," I said gently.  "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.  I'm just trying to look out for you, that's all."

Rapunzel blinked back tears.  "I know," she whispered.  "I'm sorry.  I've been really emotional lately.  Abby's been sleeping, but I like to get up and check on her every few hours, so I'm not getting as much sleep as I should.  I guess it's making me a little more defensive than usual."

Which is why I'm concerned, I thought to myself.  If you're this tired with a good baby, why do you think you need to add another one who may be more demanding?  I wanted to voice my thoughts out loud, but I knew it wouldn't do any good.  And like Rapunzel said, the deed was done.  They'd already committed.  Baby Emmaline would be here in the morning.  I just hoped my friend knew what she was doing.

November 12th was brisk but still clear and sunny.  And early that morning, Beast'sbelle brought Baby Emmaline in to Eugene and Rapunzel.  She made sure they were settled okay, and then headed out in a rushed manner.  It was picture day for her family, and there was still much to be done.

Eugene took Baby Emmaline, who immediately arched her back and began wailing at the top of her lungs.  Baby Abigail started squirming in her crib, which panicked Rapunzel.  Abby had never had an interrupted nap before, and Rapunzel didn't want to rock the boat!  

She gently took Emmaline from Eugene, hoping she could soothe her.  Emmaline quieted down a bit, but was still fussing and whining in Rapunzel's arms.  No matter what Rapunzel tried, Emmaline refused to be consoled.  Her face was a pitiful mess of tears and frowns.

Rapunzel looked up at Eugene helplessly.  Everything had been so easy and natural with Baby Abigail right from the start!  It was obvious they had their work cut out for them.  But Rapunzel was not the type to give up easily.  She told me later that she was sure if she just kept loving Emmaline, eventually she would calm down and get used to her new family.

"Well, this should be interesting," Eugene smirked.  He squeezed Rapunzel's shoulder.  "I'm sure she'll get used to things soon."

As if in direct disagreement with her new daddy, Emmaline started wailing again.  Baby Abigail, completely unaccustomed to such noises, woke with a start in her crib and joined in with her new big sister.

Robby and I, who were already on our way to meet the new arrival, heard the awful commotion and wondered if it would be helpful to show up or not.  After deliberating for a while, we decided that friendly faces might be the best medicine for Eugene and Rapunzel right now.

  The scene that met us as we arrived at the top of the curio cabinet was not nearly so serene this time.  Eugene and Rapunzel both looked flustered and out of their depth.  Rapunzel was jostling Emmaline with one arm and rubbing Abigail's back with her other hand.  Eugene was just bending over to pick up Abigail when we came into view.

"How's it going up here?" I asked, half playfully.

"Very funny," Eugene said sarcastically. 

"It's a little crazy," Rapunzel said bravely, "but we'll figure it out.  It's just going to take some time for everyone to adjust, that's all."

Truer words were never spoken.  That entire week was one of the longest all of us had ever known.  Baby Emmaline was a complete basket case.  She tended to be somewhat quieter if Rapunzel held her, but she was never what you'd describe as a happy baby.  If Eugene tried to hold her or even looked at her the wrong way, it took the next 2 hours for Emmaline to recover.

The nights were the worst.  Emmaline would only sleep if Rapunzel was holding her.  If they tried putting her into a crib, she'd scream the entire night.  And I do mean the entire night...they tried it a couple of times.

Part of me felt like if they would just stop giving in to her, Emmaline would learn to sleep by herself.  But at the same time, I could see how utterly exhausted and drained Rapunzel and Eugene were.  I didn't think giving them parenting advice would be appreciated...especially since I wasn't a parent myself. 

Most nights, Rapunzel "slept" on Beast'sbelle's jewelry box with Emmaline curled up next to her (not that there was much actual sleep happening!), while Eugene slept propped up against the lamp post with Abigail in the crook of his arm.  Unfortunately, Abigail's perfect sleeping habits had been close to destroyed with Emmaline's constant crying.

Meanwhile, the rest of us were relocated to the top of the 18" doll shelf on the other side of the room.  Beast'sbelle explained that she thought it might help a bit if we left the top of the curio for the new family.

One interesting thing I learned from this whole experience is that humans are apparently immune to the noise from crying baby dolls.  Every night, I would cringe at the sobs floating across the room.  I could hear Ben grinding his teeth, and the sighs and shifting of feet from the larger dolls around us, especially Maggie's loud grumbling from her room below our feet.  But Beast'sbelle and her husband never seemed to act annoyed or lose any sleep over it. 

The third morning after Emmaline's arrival, I asked Beast'sbelle about it, mainly to satisfy my own curiosity.  To my amazement, she said that she hadn't heard any crying.  Then, that very moment, Emmaline started again.  I pointed this out to Beast'sbelle.

"I kind of hear a faint sound, yes, but nothing more," she told me. 

Incredible.  My ears were literally ringing, and Beast'sbelle could barely even hear it.

I mentioned this to Robby and Ben the next night.  Ben suggested that perhaps the cry of a doll baby was in a register that was difficult for humans to hear.  He explained a book he'd read once about training dogs.  It mentioned the use of dog whistles.  Apparently, dog whistles are very loud to dogs but cannot be heard by humans.  It was weird, but it at least provided one possible explanation. 

For the first time in my life, I wished I could be human, too.

Part 2 coming soon! :)

The New Arrival

Two weeks flew by quickly, and on October 18th, Baby Abigail became a part of Eugene and Rapunzel's family.  Beast'sbelle let the rest of us know ahead of time so that we could give Eugene and Rapunzel some time alone to meet their little one.  Beast'sbelle gave them some privacy as well, and then returned later to take these sweet photos of them:

As you can imagine, we were all very excited to meet Abigail ourselves.  When we'd given them enough time alone, Robby, Ben and I came back to congratulate our friends.  Marguerite and Raoul decided that they would meet the newest addition later, so that we didn't all swarm in on them at once.

I can't even describe how incredibly happy Rapunzel looked with that little baby in her arms.  Finally, after months of longing and waiting, her dream had come true.  Eugene was really cute, too.  He looked like he might burst with pride.

It's funny, I've always thought and dreamed about having children someday, but it had always been a dream that seemed a long way off.  On this day, as I watched my glowing friend, I suddenly found myself thinking that maybe children wouldn't have to be as distant of a dream as I'd always thought.  The three of them made such a lovely picture.  It gave me an instant longing to be loved and be part of a family.  Instantly, my thoughts wandered to Ben.  I tried to picture him beaming over me the same way Eugene was beaming over Rapunzel.  Somehow, I just couldn't completely picture it, but the attempt made me feel all mushy and dreamy.  I tried to get ahold of myself before someone read the expression on my face!

Later that evening, after Marguerite and Raoul had come and paid their respects, Baby Abigail settled down for the night.  Beast'sbelle had provided Eugene and Rapunzel with a pretty little box lined with tissue that made a perfect crib. 

Rapunzel couldn't keep her eyes off of her baby.  She kept softly stroking her little legs and feet, long after she'd fallen asleep. 

Abigail was the perfect baby.  I never heard her cry at all that first day, and she went right to sleep when Rapunzel put her in the crib.  Nevertheless, Rapunzel had a hard time sleeping that night.  She kept drifting off and then starting awake, checking to see if Abigail was still okay. 

Eugene, on the other hand, was exhausted, and fell asleep almost immediately. 

Ben, Robby and I stayed up for a while.  We didn't want to disturb the new family, so we all stayed on the other side of the curio.  

 

Ben stood silently off to the side. I wondered what his thoughts were on all of this.  He wasn't into sharing his feelings (as you all know by now), so all I could do was guess what might possibly be running through his mind. 

 I knew that Robby was thrilled for them. He seemed to be almost as happy as Eugene.  But that was just the type of friend he was.  Seeing his friends happy made Robby happy too.  He knew how much Eugene and Rapunzel had waited for this day, and he was overjoyed that it had finally come.

As I watched the peaceful little scene before me, I wondered how the next few weeks would go.  Was parenthood really this easy?  It seemed so wonderful!  Maybe I'd been overly concerned about Rapunzel.  If all babies were this sweet and serene, I wouldn't mind becoming a parent shortly after marriage either!  

And boy, Robby had sure been wrong about Rapunzel needing me!  She seemed to have everything under control!  At least so far...I guess I'd just have to wait and see how things went in the next few weeks.  But for tonight, I was happy for my friend.  She finally had what she'd always wanted.