Catch-up

I guess it might be time for a post. Since it's been forever.

Last time I left you, our loving Social Worker was coming over for our first visit. It was GREAT. She is an awesome person to talk to and I feel like she totally understood everything. Our main topic of conversation was getting Joye to NOT scream before naps and bedtime. What could it possibly be? Why is she doing this? I then explained our troubles and she said that what I was doing, was the best fit for the situation. Whew! Big relief! I felt like an Angel flew into my living room right at that moment.

I had doubt, guilt and low confidence and she restored all of that in one brief hour of talking.

So what am I doing, you ask? Joye is happy about 99% of the time. The 1% is when you are trying to get her to fall asleep. Once she's asleep, she's good. It's getting her there. I've mentioned this before, and it's not new to many of you.

I have found that holding her tight, while rocking her, helps a lot. She fights it, but she fights sleep anyway. I brought this up with SW, and she said that it's exactly what Joye needs. She needs to feel safe and that I am never going away, no matter how much she screams and fights.

To me, it's better than putting her in her crib and letting her scream by herself. Some kids need that, Joye wouldn't do very well. I have tried to let her 'put herself to sleep' or self-soothe and she doesn't do it. THREE HOURS goes by before I have to finally go in and hold her to get her to sleep. She doesn't cry the whole time, she just does EVERYTHING she can to keep herself awake. It's painful - on ME! I would rather hold her and inadvertently 'teach' her to fall asleep. Something I felt was true, but SW confirmed it. I feel horrible sometimes because she fights it SO bad and gets herself worked up, but after she's calm, she wants kisses and drifts off to sleep.

It's really hard, but I see it getting better. I hold her in a loving, calm manner. I Talk to her and tell her how much I love her. We have had the same routine for over two months now, so she knows what nigh-nigh-time is all about. She's just stubborn and doesn't want to be told when to go to bed. I'm pretty sure she was responsible for when she fell asleep on her own in Korea.

All in all, I am SO thankful for our Social Worker and our meeting.

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Then we headed to the Big City for a Rockies game and to partake in our agency's Annual Picnic. We LOVED the game and Joye did amazingly well! The game ended at 11:00 p.m. and since she hates the act of being put to sleep, she stayed up for the ENTIRE thing! But getting her to sleep was that much harder once we got back to the Hotel. :(

The next morning, we headed to Berthoud and met all of our agency/blog friends for the first time. It was AWESOME! So glad we made the trip over! We got to see where AAC HQ was and actually meet the people that I have talked on the phone with for the past two years! Then we headed to Chad's Uncle and Aunt's for the night and then headed home the next morning. Joye did great, but she doesn't get excessively cranky when she's SOOOO tired and we are out and about. (At home it's another story.)

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This last week we caught up on sleep :) and settled into our normal school routine.

Well I just thought I would let you know that we are indeed alive and doing pretty well. Just living through the up's and down's and trying to be thankful for ALL the moments! ;)

2 years; 2 months

Today is TWO YEARS since we became an AAC family, officially. Our money (to begin) reached our agency and our formal application was filled out and "approved." The wait began, two years EXACTLY from today. WOW. Crazy, huh?!

August 14th, 2008, we called our agency and was told that we were #25! We were expecting like 50 or 60, but #25 - that was do-able! 8/14/2010 (this Saturday) is when we will attend our first Annual Picnic put on by our agency. With little Tootsie in tow. Amazing how it all fits in and works together, isn't it?! It's been a GREAT two years, full of ups and downs, but all worth it.

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Yesterday was exactly 8 WEEKS since we have been home with our sweet Joye. Two months! Can you believe it!? I sure can't! She is adjusting and fitting in more and more each day. Sometimes it feels like we've been together for MORE than two months. And then other times it feels like LESS than two months. It's weird. Either way she fits in perfectly and we are SO glad that she's finally home.

Big celebrations today!

Our Social Worker is also coming today to do our first Post Placement report! What are the odds!?

Well, I just thought I would share our dates-on-the-calendar coincidences! They build my faith and help me to see that everything works out the way HE planned it: PERFECTLY.

Wordless Wednesday

15 months old!

Monday, our little princess turned 15 months old. I am *so* glad to have her home and see these mile-markers! Every month, in Korea, she would turn another month older and I would be just so sad. But now she's here and it's neat to see her grow and flourish right before our eyes.

Speaking of flourishing - we have officially taken a step back in the whole sleeping thing. The past three nights she has woke up at midnight and does NOT want to go back to sleep! Eye-yi-YI Tootsie, what is the deal! AND she hates naps, again. Two things that may be the culprit: teething and that she is REALLY close to walking. She has made TONS of progress in just the past week, on walking. So we just push through, and are thankful that this is just a stage and that we WILL see the other side. Sooner, rather than later, I hope.

We start school tomorrow. "What?!" You might say. "On a Thursday?!" Well, I wanted to ease them in slowly, actually - who am I kidding? I want to be eased in slowly. A toddler that has just decided that sleep isn't that important, coupled with a GREAT relaxing summer - we need to phase in the school thing sssllllllooowwwllllllyyyy. Plus I LOVE to start early and get out early - one of the perks of homeschooling. It's way hot outside anyway - taking advantage of the boredom :)

So today was our last day of summer. Boooo. But we all are looking forward to another year of learning new things and juggling life with little Tootsie in tow. It should be FUN! ;)