I entered Princess's Adoption video in a contest over at Adoption Voices
...Well guess what??? It's in the top 10!! YAY!!!
So would you do me a favor? Stop by and vote for our video and help us get to the top 5.
In order for your vote to count, you have to leave a comment. I promise it won't take but a second.
Click here to view our Adoption Montage
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
...a thing of the past?
It's about time for an update on the thumb sucking issue.
For a little while, the Thumb*Guard worked like magic. Princess let it be and as long as the guard was on, she wouldn't suck on her thumb.
After about 2 weeks she decided she didn't care about the Guard and we'd catch her holding onto her blanket tag with her thumb placed loosely in her mouth. The guard prevents the child from forming a suction around the thumb, but that didn't keep her from mouthing the sucking motion. We decided at that time the beloved blanket was standing in the way of breaking this habit and it was time to:
A. Get rid of the blankies!
~or~
B. Cut the tags off!
It wasn't a hard decision because I was traumatized as a child when my mom got rid of my blanket before I was ready. So.... off to the kitchen I went one morning and snipped the tags off when she wasn't looking. Of course, she was horrified when she discovered the tags on her blankies were gone!! I played dumb and she quickly recovered (within minutes) and I haven't heard a peep since.
It's been about 2 weeks since I cut off the tags and I'm almost ready to declare the thumb sucking habit a thing of the past!!
I'm sure you're wondering... ALMOST? So I'll explain, every once and awhile we'll go in the middle of the night and find that she has her thumb in her mouth (again, there's no suction, it's just kind of sitting in there and her tongue will be moving as if she were sucking on it) which tells us subconsciously she still has a bit of the habit left. We will press on and continue to use the Guard at night, if we need to. As far as daytime is concerned, she's been without the Thumb*Guard for 4 days now and hasn't even tried to suck on her thumb. Not even once.
Whooohoo! I highly recommend the little plastic apparatus for thumb and finger suckers (did I mention they have a Finger*Guard too didn't I?) everywhere!
I give it 4 Stars (...and NO I'm not being paid to say that. This is an independent product review and I am in no way being compensated. Just sayin'. )
The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the clear plastic has stained from regular everyday use over the last 5 weeks. I haven't found anything to get it to clear again. It's kind of a turn off because it appears dirty no matter how clean it actually is. I guess that may be kind of a silly reason to take away a star, but I'm kind of snob like that though. ;-)
Princess really enjoyed the show (mentioned in previous post) but after a long day her world came crashing down. THIS is what we had the pleasure of listening to on the way home....
Everyone knows who Thomas is! Thanks to Mom Select, Princess and I got the chance to go see him live on stage!
"The all-new 90-minute musical adventure Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town is packed with audience singalongs, high-energy dancing and thrilling adventures.
When Thomas makes a big mistake, all the engines on the Island of Sodor must work together to prepare for the exciting event under the Big Top as Thomas proves he's a really useful engine once again. Along the way, Percy, James, Gordon, and of course Thomas, join with Sir Topham Hatt™ and the townspeople from the Island of Sodor to welcome a colorful cast of circus performers in an engaging story that demonstrates the importance of friendship and cooperation."
I must admit, I was a bit nervous to take Princess to a show like this. She barely sits through movies, and a recent trip to our local Theater to see Beauty and the Beast proved to be disastrous. In the end, I had absolutely NO problems. She loved every minute of it. The show was great and managed to keep the kids attention very well. (It does help that staying quiet is not a prerequisite, and dancing, clapping, singing along are encouraged!) I managed to take some adorable video. Sorry the quality is not real great on my cell phone camera but I digress...
If you're interested in taking your child to a show, I highly recommend this one!
You probably saw her blue Tap costume in a previous post here.
This is Princess's Ballet Costume. Her very first Recital is this Saturday and I'm SOOO excited!
I know, you're asking what do all of these things have in common??
Well, Saturday was Picture day for Princess's Dance Class. The 3 & 4yr old classes only take pictures in a single outfit and they chose to wear their tap costume.
Friday night I decided to try to make her hair curly for the pictures. I bathed her and she sat very patiently while I put all those little suckers in. She was so good and I must admit, it was adorable to see her running around in curlers...
Well.... in the end, the curlers didn't work out so hot. Her hair was a disaster!! I obviously need to practice a little (or a lot) before using them again.
Saturday morning we got up early to prepare. I decided on this hairstyle over at 3 Girls Hair. It took WAY longer than I thought it would and we ended up running very late. Mine didn't turn out as well as hers did. I couldn't get the ends to curl up very well no matter what I did to them!? Overall I thought it looked good though.
So at this point, you're thinking, where does bribery come in?
Well THIS is where Princess was emotionally on Saturday morning. NOT in the mood for pictures. Not even a little. I just knew it was going to be a disaster.
BUT....
It's amazing what a little bribery will do because this is her afterwords...
Her recital is in 2 weeks and I just can't wait!! I'm also anxious to see their Ballet costume. We pick it up later this afternoon.
...he'll want a glass of milk.
If you take a girls thumb away...
she'll still try to suck it.
But she'll quickly find that she has no suction...
and the plastic isn't really all that palatable after all.
So she will nibble at the end,
...and eventually give up on the idea.
(Well that's the goal anyway) So far, so good!
It arrived in the mail.
It's small and very unique looking.
If you found one on the street, you would probably not have a clue as to what it was.
It's the ultimate solution to to our problem.
So...what is it you ask??
This! 
It's called a Thumb*Guard or T*Guard. Hopefully it will help us to break the thumb sucking habit that is wreaking havoc on Princess's mouth.
We put it on Princess last night just before bedtime. It was NOT a pretty scene. She was very upset and even though we've discussed what was going to happen for weeks now she declared with all her might... SHE WANTED HER THUMB back!!!!!
Hubby and I pressed on and she eventually quieted down.
The first time I checked on her she had her finger resting over the nose just like it does when she is sucking her thumb. At first I thought she was sucking her thumb, but upon closer inspection I found that it was resting just outside her mouth. Unfortunately, later in the night we found she had managed to pull her thumb out of the device and it was resting comfortably in it's familiar warm spot-back in her mouth.
Today is a new day and we try again, making some adjustments to the fit as the child isn't supposed to be able to get their thumb out like she did.
We'll see how it goes. Watch for updates on our progress. It is suggested they wear the Thumb*guard for at least 30 days to ensure that we break the habit completely. We plan to follow it through to the end.
The unique concept began in 2001, when Baby Gassy G*ooma (www.babygassygooma.com) decided they would find their models in a rather unique way. Instead of using a typical modeling agency, they decided to start holding model searches thru their own customer base. The concept was unique in that each models parent served as the photographer. They were mailed clothing in exchange for pictures. It was a win-win situation. The kids got free clothes, and the company saved a lot of money by not having to pay costly agency fees. In 2005, there was so much interest that they began holding annual G*ooma Girl model searches. Each year, as the line grew and became more popular, so did the interest in each year's model search. Though she is not one to publically seek the praise, Gretchen is often times credited for having started this modeling trend, and even industry insiders such as Journal Modiste have written about it. G*ooma Girls has received press thru James Girone and Dashin's Guide to Online Children's Fashion. This type of modeling gives 100% control back to the parents. "In this day and age, especially, moms really need to watch over their daughters, and that is why we encourage them to take the active role by becoming the actual photographer for the shoot." In laymen's terms, my daughter will get free outfits (gorgeous designer clothing) or monetary compensation for something that I already do! That extra money will undoubtedly help purchase her new shoes on a regular basis. *wink* If anything, this opportunity will allow her to gain self esteem and confidence which is so important for little girls to have in this day and age.
I'm SO excited.
Princess is a Goo*ma Girl!
Of course, I've always known she was a little beauty and there is no doubt- the camera absolutely LOVES her. I'm also honored as this is a compliment to my photography. You see, in order for them to accept your child as a G*ooma Girl, you must be able to take good quality pictures. They said up front that 60% of entrants are usually rejected on the first go around solely due to picture quality. Princess's pictures were accepted right away.
So.... what is a Goo*ma Girl anyway?
Here is an excerpt from the Goo*ma Girl site:
Modeling isn't really in Princess's future as she is on the shy side with other Adults. The unique thing about this is no stranger will ever be photographing her. It will always be ME, which makes me much more comfortable anyway.
I know, I know, don't fall out of your chair. I actually have a post for today.
My Best Shot Monday....
I love this picture. Isn't it magical?
In an instant all worries and fears dissapear at the sound of her gregarious laughter.
So I'm a bit freaked out at the moment.
While I haven't posted much lately here on my blog I still manage to read everyone else's blogs EVERY DAY. So I sat down with my Computer where I promptly opened up Google Reader to see what everyone has been up to. I began reading and my jaw literally hit the floor.
This blog went on to discuss a Parenting Webinar coming up later in May called: Parenting from the Trenches . It is for Parents dealing with Attachment Disorder. No big deal really. I've learned a lot about Attachment Disorder in our Foster Parenting classes so I basically just skimmed over the post ready to move on to something new and more interesting.
But the sentence... "Do you have a child who lies, steals, sneaks, stalks, hordes, chatters non-stop, or urinates in places other than the potty, etc?" ...brought me straight back to reality in a flash.
Could my Princess be suffering from Attachment Disorder?
She has every.single.one. of those behaviors.
Attachment Disorder isn't all that unusual for kids that are Adopted later on in life or those that spent their first few years in another Country. Not necessarily with those that are brought home straight from the Hospital. I know the thought of Attachment Disorder has run across my mind several times over the last year as her behavior escalated, but every time it came up I managed to stuff it down into my "denial" box and told myself that it simply wasn't possible.
That sentence there above describes my child. Plain and simple. My wonderful, beautiful Princess. So how did it happen?? WHEN? WHY???? and WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT!!!!!
I thought we did everything right in those first few crucial years. We parented her just as we did with our boys - heck we probably did more! She was doted on hand and foot. After all, she truly was our little Princess.
When she was a newborn she overstimulated easily from noises, movement, lights and eye contact, All thanks to drug exposure in utero. I often sat in the nursery with her and just held her tight. She would be swaddled up like a little burrito and I was careful to not rock her or look her in the eyes. She would have been happy to just lay in the crib alone in the dark, quiet room but we simply couldn't bear to leave her there so we would take turns sitting with her in complete silence. We did this for weeks while her little body learned to adjust to sensory imput. Gradually she learned to function outside of the dark quiet nursery but she seemed to be developing very slowly.
At her well baby checkup the red flags went up and alarm bells began going off. She was 4 months old and yet had the milestones of a 2 week old. She couldn't lift her head up off the floor and move it from one side to the other. She still didn't make very much eye contact. She certainly didn't smile yet- let alone laugh or giggle. It was bad. Very bad. We were told at that point that the drug exposure was probably not to blame. Delays like this are caused by Alcohol exposure. It was very possible that she may have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I cried the entire way home and for days afterwords. Her therapies were increased and some added. She was in OT, PT and Speech several times a week throughout her first year. Slowly but surely she came out of her shell. She is now at or above age level in nearly every area. It took a lot of work, determination and love.
...so HOW IN THE HECK could she have managed to get Attachment Disorder?
*sigh* I think I need to attend that Webinar because I just don't get it.
Princess has been silly lately making all sorts of funny faces. She especially loves doing it as I watch in the rear-view mirror (Yes, while driving. She insists!) lol.
Anyway, I captured several but until I get a chance to upload, edit and post them I thought I'd give you a sneak peek...
HAPPY MONDAY!!!
The past few weeks have been nothing but haze. As I sit and try and update this I honestly have a hard time picking and choosing what the write about.
Princess has been more difficult than ever. Just when I think we're going to have a breakthrough and she will realize that she's 4 now and should stop the crazy behavior, she does something else. I swear some of the things she does are things we've learned about in our Foster Parenting classes that are classic of abused and neglected kids. (Her latest antics are urinating on the floor behind her bed and she's escalated the stealing and hiding that she's done since very early on, before we even considered it "stealing") Yet she was never abused or neglected!! We got her straight from the Hospital. It makes me wonder how much genetics really plays in each of us.
I've been thinking a lot about the comments said on the stand during the trail before the Adoption was finalized. At the advice our our attorney we hired this Psychologist who came in and observed our family interactions with Princess. She did an independent bonding assesment to present to the court. This woman had studied and written books on Bonding and Attachment and was an expert in the field. Did you know Bonding and Attatchment are 2 very different things? I didn't, that is until we listened to her speak that day on the stand. She talked about how even newborns suffer loss when separated from their Biological Mothers. Some more than others, but it was well documented and it didn't matter how good of a home that the child went too. So is this something that Princess suffered? Is the reason she has such strange behaviors now?
I admit, that really seems like a stretch. After all, she's 4 yrs old now! Seems she would have gotten past that by now.
In the meantime, the two of us continue to butt heads. I try and be as consistent as possible with her. In the past, this was very difficult because hubby had the mentality that she was his perfect princess and let her get away with everything- but now even he is frustrated with her.
Yesterday was just awful. She awoke in a bad mood and I knew it was going to be a bad day. We ended up going shopping for new shoes for the boys. She was sitting in the cart fussing because I wouldn't let her stand up in the cart. (Imagine that!? I'm such a mean terrible mom hu?) Unfortunately, she cannot be trusted to walk and must be in the cart. Anyway, she reached up and slapped me across the face for no apparent reason. It completely took me by surprise and I reacted. That was just the beginning of our difficult day. Just an hour later I had to take her kicking and screaming away from her Soccer Game because she was acting up and I verbally told her if she wouldn't stop then we were leaving. Of course, I had to follow through- so off we went. The boys and I had the pleasure of listening to her scream miserably the whole way home.
The afternoon didn't improve much. I tried taking her outside while I worked in the yard but she wouldn't stay nearby and kept wandering off. We don't have a fence and back to an open space filled with trees and a pond. We had a Coyote appear in our backyard just last week wanting to feast on our new puppy. I just can't have her wandering off like that!! After 2 warnings I had to take her inside to her room. We are very consistent- yet she STILL DOESN'T LEARN!?!?!?
I'm spent. I'm frustrated and questioning things I never imagined I'd be questioning. I need to post more because I feel so much better when I do....
Princess had her very first Soccer game this weekend...
It's hysterical watching these 3 and 4 yr. olds play. We knew it would be one heck of a game when the whistle blew and nearly our entire team stood on the line looking around dazed and confused while the other team took off with the ball. It took some direction and coaxing, but soon they all seemed to grasp what they were supposed to be doing.
Princess quickly became a ball hog (cute, but we'll have to work on teaching her Soccer is a TEAM effort! lol) and at the very end, managed to score a goal all by herself!!! She was very excited and hasn't stopped asking since when she can play again.
(It's a Billy Blanks Workout Video for kids.) Works like a charm!!
Today, marks the 1st Anniversary of Princess's Adoption Day. Boy does time fly!!!
I wanted to post a new wonderful picture of her to mark this day, but you'll have to settle for one I took 2 weeks ago.
Why? Well, Princess is very sick right now. She's been running a temp for 5 days. Her neck is stiff and one of the glands is so swollen, her head is cooked over to the side. Motrin and Tylenol don't bring her temp down much or make her feel better.
The Doctor feels she has some kind of Bacterial infection and so we're pushing the Antibiotics. I hope she get's to feeling better really soon so I can stop worrying. (And of course so she feels better!)
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