This is Our Life - the Joy and the Challenges

If I were to simply post these pictures, I think they would depict a happy, healthy family. Fact of the matter is, we're a real family, with real challenges, and while there are times that are purely full of joy, pictures such as these are captured, but they don't tell the whole story.

 

I love my DH dearly. We've been working on making our marriage stronger, and have really come to learn that without a strong and happy "us", the rest of the family will sacrifice. We're also working on our parenting style, and I say "our" because we've always had a different way of parenting, and probably always will at the core, but we're striving for consistency in our parenting, and granting our children grace even during the worst of tantrums.

(Aren't my boys so handsome and strong?!)

 

Peyton has adjusted so well to becoming a big brother, but he has gained some weight, which his Pediatrician noticed to be simultaneous with his sister's arrival. He will soon have to undergo his second surgery. Tonsils, adenoids, and possibly tubes. Sure, a pretty typical procedure, but always of great concern to a mama to watch her baby endure such discomfort. Peyton has been "hitting" which he never did before. This is something he picked up from his little sister. And as much as that is a bit of regression, he's also matured. He loves to be read to now, which I enjoy. Sometimes wanting the same story 6 times in a day! He likes to try to memorize the story by the pictures, and then tells Gracyn the story in his own words.

 

Gracyn has been home for just over 10 months now, and will soon be 3. She receives 2hours of speech therapy, 1 hour of occupational therapy a week, and will soon been evaluated for music therapy. She is just starting to string 2 words together. Her words are still not exact, and she quite honestly is more at the babbling stage. She seems to comprehend everything she should at her age, and can be very helpful around the house. Always happy to help, and very maternal. She'll make a great big sister.

The one thing that we still struggle with is her "episodes". Sometimes triggered by me giving her the "wrong" spoon, sometimes triggered by the bathing suit. Other times she's either suffering from night terrors, or she's just really mad because she does NOT like to be awaken from a deep sleep. When she does awaken in this state, she's still struggling and it breaks my heart. Calling out for me, reaching for me, but then when I hold her she pushes me away and sometimes hits, and always flails around, kicking as if I'm holding her hostage. Eventually, she comes around, and then just wants to be cuddled, but it's so painful to watch her like this. I've tried waking her up to show her pictures of her foster family, thinking her cries for "mama" are not meant for me. I've tried holding her tight, not holding her at all but talking to her and rubbing her back, and nothing works.

Fortunately this only happens every now and then. And on good nights, she sleeps soundly until morning. Albeit, the only place she'll sleep is on the floor. She hates, hates, hates the toddler bed. She slept on the floor her first two years of life, and does suffer from sensory processing challenges, so perhaps the floor bring her a sense of stability and comfort. (We make sure she's got plenty of padding, a comforter folded in fours to make a small mat, and her favorite quilt on top.) Oh, and I have found her sound asleep in the hallway a few times. Could it be sleepwalking? And are her episodes more night terrors than "rage"???

 

Gracyn likes to help us with our clothes - I think Peyton's shorts were falling off from going down the slide, but it looks more like she's about to "pants" him!

 

Darryl commented the other night on how amazing it is that these two kids have been made family and how they've learned to love and get annoyed with one another so quickly. Watching their bond grow has been amazing.

 

For a couple of days, Gracyn was really loving the water slide. . .and then she decided she was done. Luckily we got some great pictures while it lasted!

 

I admit it Your Honor. . .I convinced DH to go down the slide on his stomach. I got tired of the "fetal" looking pose because he was afraid his pocket zipper would puncture a hole, so I MADE him do the tummy slide. . .which resulted in a major boo-boo. But one HECK OF A LAUGH! Totally worth it from my perspective, and he KNEW it was blog-worthy. Doesn't that count for something?

Exhibt 1 - Fetal Pose

 

Ehxibit 2 - Tummy Injury

 

HAPPY SUMMER to everyone!