Liking the new bed!

Well... We are going on night 5 in the big girl bed!  She is now loving the new bed and has no problem going right to sleep.  I guess there were just too many changes Monday night.  My mom ordered her this cute quilt from JCPenny and we have had a good time this week finding shams and sheets to coordinate with the new bed quilt.  I think EK's face says it all in this photo.  Mom and Nana (EK's great grandmother) came over for dinner tonight and to help get her new/updated room put together.  After it was all done EK kept running to my mom giving her lots of giggles and big bear hugs... as if to say "Thanks Grandmommy".  It was so precious. 

EK also had a great visit last night and thismorning with her KK at the lake house.  She loves her KK to pieces.  Last night when we arrived at the lake she ran to the back door and knocked and said "Halo KK" with this little southern twang.  We are starting to see EK put together 2-3 word phrases more and more.  She also is having more appropriate pretend play each day.  Today she and her daddy were playing with Mrs. Potato Head and then Eva Kate started putting the facial parts on her own face and Paul's face.  I captured this funny moment with a photo.

LC

EK has a freak out moment!

Well... The time has come to take Eva Kate out of her toddler bed and convert her bed to a full size bed.  We have been talking about doing this for a few weeks now.  Today I ordered new "big girl" bedding and we went to my mom's and picked up the full size mattress and box springs.

It was late when we finally got the mattress unloaded and Paul got the toddler bed converted into the full size regular bed... about 10:15 p.m.  EK seemed exhausted so I thought putting her to bed would be no problem at all.  As soon as she saw me move the crib mattress out and bring the sheets in for the big bed she had a complete FIT!  Screaming and inconsolable crying for 20 minutes or more.  I tried reading her a story, laying down with her, getting her to jump on the bed and sing 5 Little Monkeys, listening to her nighttime music, etc.  She wanted no part of any of it.  Finally I brought her in the den and held her for 10 minutes and she calmed down.

Paul was finally able to get her to go back to her room, but it looks like he will sleeping with her tonight in her big girl bed.  I guess this situation is better than having to convert the full size bed back into the toddler bed at 10:30 p.m.  Paul- You are an amazing daddy and husband.  Thanks for hauling all this home tonight, assembling it, and then sleeping with her tonight to make her feel better.

 Tonight was the first time I've ever seen EK "lose it" over something so trivial.  I had to take a step back and try to see how this change could be devastating an autistic child.  What was she thinking?  Why was this new bed so frightening?  I feel like such a horrible parent for making her so upset and rocking her little world at 10 p.m.  I'm hoping that tonight she sleeps well and realizes how much she likes her new bed and all the room she has to roll around on.

LC

Seeing some slight improvements!

Eva has now been going to school at Trace Crossings for 3 weeks and we're seeing some slight improvements. We have to be careful though - I often find myself wanting so desperately to see improvements that I force them to exist, so I have to find a way to keep my observations grounded!

Eva has been showing more signs of affection lately. She frequently hugs our legs and has been wanting more attention during play time, where before she was perfectly content playing by herself. Today I sold an exersaucer to a complete stranger through Craigslist, and when they came to get it Eva ran up to them and wanted the mother to play with her!

Eva also has been acknowledging Mollie MUCH more. Eva has a princess tent in her room with a curtain door that Mollie loves to play with. Last week Eva was inside it and Mollie was just outside the door, and Eva kept poking her head through the curtain door saying, "Boo!" and Mollie thought it was hilarious!

Yesterday Lisa was working a consignment sale at church, and the girls stayed in the nursery in separate rooms. When Lisa went to pick up the girls she got Eva first and told Eva, "We need to go get Mollie now." When Eva heard that she repeatedly said, "Mollie! Mollie!" until they went to the room where Mollie was being watched. As soon as Eva saw Mollie she ran to her and gave her a huge hug! It was the first time Eva has been outwardly affectionate towards Mollie!

Finally, the thing that excited me most was when Eva engaged in pretend play for the first time...at least it was the first time I've noticed it. There was an empty box sitting on the den floor and Eva kept getting in it, as she has always done in the past. This time, however, she got in the box and said, "Car! Beep beep!" I was amazed that she was actually pretending the box was a car! In the past everything was always black and white. The box couldn't possibly be a car. It's a box, right? Hopefully we'll continue to see her playing pretend!

A BIG Day! EK turns three and started two new schools!