To recap November, we were in the new house a week and a half before I took Isabelle to my parents for 2 weeks and then I joined them for Thanksgiving week. She was visibly relieved to return to her "new house" and it was clear by a lot of what she said (including "Ceci my mommy, BobBob my daddy" that she was afraid the move to VA was permanent and that I was just going to be a phone friend. Now all her animals talk to their moms on the phone...
She was very excited to come home and continues to need to reassured every time we leave that we will be coming back. When we are out (grocery or whatever) she's not upset but she does want to know that she's going back to her new house and her dogs. It's cute, but I know the transition has been a rough one for her.
We came home on Friday, stayed in and had a friend visit on Saturday, and then started at church Sunday. 3 hours in the nursery Sunday morning in a new place with all new people, and she was a champ! We came home, napped (both of us), and then went back to church for a reception that went close to 2 hours. Again, she was perfect! Charmed everyone and even started to talk a little bit (I think some folks letting her take all their jewelry helped...as well as someone who was sweet enough to bring her a bag of goodies with a princess coloring book!)
And THEN we had a quick bite to eat and went to ANOTHER church service (different church) and Isabelle sat through the service for two MORE hours! She was great!! Check out the video below. She loves music and I knew they were having brass and that it would be a mostly music service and she loved it! After about an hour and a half I asked her if she wanted to leave and she said no! That's my kid :)
Sooooo....I was feeling REALLY proud of how she had done all day, and I told her that she was going to get her own Christmas tree in the new house. We haven't done it, but she remembers and she's ready for it!
By the time we got home, though, things got ugly. Like really ugly. Poor thing I think is just a child who internalizes stress and Sunday was way too much. Well, I think the whole month was way too much, but there wasn't anything I could have done any differently. She melted down and sumped up and down in her bed screaming for an hour and a half.
Monday was the first day of daycare, and her first time ever in full-time daycare or having to sleep in a group setting. Again, she was perfect all day (although she didn't speak, which is her usual response in new situations, but the funny part was at the end of the day they asked me if she spoke English! They were afraid maybe she only spoke Spanish and that was the problem! Too funny...)
We got home and she told me about her day. She made a new friend - Mickey Mouse - and she pee peed in the potty. I didn't really believe either part, but I confirmed today and the pee pee part was right! Apparently she's done it regularly both days!
Soooo....then she cried the rest of the night. Today, a repeat. Perfect behavior at school, nothing but tears for me. Poor little thing. I feel really bad for her, but there just isn't anything I can really do any differently for the moment. Tonight we had to be at church and again she was really good (even cleared the table and threw the stuff away..."Mommy all done? Belle throw mommy's plate in trash can." She is so cute! Got home...more tears.
Are you seeing a pattern? I am. My mommy struggle is that other than feel guilty I don't know that there is a whole lot I can do :( Single parenting is tough.
Well, if you've made it this far you deserve a reward...so here's Isabelle's annual "1st Sunday in Advent" picture and the traditional "new pastor standing at the sign" picture! If you look close you'll see lights in the background - that's the Christmas tree lot. We'll be visiting soon to get TWO trees :) And don't forget to scroll down to the video!
3 comments:
You guys have been through a ton of changes in the past month. I hope things settle down for both of you soon and that the tears stop falling.
Stacie
Welcome to my world!! Dominic has been in day care for a year now! The weekends are wonderful compared to the week days! He is great at school and great for my parents because my mom picks him up at 3:30 but I get off of work at 4:30. Then he cries everynight at home. There is a melt-down about something... usually something stupid. He has NO patience! I try to quickly heat up something for dinner, then spend time with him and do the dishes after he goes to bed. I think it is mostly because he doesn't nap that great at school and then is so tired and grumpy by the time I get him at 4:45. He is in bed at 7:30 and up at 6:30a. It is HARD when they are grumpy tired! We have far less melt-downs on the weekends!!
Isabella Faye did the same thing when I went back to work full-time. We went out of our way to reassure her that we were coming back for her. Also, I found little outings helped. Like if I picked her up and then went straight to McD's for apple dippers or we went straight to the park or a friends house, etc. Also, what I started and continue now (and if I don't there is a massive melt-down) is stand at her car seat (yes, even in the rain and cold) and talk to her for just a minute. I kiss her and tickle her and make her laugh. It has really helped.
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