rough night
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: night time
Date: 02 February 2010 11:50:42
Well, she's been with us for two years now. And, at least I, feel like one of those cartoon characters who after falls from a great height, shakes their head and makes that ableeableeableeablee noise.
For nearly the first year and a half of that time, we could expect our Flower Chid to wake up screaming in the night (not crying so much as screaming). She refused to be comforted, she refused to be distracted, all the vital signs said there was no illness, and she hadn't had the language yet to talk about bad dreams. Mummy seemed to make things particularly worse, by her very presence. I don't quite remember when it started to get better and when she started to sleep through the night, but she's 3 1/2 now, and it doesn't often happen anymore. Praise God.
But last night was different. Last night, she said her tummy hurt. (wow, articulation, she's getting better saying what's wrong) but my gut told me differently. I'm used to her saying that her tummy hurts when it turns out that she really had a bad dream, but is embarrassed to to admit it or want comfort. Last night, instead of pushing me away, she wouldn't let me leave her. Last night she cried "I lost my mummy. Where's Mummy?" Last night, at 2 am, when I offered her a story, she got down and got one of her baby books that her foster carer had bought for her. Last night she wanted to get an old old stuffed toy she never plays with anymore, but that her carer had given her. Last night she demanded to come into my bed (she never does) and wanted to keep the light on (also, she never does).
Finally got her back to her own bed, but she woke up 2 or 3 times more in the night. We ran out of Calpol too, which didn't help.
Every morning she wants to put a favourite toy on the stairs to wait for her to come home from her playgroup. When she gets home, she sits on the stair to take her shoes off, looks back at her toy lovingly and says, "hello. I'm back!" This morning, she didn't choose a favourite toy, but another from her carer.
My gut tells me not to discount it.
