I Stand Amazed...

Well, laid amazed, perhaps. Last night was a new, all time effort on Laura's part. She went above and beyond what anyone would ever expect, or imagine. No, not in her development or her mental capacity. No, we know those are just dandy. In fact, last night she proved it. And she proved that her persistence and tenacity are much stronger forces in her than anyone previously imagined. Yes, she reached a new level of stubbornness, er, determination. And I have the dark circles to prove it.

She went to bed later than normal. Lately, we've gotten her to bed as close to 8 as we could and it has worked out well for all of us. This gives the boys another hour before their bed deadline, and Don and I have time to do what we need to do before we settle down, too. And frankly, she needs the sleep. But as I was saying, last night she didn't get to bed until after 9. In my mind I'd already computed the logical outcomes of having an extra 30 to 60 minutes in the morning before she got up and began distracting the boys from their schoolwork. And I smiled to myself thinking of all the math Jonathan and I could get done alone. I think I smiled too big. The blinding light must have been too bright for such a late hour. Laura must have seen it...

At 4 AM the crying started. Don and I waited a few minutes just to be sure she was awake and then he trudged down the hallway to help her get cuddled in under her too small blanket once again. Peace reigned. For a whole minute. Then she started in on a new angle. I think she must have had to weigh and evaluate in her mind what might be the most effective after she'd used 'the blanket ploy'. She settled on 'my foot hurts'.

I think you need to know, as I needed to reassure myself in those wee hours, that her feet are fine. We've overcome the pressure sore issue with her FAB and have figured out just how much padding we need to use with the sheep skin so all is well. They did NOT need adjusting. After 8 to 10 minutes of fussing, I went down the hall to let her know I knew she was full of it. I also told her that I wouldn't be returning. She was fine, her room was fine, her bed was fine, her blanket was fine, life was fine. Well, except for the early hour. But that didn't seem to phase her much. After she realized I meant it, she laid down and I helped tuck her back in once again.

I made it down the hall and in bed before she started fussing again. I think she used the time to plot a new course. This time she had a bad dream. I laughed and said to no one in particular "When? Yesterday at nap???" Don laughed, too. When that brought no one after several moments of fussing, she paused, plotted some more and went on to a new complaint. Over the course of the next hour or so she complained that her feet hurt umpteen times, that she needed help with her blankets, that she was having a bad dream, that she was having a nightmare, that she wanted fuzzy bunny, and that she was hungry. She even stopped crying periodically and, in a very pleasant voice, said "Mom. I awaked. I ready to get up now." :) Yes, she tried it all, several times each. She even threw a few temper tantrums in all of that. She really tried hard. And she was very persistent. Very. But Daddy and I held firm.

Eventually she calmed down. Note I never said she went back to sleep. Because she didn't. She got up at 4 and she's still up. And she took each and every member of the household with her. After all, with all of that fussing, the boys woke up, too. *sigh* We're all a bit bleary-eyed and tired, and Daddy probably had to have the bus driver wake him up at his stop. But through it all I just kept smiling. In fact, I was actually rejoicing. Actually praising the Lord. Why? Because not once, not ever in all of her fussing did she ever say "My tummy hurts." It is so far removed from her experience that she didn't even remember to pull it out of the hat with all of her other efforts. It isn't an issue any longer. After three and a half years, she's finally got a normal tummy. God is good, isn't he? :):):)