Finally

Jacob's first 2 months have been amazing and he really does seem to have the basics figured out:
1. Mama is the most important person in his world.
2. Home is a comfort and where he wants to be when he's had enough.
3. His routine is reliable and he can predict what will happen next.

We have needed a grocery store visit for days. And when Brad had to work yet another Saturday I decided it was time for Jacob to show me whether or not he could handle a grocery store. I put him in the front pack and planned my route through the store for efficiency. He was excited to be somewhere new until he saw the hoards of people. His little fists clamped on to my sweatshirt and he watched in awe as we passed all the other shoppers and gathered our necessities.

We were in and out of the store pretty quickly and back home with plenty of time to play and connect before nap time. He had a hard time settling into nap. But I think my boy is finally ready to experience a little more of the world. At least, within the comfort and protection of the front pack.

Back in the game

Jacob is back to his normal happy self. So we emerged from the cocoon for a little outside play time.

Our cat, Joseph, follows Jacob around like a shadow. Every time we go outside he wont quit rubbing on Jacob as he toddles around. It's both cute and annoying.

Overstimulated

This seems to be a word I use a lot.

Yet again, I must begin by saying I am no professional. I base all of my opinions and responses to Jacob's behavior on things we are learning from books, training, and advice. But here's the skinny:

Infants raised at home learn to process stimulation with the help of their mother even before birth. Sounds, motion, nutrition, and even things like stress and excitement can be felt in the womb. And much of an infant's stimulation is provided by their mother after birth through skin-to-skin contact, nursing (or nurturing bottle feeding), patting (burping), rocking, being carried, being spoken to, being touched, and being taken to new environments. Smells, sights, sounds, touch and taste are all stimulated by mom.

Jacob did not receive the same stimulation during his first months of life that an infant raised at home would receive. He spent extended amounts of time alone in the same confined environment. So  becoming over stimulated is not just a matter of him experiencing large amounts of new stimulus. It is also a matter of not having developed the appropriate coping and processing ability due to lack of exposure during key developmental periods. Translation: not only is he constantly seeing and experiencing new things which by themselves would be overstimulating, he also does not have the coping ability to process all the new stuff which is also overstimulating. It's a double-whammy.

Signs of over stimulation that we look for are:
-irritated behavior/whining: whining is something Jacob has just learned in the past 2 weeks
-avoiding eye contact and trying to disengage from an activity or environment: institutionalized orphans can struggle with this to the point that they can't look away even though they want to
-self-soothing like rocking and thumb-sucking
-responses that don't match the circumstances: like hysterical laughing or extreme excitement when nothing particularly funny or exciting has happened
-jerky or exaggerated movements: for example turning his head will look like his noggin may spin right off because he whips it around rather than a controlled movement
-sleep disturbances: difficulty getting to sleep, stirring within the first hour of going to sleep, waking in the night, waking too early, appearing over-tired during the day

From The National Sleep Foundation: "When the body is overstimulated, the brain is flooded with neurochemicals that keep us awake, such as epinephrine and adrenaline, making it difficult to wind down at the end of the day. The neurochemicals remain present in the brain and can interrupt your normal sleep cycle. The result can be insomnia, bad dreams, and daytime fatigue caused by sleep disturbance."

With time Jacob will learn to disengage from a stimulating activity on his own and express a need for help before passing into over stimulation. He is already figuring some of this out by using his sign for 'all done' and whining. It is our job to pace the amount of highly stimulating environments and activities we introduce him to in order to help him develop his own coping skills without stretching him too far. It is also our job to help him recover when he has been stretched beyond his ability. Hence the cocoon.

Christmas Day

I love watching my kids on Christmas morning.

 

Jacob thought ripping the wrapping paper was pretty cool. But he was a little irritated by the continual stream of new stuff and every one's interest in him opening and playing with the toys.

After morning nap we took the kids to my Mom's to open gifts with my family. It was wild and woolly and wonderful. Jacob started getting antsy and signing 'all done' when we would bring him back into the living room for more present opening. But overall, he did great.

We arrived home for nap time only to find more gifts left under our tree by Great-Grandparents. After nap Brad took Drew and the girls back to my Mom's to visit and open even more presents from his Mom while Jay and I had some quiet time to connect at home. Jay and I joined everyone for dinner around 6pm.

Christmas dinner is my very favorite part of the holiday. Not the food (oh, that's not entirely true, I love the food), but everyone gathered around the table visiting and laughing. By the time we were done eating, Jacob had had about enough of this whole "Christmas" thing. He had been signing 'all done' and was getting increasingly irritated. He started to rock just a little so I knew I had pushed him as far as he could go. So I took Jay home while Brad stayed with the kids to visit and play with their new gadgets.

I love that Jacob is finding comfort at home. He is always so happy to arrive in the driveway. I could tell he was overstimulated by his hysterical laughing as we prepared for bath and bed. I couldn't help but laugh with him. It was like we had the best inside joke ever.

This morning was a little difficult for Jay. Time seemed to be standing still. He was tired long before nap time. And the disorganization of the new toys strewn all around the house seemed to throw him a bit. He seemed to be wandering through the house lost and cranky. He passed out for a 2 hour nap and seemed happier after lunch. But afternoon nap was a mess full of restlessness. And I don't even know how to describe this evening. It was plainly obvious that he was wound way too tight.

So, we'll be back in the cocoon for a couple days restoring order to his little world. But I have to admit, he did even better than I expected with the holiday craze.

Thank you to our family for making Jacob's first real Christmas a success and keeping the magic alive for our other three kiddos.

Cookies for Santa

It's Christmas Eve. I can't wrap presents until the kids are sleeping, so I may as well blog!

This evening Brad and Caitlin went with my parents to deliver presents (we have participated with the same organization to bring gifts to needy families for over 15 years). Amber, the boys, and I stayed home to make cookies for Santa. Everyone made one for Santa and the kids each made one to eat themselves too.

Then Amber insisted on leaving a treat for the reindeer. She has been somewhat obsessed with Santa's reindeer this year. I assuming it has something to do with things she heard at school and learning the song about Rudolph and the other reindeer. But whatever the reason, she was adamant that we leave plenty of goodies for them too.

One more sleep... Time to wrap!!

Comfort Zone

Last night Jacob joined us for Sunday dinner at my Mom's. This was the first time he made it through the entire visit without showing any signs of discomfort. No rocking, no thumb sucking, no avoiding eye contact, no signing 'all done', and no trouble getting to sleep when we arrived home. He played happily and continually checked in with Mom during our visit. We think he has figured out Nana's is a comfy place to visit.

He was fascinated by my Mom's tree. I have not put any presents under ours yet for obvious reasons...

Different perspective

Some of Jacob's behaviors can be deceiving. Things that most people would observe as 'normal' or 'cute' are actually Jacob's way of telling us he is overwhelmed, scared, intimidated, or otherwise uncomfortable. One of the great challenges of the first months and years with an adopted child who comes from a complex background is teaching them to rely on their caregiver (usually Mom) and to give appropriate responses to stresses at the appropriate time.

One of the most common and immediately noticeable behaviors of institutionalized orphans is rocking. Orphans learn to rock as a form of self stimulation and self soothing.

This is a video clip from a documentary on a Romanian orphanage. The conditions the children are raised in are very sad.

Jacob's orphanage was very modern and sanitary. It is touted as the best orphanage in the entire region of Tver. He received the best care we could have imagined. But regardless of a nice facility and caregivers who obviously tried very hard to give their best to the children in their care, our son was still in a group of 9 babies being cared for by 1woman at a time. It is just not possible to feed, change, clean, prepare for, and clean up after 9 babies and still manage to provide all the touching, talking, snuggling, stimulating, and teaching each baby needs. So, our son learned typical 'orphan behaviors' including rocking himself.

Since coming home, Jacob's rocking has diminished greatly. But when he does begin to rock, it is like a little red flag being raised. It is our indication that he needs help with something. Jacob will rock when he is tired, bored, scared, lonely, overwhelmed, under stimulated or overstimulated.

Jacob uses rocking to give his body input that it is missing. This is a behavior that he learned over and over again in the orphanage. He was on his own and had to learn how to soothe, stimulate, and entertain himself while confined in a small area. The easiest way to do that was to rock. Some babies shake their heads, some bang against something, some make rhythmic noises, or a combination of the three.

Babies raised at home will do a small amount of this to self soothe as well. I remember Caitlin would hum while sucking her pacifier as a baby when going to sleep. The difference is that behavior was not something that replaced her dependence on Mom. Babies raised at home learn to 'tell' someone when they are bored, tired, lonely, under stimulated or overstimulated through whining, pulling on Mom's clothing, or crying. Orphans rely on their own ability to meet these needs until they are taught otherwise.

So this means that when Jacob stops playing with his toys and begins to rock, I know he needs a change in environment or a playmate. If he is confined to something like the playpen or jumper and he begins to rock or vocalize rhythmically, he is done and needs to change activities. If his siblings are 'in his face' trying to play and talk to him, and he begins to rock, he needs space and we are teaching them to recognize and respect that sign. 

This also means that even when Jacob is happy and social in a group, if he begins to rock we take action by moving to a more quiet area away from people and focus on connecting activities with Mom. If he continues to rock intensely and stops making eye contact with Mom, we leave the environment completely by going home. Or if we are at home, Mom and Jay will retreat to a quiet room to play until visitors have left.

For Jay, rocking has replaced the normal way babies express a need: crying. So even though he may seem to be smiling away as he rocks or making cute 'happy' noises while rocking, he is really telling us, "I need a little help."

Because Jacob is a charmer, he often smiles and flirts even when he is uncomfortable. His smile will resemble a grimace and he will avert his gaze just slightly to avoid direct eye contact (even though it might look like he is looking at your face). So, again, we would count this as a little red flag and would move away from the people he is engaging with even though he seems to be happy and social.

Can you tell which smile is fake?

Rocking and forced smiling are just two examples of what we watch for. But if you notice us taking Jacob into another room or suddenly disappearing from a social gathering even though it seemed like Jacob was smiling, happy, and doing great, realize we are looking at his responses with a different perspective.

Holi-daze

As usual, the holiday craze has hit. It just can't be avoided.

First off was Amber's first grade play. Her class performed 'The Grinch' and sang a few Christmas songs. It was precious, of course.

 Amber, bottom row, 3rd from the left 

Amber with her teacher after the show

 

 

Then Amber's actual birthday. We did the usual donuts for breakfast and treats at school followed by having family over for cake and ice cream. Nothing quite like a day of sugar to celebrate a birthday.

 

 

Friday was the girls' school holiday parties so they both trekked off to school with party supplies to contribute and then came home with bags full of candy, crafts, and holiday creations.

Sunday we visited my parent's ward to hear their choir sing. Brad took everyone but Jacob and then Jay and I came for the last 20 minutes or so. He wasn't thrilled. He began rocking and signed 'all done' when we approached the chapel. But he made it through our short visit and adamantly signed 'all done' when everyone stood up after the meeting was through. Once we got in the car and I signed 'home' and told him we were done with our visit he was happy as a clam.

The big day is just 2 sleeps away! And then we have family coming to visit so I am sure there will be plenty of opportunity for outings after Christmas too.

 

I love this time of year. It's just a little tricky trying to stay close to home and keeping things 'quiet'. Here's hoping we make it to the New Year without burning out our boy...

Look what I can do!

That, my friends, is an index-finger-to-thumb pincer grasp. Whohoo!

He is catching up at lightning speed these days: releasing blocks and toys on cue (we are still not stacking, but getting close), showing interest in books and attempting to turn pages, placing items inside their containers, and handing items back and forth. Huge steps in the last two weeks!

First hair cut

Yes, I cut his hair. It wasn't because he had too much of it. He is nearly bald on the top of his head. But the back of Jacob's little noggin was out of control. I like my boys 'high and tight'. So watching his little fluff blow in the breeze just wouldn't do.

Here is before:

 

Here is after:

 

And here is what he thought of the experience:

Does anything upset this child? Well, aside from Mommy not picking him up immediately when he asks...

Out front

Today was our first official "outside" play day. We started with a little tour of the court with Jay in his little walker.

 

Then the boys had races down the driveway ( I LOVE having boys!).

 

Then Jacob wanted to get out of the walker and do some exploring.

 

 

Did you know there are leaves outside the house too!?

It was so nice to get some fresh air, soak in some sun, and play around outside for a while.

First bubbles

Jacob has been increasingly whiny and clingy lately. This is actually a good indication of attachment, albeit a really tiring one. As the day wears on he seems to loose interest in his toys and only wants to be carried around. Add that to the natural neediness of the dinner hour for all children and it becomes quite the challenge. My back is starting to complain about the new work out, so last night it was time to bring out something new: bubbles.

 

 

It was a solid 30 minutes of pure joy and fun. What a wonderful invention.

FAQs

We have such awesome family and friends! Each time I have the chance to see someone they all want to know how Jacob is doing. Everyone is anxious to hear details and there has been an abundance of questions. There also seems to be a need to explain the "why" behind most of my answers. So I thought I would take some time to do that here as well. It's a long post, but if you are curious it will be worth the read.

Questions I have tried to answer:

-Who told you that? Anytime I talk about something that seems unusual or out of the ordinary (which most things pertaining to an internationally adopted child are) I am asked where I came up with that answer.

answer: We received 12 hours of online training from our home study agency, a 4 hour webinar through the University of Pittsburgh, a 2 hour seminar from our placing agency, reading materials provided by our agencies, and numerous books both recommended by our agencies and outside sources. I also have based some of my opinions on a combination of the reading material and experiences of other adoptive parents I have spoken with. I have always been a "by-the-book" kind of gal and I read as much as I can get my hands on and put the strategies into practice that I feel are right for my child and family. Some of the books have been excellent, others are now collecting dust.

-Did you do that with your other children? (or "well, with my children...") Another FAQ if I mention something unusual.

answer: Parenting an internationally adopted toddler is a whole new world. The parenting strategies that worked with my first three children are frequently inadequate or inappropriate for Jacob. His needs are very different than the needs of an adopted newborn, an adopted child over the age of 3 (able to speak and beginning to express feelings verbally), a domestically adopted child, or a child raised in their birth family. Most of the things we are doing with Jacob are the exact opposite of what we did with our other 3 children. That is part of what makes it a challenge.

-What's with his name? We have received questions about why we changed his first name, why we kept his Russian name, and why he has two middle names.

answer: All of Jacob's names are symbolic and hold some tradition. His first name, his 'American' name, is a symbol of the big change and new beginning in his life. Nothing is or will be the same and that is represented in his name. It is also a biblical name, but we mostly chose it because we like it. As usual, it just so happens to be #1 on the most popular names for boys list for 2012. This has happened with 3 of our 4 kids even though we chose all of their names years before they joined our family. Jacob's middle name, his Russian name, is a symbol of his beginnings and history. It represents his heritage and culture. This is something we intend to teach him about and celebrate together as a family. We kept the Russian spelling even though it translates easily to English because that is part of recognizing the significance of the name. His second middle name, his maternal grandfather's first name, involves tradition as well as symbolism. Not only does it honor my father and my history, it is a family tradition in Brad's family that the boys receive their grandfather's name as a middle name, and it also represents a connection to Brad, who also has two middle names (something we have not found to be very common).

-Why did you put him on a bottle? Children raised in an orphanage setting are usually weaned from the bottle as early as possible. I don't know the exact age it happened for Jacob, but when we saw him the first time (age 10 months) he drank out of a ceramic mug instead of a bottle. In the orphanage, bottles take too much time to prepare and clean and feeding children from a mug is significantly faster-it's more like a force feeding because the children have to gulp and swallow quickly to avoid choking. So when people hear he was already weaned and I intentionally offered him a bottle after the age of 1 year, I get all kinds of interesting looks.

answer: #1- the bottle is a common attachment tool. Because feeding from a bottle involves cuddling and touch, eye contact, and the opportunity for calm satisfying feelings for baby, it is recommended even older adopted children be bottle fed when arriving in a new home. I don't know how I would have felt if Jacob were older, but being just 13 months old, I chose to give it a try. It has been a good choice for him.
#2- because children raised in orphanages are frequently weaned from the bottle so young, they also can have under-developed oral muscles. Sucking is like a little work out for the muscles that will later be used for speech. When I first offered Jacob the bottle his mouth was very lazy. He did not make a tight seal around the bottle nipple which caused a lot of smacking, clicking, slurping, choking and dribbling. With time this has all gone away and he is able to maintain a secure seal and use his mouth muscles appropriately. This may or may not help his speech development.
#3- Learning to suck and swallow while breathing simultaneously is an act that directly affects the vagus nerve. This nerve is responsible for calming the body (breathing, heart rate, eye and limb movement, etc). A child who does not practice sucking and swallowing while simultaneously inhaling and exhaling will have an under-developed ability to calm themselves. If he had not taken the bottle, we would have tried a sippy cup or at least a straw to develop this skill. Jacob struggles with this but is improving.

-Why is he still eating formula and baby food? Children in Russian orphanages are usually fed a liquid and mashed diet until the age of 3. They do not learn to chew and swallow as toddlers.

answer: because Jacob was so close to 1 year of age our pediatric specialist said we could offer either formula or whole milk with a multi-vitamin. We chose to begin with formula because the milk proteins are broken down and easier to digest, it is a complete nutrition (we weren't sure what he would be eating), and it was easier to store and prepare during travel. Now that we have been home for a month and have seen what he can and will eat, we are weaning him to whole milk with a multi-vitamin. We also chose to feed Jacob baby cereals and baby foods because it best matched the consistency of the foods he received in Russia. He is developing the ability to chew since coming home so our intention is to begin offering table foods once he is completely weaned to whole milk. He will continue to drink his milk from a bottle while snuggling in my arms until around 18 months for the reasons stated above.

-Why do you offer him a pacifier if he sucks his thumb?

answer: this is very similar to the reasons we are using a bottle so see above for details on sucking and how it affects the vagus nerve and speech development. But aside from those reasons, one of Jacob's 'orphan behaviors' was chewing on his thumb. When we picked him up he had an open wound on his sucking thumb that later became infected. Institutionalized orphans learn to self-stimulate and can loose the ability to discern pain from other sensory input. This is what was happening with his thumb. By offering a pacifier we substitute some of his oral stimulation with an object that cannot be 'hurt'. Even if he does not suck on it, just holding it in his mouth or chewing on it defers some of the energy that might go to his thumb. Since being put on the bottle and arriving home to a more nurturing environment, Jacob has no longer been chewing on his thumb and it has healed completely.

-Why are his naps so important? Nap time has been a sacred time in my home for all 4 of my children. So declining invitations and arranging our outings around nap time is not a new concept. But I will admit we are even less flexible about Jacob's nap routine than our first three children. At age 14 months Jacob should still be taking two 1 1/2-2 hour naps a day. That is a developmental norm for any child. But most children can miss a nap here or there or make do with a cat nap in the car. During our first year home, nap time will be especially important and protected.

answer: Because Jacob has been raised in an orphanage setting, his exposure to the outside world has been extremely limited. Moving to our home and being a part of a family is like Drew, my three year old, permanently moving to Disney World and having to visit a new park every day. Everything about Jacob's new environment is overstimulating. Some of it is fun and exciting but some of it is overwhelming and exhausting. Jacob needs his naps to be able to 'reset'. Having 2 naps a day allows his body to process and recover from the new stimuli he is constantly taking in. Without consistent naps twice a day (until he is ready to have just one nap a day) he would be in a constant state of over-load. This would effect his ability to cope, bond, and process his emotions. It could also increase sensory processing dysfunction, autistic behaviors (disassociation, ticks, severe self soothing like head banging, etc), and other types of behavioral problems. Yes, we really do believe his naps are that important.

-Aren't you just prolonging the 'cocoon' time by keeping him secluded? If you expose him to everything wont he get used it it faster? (I actually had one person compare this idea to socializing a puppy, "the more he sees, the more comfortable he'll be")

answer: we are exposing our son to an immense amount of new stimulus just by staying home. After 6 weeks in the same surroundings we are still making new discoveries every day (the vacuum cleaner, the blender, Christmas decorations, shelves and cupboards, visitors at the door, etc.). Expecting a child who has been immersed in a new environment to then go out of that environment and take in the stimulus of a grocery store or church service is like asking a first grader to step into a calculus class. Yes, he is beginning to show proficiency in adding and subtracting but he needs to repeat those skills over and over before learning multiplication or division, let alone something like calculus. Another example would be beginning to frame a house on a concrete foundation that has not cured yet. Allowing the time to get the foundation settled directly effects the strength of the house.

-When will you be 'out' of the cocoon? I think many family members and friends expected the cocoon to be more like a 'holding period'. Once our time in the cocoon was over life would immediately resume as normal.

answer: we are already practicing exposure outside of the cocoon. But the cocoon concept will continue for at least the first year if not longer. No, we won't be shut-in for a year. This just means that after we experience something new or particularly stimulating we will return to the cocoon and keep things quiet for a day or two to process and recover. Translation-the actual 'time line' might look something like this: our first month home was completely secluded, we did not leave the house and Jacob didn't even see people at the door, there were no visitors in our home.  Months two and three will continue to be very tentative with limited outings and planned recovery time, only mom and dad will handle care and nurture during this time, visitors will include extended family but they will be asked to remain "hands off". Months 4-6 will include more of the 'every day' activities like the grocery store and church, we will start visits with friends and play dates, and more exposure to building relationships with others (yes, Grandparents, this will be your time to swoop in with kisses, hugs, and cuddles). After 6 months we will decide if we can begin trying bigger adventures like day trips and after successfully experiencing those we'll consider vacations. This has to be a flexible timeline as our entire first year is a slow and gradual experiment. We will retreat to the 'cocoon' often during that time.


There are many different views about raising children and how to best help an adopted child. We are doing the very best we can with what we have been taught. But, just like with our other 3 children, we will make mistakes or discover that some of our methods aren't working and need to change some things. So what I am adamant about today may change tomorrow. But this little boy deserves the very best and I am working hard to provide it even if it makes onlookers scratch their heads. I am always looking for new books so if you have experience with adoption and would like to suggest an author, please leave a comment.

You want me to what?

I am so glad that our sweet boy came home as young as he did. There are many things that are common in the orphanages in Russia that he was not old enough to experience. He was not walking on his own yet, and so he did not have to learn to walk everywhere on his own, climb the steps on his own, or sleep in a toddler bed before the age of 2. He barely has enough hair to warrant a haircut so he never had to experience having his head shaved. He was no where near potty training age so he did not have to sit on the little group potty seats they use for extended amounts of time. And, we are convinced he was not yet taught to feed himself like this precious baby:

I figured I would give him something to try with a spoon just to see if he could maneuver a utensil at all (something 14 month olds raised at home might be able to do). He was very confused. He wouldn't even hold the spoon in his right hand. Caitlin is hoping this means he'll be a lefty like her so she wont be the only one in the family. We shall see. He does seem to use the left hand dominantly. But putting the spoon in his hand and placing the bowl before him was apparently very funny to him because he just looked at me with a giant grin and gave a little laugh. His little face was saying, "What do you want me to do with this?"

After some coaxing he started to play with the spoon and taste the food. But he still wasn't convinced this was something he needed to be doing. It turned out to be just a fun activity to pass some time.

Mind over matter

I would like to introduce you to Amber's arch nemesis:

The nail clippers

 

 

Because of sensory processing difficulties, something as ordinary as trimming finger and toe nails can result in a complete nuclear meltdown for Amber. Since the age of about 10 months, we knew that something was different about our "little Bee." She just seemed to have such a hard time with everything. It was not until she was nearly 5 that we understood the source of her troubles. But everyday activities that are just a part of life (brushing teeth, using the restroom, brushing hair, applying lotion or ointments, wearing shoes, trimming nails, eating without choking) were all incredibly challenging for Amber.

 

Once we realized what was going on and educated ourselves on how to help her, Amber made almost immediate improvements. With time, she has been able to overcome most of her sensory struggles completely. But the nail clippers remain on her list of major challenges.

 

Last night I realized she had somehow slipped under my nail-trimming radar and had moved into the "claw" range of nail measurement. So I told her we absolutely had to trim nails at that very moment. She went through her usual efforts to delay. But I knew if we didn't make it happen at that moment it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

 

We made it through the finger nails after about 15 minutes of effort with the usual complaints, outbursts, and aggression. But the toes are a much tougher challenge. Even though she was trying to hold still there was no way we were going to be able to successfully trim the nails in her current state. So, I tried something new. I matter-of-factly explained that she has learned the ability to control her body. I gave examples of things that used to be impossible for her that she has now mastered. And I told her that I believed she had the ability to control her body right then and there and get her nails trimmed. I believed she could do it.

I gave her a moment to compose herself and then explained what I was going to do in detail. She took a deep breath and held it, squeezed her foot with both hands, stared intently at the toe I had named with a laser focus, and nodded her head. Clip. She had done it!! A hug smile came across her face and she clapped her hands in glee. We tried again with the same result and continued, one clip at a time, through all 10 toes. We painted her nails (the reward every time she survives a trimming) and she proudly marched out to the dinner table in triumph.

 

My little Bee is growing up. She makes me proud.