Introducing Jelly

Jelly is a sweet little girl who has huge anxiety issues.  Most likely stemming from her orphanage life, Jelly hates to sleep.  Or rather, hates to GO TO sleep.  She's had this problem as long as she has been home.  She also gets up ridiculously early--4 am--which is really still middle of the night for most people.  I do not want to hear your advice on how to get her to go to sleep on her own or get her to sleep later.  Believe me, we've tried it.  We've been to the pediatrician, a pediatric sleep specialist, play therapist and finally psychiatrist.  We've tried it all: magnesium, melatonin, crying it out, behavioral modification as well as sedatives.  None have solved our problem.  Most worked for a short period of time, but overall did not solve the problem.  I believe we are now on the right path (but just started it so we don't know yet).  We started anti-anxiety medication in addition to weekly play therapy.  It is promising, but not solved yet.

Jelly is a beautiful girl who is incredibly sweet.  Everyone who meets her loves her.  She has a connection to so many people.  She's loving, caring, compassionate (but she is only 4 yrs old) and so precious.  I love her dearly.

When Jelly came home, she was incredibly insecure and unsure.  Yes, she was only 11 months old how could she not be unsure?  She didn't start talking until she was well over age 2, but she knew her colors long before then.  But, since she didn't talk, we didn't realize it.  She did sign, so she did communicate with us.  And quite honestly, she is such a compliant child she rarely threw a fit about something.  But, she was very sensitive for a long time.  If there was laughing in the room (whether at her or not), she would completely lose it and cry.  She's finally conquered the fear of people laughing at her.  Thankfully.

She's fairly easy to please, which makes parenting her fairly easy.  We cannot forget her start in life as she has 11 months where we are "missing" from her memories.  Yes, if kids have trauma in their past, they remember it.  Whether they are conscience memories or not, they do have memories--especially traumatic ones.  I have read the research to prove it.  If you want it, I can direct you to it.

And that's essentially Jelly.