Patch The Pumpkin

Patch Shipley was born this evening around 6pm. Gracie was not so thrilled at as he "opened" his eyes and mouth, she liked him better when he was silent and just round.

We had bought Gracie a pumpkin Wednesday, and tonight we decided to carve him into a very happy jack-o-lantern. She looked on, terrified as her daddy started to cut out the lines I had drawn earlier today. But, she became fascinated as daddy started spooning out the icky insides. She put her fingers in the goo and picked out the seeds making a very sour face. As Daddy whittled away longer at the pumpkin she had become very attatched to over the past few days, she decided she couldn't watch anymore--and went off to play. We tried to coax her away from the shoes she was playing with and join in the family fun we had planned for the evening, but she responded with her usual "no-kay." When Patch was finished she didn't want to sit beside him to have her picture taken. She wasn't sure about this pumpkin that now had eyes, a nose, and a huge mouth. We readied Patch and put a candle inside him, and then all at once, Gracie also lit up. She decided that a Jack-O-Lantern was pretty neat all aglow. Now, of course, she wanted to touch him.

In the past few weeks Gracie has increasingly become scared of everything. I have read about this stage, as well as the separation-anxiety stage she also seems to be going through. I know that these two things are natural, but you can't help but be concerned that animal sounds she used to love to hear now frighten her, and stuffed animals like lions or tigers make her cower. She has been such a daredevil since she could sit up--and now to watch my bold child turn into a mommy's baby. Her nightmares have increased as well, and she ends up shaking at least once a night, and in our bed.

Besides the fear thing, she hangs on me constantly. She cries if I leave the room or do the dishes or anything else that takes me away from the room she's in. I guess I should cherish this time, after all in a few years she won't want anything to do with me! I do hope though that I can find away to help her deal with her fears. And, Garren and I have decided not to stop doing things because we don't want her to be scared. Sometimes its best to know that scary things are really okay. For example: we will not be canceling Halloween. We will take her out and see the sights. But, we will not force anything on her, if she gets scared we will cuddle her and go to a few more houses before we pack it in for the night. Two of the most important things for our child to know --we are always there, and it's not okay to let fear of any kind to run your life.

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