Amazing Anna

We are so blessed to have Anna as a part of our family.  This kid is usually a joy to be around, but this past week has been filled with some pretty amazing events in her life.

First, she had her 5 year check-up last week.  I know, not too noteworthy in itself, but she knew that she'd be getting a handful of shots at this appointment.  We talked through it and prepared her as much as we could, but even so she said "Mom, I'm really scared and anxious" as she was lying down at the end of the appointment.  After the first one, she said "Hey!  That wasn't too bad!"  Even after the second one she didn't shed a tear.  The third and final shot is saved for the end because it's the most painful.  Though there were a few tears, she got herself under control right away and said "Well, I'm glad that's over!"

Besides the shots, she had a perfectly healthy check-up.  She's 43 lbs. and 43.5 inches.  That puts her at 68% for weight and 70% for height - very proportional :)  She chatted with the nurse and the doctor all about her birthday, kindergarten, her birthday party, and life in general.

Second, last week Anna decided to stop sucking her thumb once and for all.  For those of you who have followed this saga, you probably remember that sucking her thumb has been an almost 5 year addiction and that she has worked over the past two years or so to gradually cut back her thumb time.  The most recent parts of this journey included her New Year's resolution this year to only suck her thumb while she was sleeping and then packing away her special blanket (to which she and her thumb have been VERY attached since she was an infant) when she turned 5.

Anna kept telling us that she would quit the habit when she turned five, but her birthday came and went with her still telling us that she only needed to suck her thumb to fall asleep.  We've been giving her lots of ideas for strategies of how to stop (chew on something else at bedtime, snuggle with a big something or cuddle with a small something, listen to different music choices, think/pray about the day, etc.) and just letting her make the decision to stop, because we always knew that when she wanted to stop, she would find the willpower to do it.

Well, last Thursday we heard her up for awhile after we put her to bed and then on Friday morning she came out with the biggest smile and told us that she didn't suck her thumb to fall asleep.  My first response was "Wow!", but my next thought was did she really do it and know for sure?  Anyway, we gave her lots of praise and just waited.  When I checked on her on Friday night, she was sleeping with a chewy spoon in her mouth :)

Since then she hasn't gone back to the thumb!  She's also had a hard time falling asleep and/or sleeping in.  By yesterday she was really, really tired, but just couldn't settle down enough to take a nap, until she finally crashed on our bed while listening to a book on tape and fell asleep for awhile.

We've certainly had a few rough moments in terms of dealing with a really tired girl, but I think we might be over the worst of it.  And most importantly, we're SO proud of Anna.  We never wanted the thumb-sucking to be a fight between us and Anna so we've worked hard to just encourage her in the steps she's ready to take, knowing all the while that sucking her thumb is really not good for her teeth :)

Anyway, the last big thing for Miss Anna is that on Sunday she learned to swim!  As with so many other things in her life, once she figured it out, there was no going back.  We've had lots and lots of pool time this summer, but she still was hesitant to put her face in the water or to practice "swimming" without a noodle or floaty wrapped around her.  Then on Sunday my mom was here for awhile, and since it was so stinkin' hot again, we were out in the pool.  Anna wanted to show my mom how she could put her face under water while she had goggles on.  Then a little while later she tried it without the goggles, decided that she was okay with it, and then started to swim!  Crazy kid.  Again, we're so proud of her and she's so proud of herself :)

The last thing to mention right now is that the only reason I'm able to update this blog in the middle of the day today is because Kate and Anna are very busily playing.  Here's what they came up with.  They snuck into our room earlier and stealthily put away their clean clothes that were lying on the bed.  Then when I asked them what happened to the clothes (a game we often play), they told me that a robber muskrat stole them (this was a new twist to the game).  Then they set up a trap for the muskrat in our room made of blocks and string and various other things.  Silly girls :)