OCD

Alysse is EXTREMELY OCD - and what I once worried about autism or something else.. I realize now its mostly a combination of intelligence and OCD.

There are things that happen on a daily basis where Mark and I look at each other and say "that's just not normal."  She's 20 months old now and does things that a 3 or 4 year old will do or say.  When you combine that with quirkiness of aligning things and repetition, something just seems different about her.  She is such an awesome child though - we love to just sit and watch her.  The wheels are constantly spinning in her head and we love to see what she comes up with next.

OCD - She doesn't like it when my hair is in a ponytail. She gets very upset and makes me take it out.  She wouldn't slide down the slide until I took my hair down.  If I don't take it down myself, she will take it down for me.

OCD - She has to have things exactly the same way - every time.  If we sit in a spot on the rug and play a new game, we have to sit in that same spot every time to play that game.  One time she was constipated and I sat in front of her potty, held her hands and sang a poop song to her (one that I made up that made her laugh - but it worked!).  Now when she poops on her potty, she tells me to sit down "right here" and hold her hands and sing the song.  If I sit on my knees, she tells me to sit down on the ground... everything has to be exact.  When she was 6-8 months old I showed her how to turn on the Handy Manny toolbox by turning it on its side and pushing the button.  She still do this day turns it on that way.

When we floated the lazy river in SA, she told us to watch our heads when we went under the bridge.  She had not head any of us say that before - but she somehow related the bridge to being low and possibly hitting our head.  Children that age don't' usually associate things like that together.  She counts to 11 - but none of us have taught her that so I guess she just heard it somewhere and remembered.  She still forgets TUV on the ABC song, but gets the tune right.  She LOVES to sing and sings nonstop everywhere she goes.  She remembers faces with names even if she sees them one time.  She will remember girls names on the gym team that I have never told her.  I guess she hears the girls say each others names - I am not too sure how she knows them.  If she sees a picture of someone on my phone and I tell her the name - she will know the person's name if she sees them.  For example there was a picture of Isabella with Avery on my phone.  When she saw Isabella at gym - she said - "Er's Isabella!"

Alysse gets very upset if things don't go the way she wants.  She screams at the top of her lungs and wont' stop.  I have learned how to calm her down - I talk really soft to her and tell her to look at me.  Once she makes eye contact I have to talk her though whatever it is that is upsetting her.  Like when she wanted her paci and Avery was going to the car to get it.  I had to explain to her where Avery was and how she was going to the car to get the paci.  I ask Alysse questions like "do you want your paci?"  She says yes and I explain how she has to wait for Avery to get back with it. I explain how she got the key, went outside, opened the car and got the paci out, but she has to walk back into the house to bring it.  Alysse calms down and understands exactly what I said.  That happened once - now every time she is looking for her paci she asks me to tell Avery to get it out of the car. Then I have to figure out where it is and how we will find it.  Whew it's a challenge!!  It is going to be one tough day when we take that thing away from her.  For a creature of habit, she will NOT like being without her paci!!!

She started school full time this week and I already miss her.  I am starting my job search and pray really hard that I can find something on this side of town.  It's not going to be easy!!!!!