Poor Elena....Our new nightly ritual...

Elena has always suffered from dry skin.....and has been prone to eczema. When she was really tiny we tried avoiding dairy products like cheese and cows milk and started buying goat's milk and soya yogurts.... Not sure if it worked or not but then we had our work cut out for us convincing her later on that she was NOT allergic to cheese and yes, she could bring some in her lunch for school... Because of her dry skin she has twice gotten impetigo and had to have antibiotics...This is the only reason Elena has ever had to visit the doctor... Thankfully she is such a healthy little girl....But.... it looks like we may have to schedule another visit....
Over the last week or so Elena has suffered a very acute bout of eczema. It started behind her knees and we started putting creams on it... usually works with immediate effect but not this time....

We persevered, introducing a nightly ritual with the ducks and creaming morning and evening but instead of improving it has only gotten worse.... way worse... She has never ever been this bad.... her legs are worst affected but she also is affected on her back, stomach and ankles and wrists.....

Any suggestions? Any remedies??
Someone has suggested that eczema can be linked to anxiety and that she might be anxious....Yes, she tends to be an anxious child but would not think that she is any more anxious lately than usual..

I love this little face and I hate to see her worried and upset.... Because my other two are of much calmer, relaxed natures my protective instincts come so much more to the fore with my Elena. I would go to any lengths to protect her from whatever scares her, upsets her... I don't indulge her and in fact am way stricter and more firm with her than with any of my other children. I feel that with her anxious and challenging nature she needs very firm boundaries and limitations and I consistently follow through with what I expect from her and ask her to do... This demands a lot of consistency from me and although sometimes I am not as patient as I should be, most of the time I admit I do a fairly good job with her... She knows I mean what I say and while she will avoid doing what she knows is expected of her if she thinks she will get away with it she is compliant if 'she who has her sussed' is in charge!!!!
Elena pays us a visit every night and lately we don't even hear her come in but she is always there when I open my eyes in the morning... The more I parent the more I veer away from the 'parenting books' and operate on instinct.... Darrelle was a text book baby and child.... Elena came along and all my parenting theories and 'know-it-all' attitude disappeared out the window..... It Elena needs the security of being close to us at night she shall have it..... I don't expect her to do it forever.... and I love those shining little brown eyes that wake me in the morning to greet another day......
Over the past year of so Elena on a handful of occasions has arrived downstairs and appears very agitated... this is different from when she comes down looking for a drink of water or to tell us something. She walks towards me, then pushes me away and is quite upset.... Sometimes she talks and I have come to the conclusion that she is actually asleep... She does NOT allow me to comfort her and usually I just stop what ever I am doing and just keep talking very calmly to her and telling her 'It's OK' over and over and coaxing her back to bed... She always does go back after a few minutes and goes straight to sleep.... So far I have always been on hand when this has happened but have had Darrelle observe me in case it happens and her Dad and I are not here. Elena has no recollection of this the following morning so I am wondering if maybe these are the 'night terrors' that I have heard about, common in (but not exclusive to) adopted children...

So, it makes me wonder whether Elena is going through a stage where she is trying to process her adoption story... I know between 5 and 7 they are beginning to make sense of their story and becoming aware that for all they have gained they also have lost and while she is not verbalising this who knows what is happening in that little head of hers....

I love this precious little girl to bits and am so proud of her and honoured to have been 'chosen' to be her mother, to have her as my daughter and pray that I will be the best mother I can be to her and 'to go the extra mile' that I feel she may need.....

Now, why did I start off by talking about eczema and end up talking about the joy of adopting......:))))