I am reading all of this like it's a primer of my daughter. I thought I was going crazy when she was a baby. All of the things you are talking about - no sleep, sensitivity to noise, clothes, etc. She lived in a sling for almost her first year. She cried all the time, loud or unusual noises made her inconsolable. By the time she was two she would say "noisy, noisy, too loud. We used to joke that she didn't like anything. And like your daughter, no one could believe it because she was so sociable and happy. One day just after she turned one, it's like a light went on and she became this happy smiling (although still incredibly sensitive) child. When people would comment on it, I would say - I've earned it.
She is six now, and we are going through early gifted testing at the suggestion of her teacher. She is exceptionally bright and she still carries a lot of her early sensitivities with her. It's been a challenge at school. This is really the first year that everything has clicked for her.
It's been and still is a challenge, but she is an amazing girl. The hardest part for us has been finding teachers who don't simply dismiss her as a "drama" queen or a problem in the classroom. We will see what this year brings. Life truly isn't dull...
