This is really when the going got rough!  The connection between the kitten and my daughter's face is crucial. It had to look real, the shading and the feel had to be bang on... adding graphite and blending where really on the menu at this point.
I felt I just wasn't getting it.  It wasn't until much later on that I realised that the problem was not at the "connection" like I thought but the hand and the kittens face.  The hand has one finger missing and the kitten no depth