On December 21st, we celebrated our little Therese's 6th birthday. It is hard to believe that she is celebrating her second birthday with us. She almost looks like a different child than she did at this time last
year. She has grown a lot, but she has also matured and the variety of
life experiences and school have made her seem much older and more
sophisticated. She is getting very opinionated about her hair and
clothes, and loves to style her Polly Pocket doll's hair and pick out
outfits for them. We were so happy that she was out of the hospital to celebrate at home where she belongs. The kids greeted her like a hero when she got home on the 20th. They really missed her silly antics, and the house was very quiet without her.
It has been interesting to watch her grow into family life. It does take a long time for a child to understand what it means to be part of a family. The two girls didn't get along very well for about the first 6 months, and then suddenly Therese started realizing that her new big sister just wants to help her, and that being the little sister has a lot of perks. They play for hours with the dollhouse, chattering away. Therese usually does all the hair, and she and Catherine spend a lot of time discussing all the options. I think she is really starting to understand what it means to have a mommy. Over the past few months, she has thrown her arms around my neck and squeezed as hard as she can, saying "Mommy, I want to KEEP you!" She will ask me if I love her and wait with a grin to hear my answer, "Of course I do, I went all the way to China to get you!" One day she looked up at me adoringly, and said, "I wish I had a big nose like you!" It just warms my heart. She can be a challenge sometimes, as she tests her boundaries, but you can see the security that has grown in her as she realizes she belongs.
Her recent surgery made the bond she feels with her family very clear. All her siblings came to visit her a couple of times, and she perked right up when she was surrounded by the noisy throng. One evening we were all there, as well as Aunt Hannah and cousins Emily and baby Daniel. Therese loved it so much, and luckily we didn't cause so much of a disruption that we were asked to leave. (I did consider that as a good tactic if they didn't get the discharge paperwork ready fast enough on the day she was coming home. Maybe a speed demon in a pink wheelchair loose in the hallways and her 5 siblings would motivate them to hurry up and get us home!) After they all played in the hospital playroom for awhile, I had to take the other kids home to get them ready for bed. Therese started crying, really sad and forlorn sobs, so unlike her normally tough little self. She wanted to be with all of us, and especially Mommy. When she went in for a follow-up yesterday, she started to cry and said, "Mommy, I want you take me to hospibal!" So of course I did, and two siblings went along to entertain her as well.
Here is a picture of Therese in her new wheelchair. Even with the DAFOs and twister straps she really can't get around for long distances. She doesn't use it much in the house, but when we go places it lets her move around on her own instead of being stuck in a stroller. This is a rare picture when she is stationary in it--she likes to go as fast as possible. I could see her racing in the future since she is fearless and loves speed. The front wheels light up when they roll, so it is funny to see her outside when it is dark, with lights flashing from her wheels.
