An interesting advantage of adopting an "older" child is that she can remember many things from her previous "family". Luckily, in Alaina's case, those memories seem to be happy ones! Tonight, she came to me and told me that she didn't like her scar from her heart surgery. She asked me how long she would have it. I told her that she would always have her scar. She replied, "Even when I'm old lady?" (I was expecting that sentence to end with "like you, mommy?", but it didn't!) I said "Yes". She looked a little disappointed. I then told her that if she didn't have that scar that she may not have come to our family. She smiled and said, "So it's good that I have my scar?" Sure is!!!
Tonight as she and Ally were settling into bed, she said she remembers when she went to the hospital for her surgery (now she was talking about her hernia surgery). She said it hurt a lot, her tummy was fat (maybe swollen) and she cried all the time, so her China grandpa took her to the doctor. Her doctor was a "lady doctor and she liked me and sometimes gave me candy and I smiled."
So, before she was 6 year old, Alaina had heart surgery (14 months) and hernia surgery (no record of how old she was when she had this one). I'm just so glad that the one she does remember that she remembers her China Grandpa being with her. He is also the one who borrowed the neighbors car to take her to the hospital when she broke her arm climbing a "rock hill" (I think she is meaning gravel). We will likely never get to thank this family that took care of our "big girl" for almost 5 years. I'm sure that they must have loved her like their own. We are thankful for them. Thankful that they took such good care of our girl until we could come get her.
Many are amazed when I tell them she was almost 6 when we met her -- she is so well adjusted and is learning so quickly! She sat on the sofa tonight with one of her little books and looked at me with a huge toothless grin and said, "Mommy, I did it!" I looked over and said, "What?" She replied, "I read this book in my head without talking out loud!" Cute, huh?
Another little heart girl got her new family this week - a sweet friend of mine who, after waiting over 31 months, switched to the Special Needs Program! I'll let her blog "announce" it first!!! It has been amazing to be a little part of one more child and family finding each other!
Snow here in our little part of the South... Watching Vancouver Olympics!!!
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3 comments:
What a beautiful post! I have cold chills all over. I LOVE the stories Alaina tells you. She is quite remarkable!!! I can't wait to hear all about your friend's new little one coming to her family!!! :)
Praying for sweet Lauren this morning! And sweet SJ far across the world waiting for her family.
Blessings,
Shay
I love Alaina stories!
She so loves her family!
Oh - I am waiting for the day for Jorja to do anything "in her head" and not out loud! :) lol!
Enjoy your snow!
We need to start talking about a mini-vacation with y'all!
We've been home with our eight year old for two weeks now, and I CAN NOT wait 'til she can share with me like Alaina is doing.
Interestingly, Abby had the same two surgeries Alaina had - and we also have NO record of the hernia surgery. I knew nothing about it until the doctor here examined her.
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