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Friday, December 4, 2009

your high need child

When Gloriana was about three months old, I found a book in the library by the awesome Dr. Sears called, "The High Need Child". I took it home, read it cover to cover during a sleepless night and told Nick all about it the next day. It was such a great book to me because it acknowledged that some kids take a lot of special care, but reiterated that this wasn't something to see as negative - just something to take note of and pay attention to.

Let me back up. When I was twenty weeks pregnant with Glory, my doctor told us she had Trisomy 18 - a fatal genetic disorder (she didn't). When I was around thirty weeks pregnant, they told us she had hydrocephalus (she didn't). She's had MRSA twice and surgery once. When she was born, she had colic, a dairy allergy, a soy allergy, pretty intense reflux, and a cry that would actually frighten a grown man.

And then around six weeks, she started smiling and goodness gracious - the whole world changed! Who knew that someone could be equally terrifying with their infant rage and dazzling with their beautiful joy?

So I loved that book because I could see so clearly that Glory was different and special and would need a lot from us and I was more than happy to step up to the challenge because that girl is such a massive blessing to the world. Can you imagine what a smile like that will do for the Kingdom? What such a loving and generous heart will accomplish for the Glory of God?

So today, she fell. Just like normal toddlers fall - all the time. Just tumbled out of her chair, but this was different. She screamed a new scream and instead of toughing it out like normal - she kept on screaming. Eventually I realized she was holding her arm and thankfully, I was with friends who could watch the boys while I ran her to urgent care. By the time we got there, she was calm and sweet. Playing with my earrings and drinking her milk and both arms seemed fine. I thought we might be overkilling it, but since we were already there - we got some xrays just to check. She loved getting stickers and picked out one especially for Elias. As we waited for the doctor, she was using her bum arm to feed her sweet puppup and when our doctor walked in - all three of us were shocked. Broken arm?!

Glory kept saying, "I broke it?! I broke it!?"
He showed me the x-ray and the clean break right on her forearm and we all just kind of shook our heads at our tough little girl still using her very broken arm.

My high need child is really one of the greatest things in the whole world.
She takes so much energy and so much prayer and gives back quadruple what she takes in joy, love, and blessings.
I am so thankful for her, especially today, and thankful the Lord protected her with nothing more than a broken arm.

Thanks Lord for Glory.


8 comments:

Lauren said...

Sweet little goddaughter:( I remember trying to "learn her" when she was little and unhappy. Learn how to bounce juuust right, or pat/smack that little bottom to soothe that angry cry. She's special, that one.

I think she'll have us all trying to "learn her" for her entire life. Our privilege, right?

Love that babe.

Holly said...

Bless her heart! I am so sorry to hear about the broken arm. I broke mine at 2 and went a whole weekend before anybody actually knew for sure(ER said it was not broken; Dr.'s office said it was). I will keep your whole family in my prayers as this is an adjustment time for all of you when someone in the family has a cast!

staci with an i said...

poor little sugar! she looks/sounds like she's being such a trooper. glad she has that pup to wear his cast too ;) hope it doesn't hurt anymore & she gets lots of extra treats! love yall!

Annie said...

I love that Pup Pup got a cast too.

Leigh said...

aw Glor and pup pup! Hope her cute little self heals super fast and that cast is gone before you know it!

Rachel said...

Poor little sweet girl. She must be one tough cookie for sure!

Also, I think I have to read that book. After I read this blog it just hit me, Bennett is one of those children. It must be that life twin thing again since both of us have a middle child that is high need. But seriously I don't know any other way to describe my Benny...love him to absolute pieces but he sure can wear me out.

Rachel Merchand Abplanalp said...

Same thing happened to my friend Sarah DeShield's lil boy. He fell out of his chair and cried for a lil bit but was fine. She didn't take him to the doctors til a few days later and out it was broken! She was totally shocked.

Anonymous said...

I love the pink cast. I'm kinda jealous, really.

Mark just walked in and said "casts aren't that much money, dear."

I said, "Does that mean I could get out of doing the dishes?"