All About Mary

It's a quiet Monday here. A bit of a respite after days upon days of going here and there. We are vehicle weary. The thought of getting in a car and driving anywhere at this point makes us want to howl. 

Little girl has spent the past few hours content on the floor, surrounded by her pile of toys and enjoying the novelty of playing without having to fight, pinch, kick or bite anyone away. We have learned quickly that she is a professional pincher. My hands and arms have learned the hard way. Her motto is my way or the highway. When her way isn't happening she is a bit like a feral cat with claws out and a snarling face.

We get it.

She doesn't know us. We don't speak her language except for a few butchered words (especially me - Rob is much better in this department and John is working hard at remembering). She's frustrated and scared and can't communicate with us what she wants or needs. The words she does know are not clear because of her speech issues.

So she fights. And snarls. And pinches. And claws.

But she also snuggles and laughs and reaches her hands out to us and is slowly slowly beginning to try to communicate to us. 

She loves to clean and help and water is her love language!

She is slowly engaging with her brothers and reaching out in small ways to them.

If you give her a pillow and tell her to whack Papa with it - she will gladly oblige and then turn and whack Mama even if we are on the same team!!

We have learned that she is pretty fearless.  We went to a petting place and little girl went right into each pen without pause and was not the least bit afraid to pet and hold and feed the animals.

She was completely nonplussed when Papa's hat was food for a certain lemur.

She has moments of joy and moments when she withdraws from us. We wonder what she is thinking when she 'disappears.' We well remember Aaron doing the same thing which gives us some peace when it happens although it is hard to watch her close us out.

She has moments when she wants only us and other times when we are around other people that she will reach out and want to be held by strangers. We have to ask kindly that they give her high fives and pats. Hugs and holding are for family only.

Her seizures happen all.the.time, but thankfully she is willing to wear her headband which has provided some protection against the whacks her head is constantly taking. It's heartbreaking to watch.

She's ours.

Every bit of her. From her adorable smiles to her blank stares to her snarling faces.  She's ours.

And we love her quite fiercely!