Big Girl

S*a*M*a*N*t*H*a

I failed to mention that this precious girl was diagnosed with mono the day we came home from the hospital with the baby. GG took her to the pediatrician and it was determined that the taker of her appetite and the culprit for those swollen tonsils that made her voice sound so funny was nasty ole mononucleosis.
Days later she came to me in the morning complaining of epigastric pain and bilateral flank ("kidney") pain that was worse when she walked. This ER nurse mama was more than a little concerned about this development and, believe me, it takes a lot to freak me out when it comes to sickness. As it turns out, a quick call to the pediatric nurse confirmed that she most probably had a swollen spleen. Good gracious!
She rested, drank lots of fluids, and recovered quickly.

While we are talking about my big girl for sake of my documentation I'm gonna throw out a few things about her right now at age 7.
* She loves to sing, dance, and in general perform. She's going to take dance (ballet) this school year and I hope she loves it and sticks with it.
* She has discovered youtube and likes to watch the Jonas Brothers perform various versions of their music. She honestly swoons. No comment.
* She is so thin but is starting to get into some 7/8 clothing (cinched as tight as possible around her waist) meaning she is getting too big for the 4-6X section of clothing. This makes me very sad. In case you don't know, when you get out of 4-6X, the clothes start getting very grown up looking. Luckily she will still put on most everything I lay out for her. I have a feeling that will change this year.
* She has a lot to say to me. A whole lot. It is incessant at times. What a change! She was our quiet girl in the beginning and though she is still reserved with strangers, she is coming out of her shell...becoming comfortable in her skin.
* I can not even express how kind and helpful she is. She asks me out of nowhere at least a few times a week if there is anything she can do to help me/is there anything I can clean for you. She never complains if I ask her to do a chore. She is WONDERCHILD in this area and I realize my luck.
* She gets eaten alive by bugs. We have to use OFF! Deep Woods and still she'll come in with bites.
* She is getting very brave on her bike and often comes in skinned up without a single complaint. Again, very different from the big girl we knew a year and a half ago.
* She finally (FINALLY!) is starting to eat normal portions of food for her age and size and no longer seems to obsess so much about what and when we are eating next. She has also slowed down considerably when eating and I've even had to ask her more than a few times lately to "please concentrate more on eating than talking." I secretly delight in such a "normal" reprimand.

She is such a joy, my easy child, my nature lover, compassion to the core. To think just months ago I had some parenting struggles with her...how was that possible?