My feisty daughter

We are not a family of meek people around here.  I was born stubborn and continue to be stubborn.  I tend to be a bulldozer and just keep going until I wear people out or plow them down most of the time.  When I married and moved down south some of my friends predicted that I would be walking around like some bad motion picture experience moaning and wearing hoopskirts and fainting helplessly.  The only thing that I have picked up living in the south is a little finesse to my bulldozing.  I still get what I want most times, I just learned a little more tact and charm while doing it:).

Shannon and Marvin tend to be very strong willed and feisty as well.  Marvin has also picked up charm as well and tends to charm his way out of life.  Very lethal, I assure you.

When Cary came to live with us I was a bit afraid for her.  She seemed so docile and easy going.  I figured she may as well put a target on her back and be done with it.  I worried to no end about how she would find her voice with the three of us around here.

My first small glimmer of hope was when we were in the hospital and the PT and OT  tortured her in the name of making small children cry,  I mean, showed us muscle stretching exercises.  She resisted with all her might, but because she was so small and sick, it wasn't much of a fight.

When we came home she was still pretty docile.  Then we started Speech, Physical, and Vision Therapy.  It started with speech when her therapist tried to get her to use a chew tube to strengthen her jaw.  Cary clamped her lips down and glared.  "My," clucked Ms. B, "we certainly have a little strong will there don't we?"  It also began to bleed over into PT.  Cary went from actively screaming like she was being killed to doing what ever she could to fight back against injustice.  And actively screaming like she was being killed.

Cary is coming into her own.  I was really worried about nothing.  She has found her voice.  And it is a loud one.  She lets people know what is on her mind and will give you many pieces of it as well.

As you can see in the picture above, she is telling me what she thinks about having to wait for her food for more than two seconds.  It is not just the crying.  I am convinced that she bites on purpose.  She bit her GI doctor the other day.  Well, if you shoved a thermometer up my butt, I would probably bite you as well.  

Yes, Cary has found her voice.  I was really worried for nothing.  I am glad.  It means that she won't walk through life letting people push her around.  Or shove thermometers up her butt.  She is going to be a strong assertive person and I am thrilled.  Slightly deaf from all her screaming, but thrilled none the less.  After all, she has to be strong to survive in the world and from her brother taking her toys away from her.  I am excited to see what happens next in her development and proud that she has joined the ranks of a very strong willed family!