All About Bear Bear
Bear Bear is the first girl in a family full of boys. My in-laws had all boys, and their boys, up until this point, had all boys. Super Stuffy just added to that tradition. When I was pregnant with Bear Bear, we had decided that we wanted to know what sex the baby was, so we knew before she was born that she would be Bear Bear. We kept it a secret from almost everyone. That was probably the best secret that I have ever kept.
Bear Bear was born five weeks early, and I was terrified. What if she wasn’t developed properly? Was something wrong? What was going to happen?
We spent all night in the hospital while the doctor tried to figure out if her lungs had completely developed. By early morning, I had a choice to make. I could either have her in our local hospital and then have her taken down to the big city, or I could have her in the big city and be with her.
Hands down, there was only one choice, so I rode in the ambulance down to the big city. At 6 AM, I had an emergency c-section because she had not yet turned. My first thought was that she looked like a little peanut. Right away the nurses checked her vitals and then whisked her to the NICU. To this day, though, I still don’t know if her lungs had developed completely before she was born.
I stayed in the hospital with her for two weeks, thanks to the Ronald McDonald house charity. She was so small, and she had difficulty with eating so my days were filled with sleeping and feeding. I had to weigh her before and after her feeding, she had a feeding tube in her nose, and she was hooked up to an apnea monitor. I remember the countless hours that I just sat with her and cuddled her.
We could take her home when she could sit in a carseat for an hour and she could eat on her own. They took out the feeding tube but we still needed the sleep apnea monitor for a month. Her first month when she wasn’t eating she was sleeping.
She grew really quickly, but after a couple of months we discovered that the back of her head was starting to flatten out. We tried different types of special pillows, but it did not seem to make any improvement. We called the doctor, and after several appointments we were told that she was unable to turn her neck to the right. Because of that, she slept on the same part of her head all the time and it was causing her head to grow improperly.
She needed a helmet to force her head to grow into more of a round shape, and we worked with her daily by laying her on the floor for a certain period of time to stretch the muscles on the left side of her neck. This we did daily for about six months.
At the end of the six months she no longer needed the helmet, and no one could tell that her head had ever been flat. I can still tell at times when I am helping her wash her hair, but otherwise there is no way to tell.
As she began to develop and I could see more of her personality, I discovered that she is very different from me in a lot of ways. She has always been a budding artist, and I am lucky if I can draw a stick person. 🙂 Interior decorating is one of her favorite pastimes, and she adds art to almost everything that she creates. Her ideas come fast and furious, so she tends to be a little disorganized. I have learned to give her a wide area for her art projects because there are several going on at once. I struggle coming up with any new ideas.
Bear Bear loves to cook, and I struggle with it.
Some of her favorite videos to watch on youtube are those that show how to create wonderful culinary creations.
My love languages are touch and quality time, and hers are gift giving and words of affirmation. I have to work hard to make sure that I show her the love that she needs in the ways that make a difference for her. However, cuddling is another one of her favorite pastimes.
I am not really big into jewelry and bling. Bear Bear, on the other hand, loves that kind of stuff. She enjoys wearing clothes with fancy decorations and sequins. I’m lucky if I can wear earrings for two days in a row.
We are a lot alike as well. We connect together as the only two girls in the house. She loves to dress up as do I, and she is able to set goals and reach for them. Writing is a passion for both of us, and any time of day I can find her writing in one of her journals. She is my little ray of sunshine and is always ready to give a hug and forgiveness when needed.
I consider Bear Bear to be one of my best friends, even though she is only eight. She is a joy to spend time with. Her laughter is contagious, and sometimes we spend an hour laughing and being silly together. She reminds me very often to stop and just enjoy the moment, instead of always looking toward the next thing that needs to be done.
I call her my little sweetpea. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. So much so, that she convinced her daddy to bring two cats into the house. He hates cats! They banter back and forth, daddy proclaiming the evilness of the cats and Bear Bear resisting by saying how cute they are.
Just like her brother, she loves helping out in tae kwon do. Even though her goal is not so much to gain a black belt, she enjoys her time learning her forms. Gymnastics is her favorite sport and she moves around the house doing hand stands and cartwheels. The thing that makes her the most proud is her ability to be flexible. I would love to see her pursue gymnastics with all of her might.
Her greatest strengths are her creativity and her ability to forgive. As I sit and imagine who she will be when she matures, I see a beautiful young woman who loves the Lord. She allows Him to guide her steps and she stands tall for what she believes. Her life will show grace, mercy, and compassion. I pray that she will love the Lord with all of her heart.
