Gangs All Here!

So YeYe Donnie sent a box of clothes and hats...  And of course we had to try some on our adorable little models.  We started with just one, but in an irresistable barrage of pure cuteness, we couldn't resist adding just one more baby to the line-up.

And so we have, in Dr. Suess fashion...

One baby (Lindsey)

Two babies! (+Shaun)

Three Babies.  (+Jennifer)

Four! (+Judah)

Five babies. (+Cora)

Six Babies. (+Chad)

All on the floor!

--------

Losing Tristan has been terribly hard.  Thank you all so much for your prayers and words of encouragement.  As you might be able to tell from this post, we're all starting to smile again around here.  We have much to be thankful for, and that is keeping us going through this difficult time.  We've posted Tristan's memorial card, and next week we will have a small service here at the foster home to remember him.  Thank you for your continued thoughts and encouragement.

Wordless Wednesday: Shaun

Tristan

Right now we don't have many words... for those who do not know, Tristan passed away quite suddenly from heart failure.  His death was a shock, as he seemed healthy and strong the day before.  We're thankful he's no longer an orphan and playing in his Father's lap now, but our staff is reeling from the shock and pain of his loss.  Please keep us in your thoughts in the coming days and weeks...

We're 'Outta Here

It's Chinese New Year! 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, and we have some cute ones.

From February 14 through February 21, all non-essential staff are on vacation!  We won't be updating our blog or website during this time.

Because we're 'outta here!

Poem written by ND staff

We have amazing and gifted staff. Listen to this poem they wrote themselves for our Chinese New Year party.

Here is the translation of the poem.

All the instruments play
To celebrate the festival with great joy
We gather together for this special moment
Happy

Stand on the platform
Perform for everyone
What are we going to perform?
Three and a half sentences

Three and a half sentences
Don't laugh if it is not funny
Whether it is funny or not
Don't run away

There is a story known by many people in the world
A foreigner mom with Chinese orphans
True love for orphans
It's her (Karen)

Saving children's lives from the edge of death
Pray with faith and not fear
Miracles happens all the time
True God

All the children are cute in New Day Foster Home
Each of them is precious
There is joy and happiness flowing from them
Ha ha ha

Owen and Ethan are handsome
Annie is smart
Khloe's nick name is beauty
All is true

Tristan has white skin and big eyes
Jamison is good at music
Timothy and Joshua are quiet
They all behave well

Claire went through a tough time in life
Staying in the hospital for half a year; ending up with a miracle
Being happy and positive with washing lungs daily
Not easy

Victoria is smart and obedient
Everyone says she is beautiful
She is a cook, secretary and a nanny in the home
She is great

Little Judson's life was critical
Olympic express road was prepared for him
A great miracle manifest
He was brought back

Evan was malnourished
Hopeless eyes broke our hearts
Gain 2.7 kg in seven days
Awesome

Reagan's heart closed in her three years of life
No communication with others
Laugh with joy and smiles on her face now
With confidence

Elizabeth and Hannah two big girls
Fostered in a foreign family
Speak in English, amazes everyone
Can't understand

Princess Melody in the Healing Home
Arrogant for her beauty
With no hair came back from surgery
No way

A lot of amazing stories in New Day Foster Home
No time to talk about them all
Next year this time
Tell you more

Wordless Wednesday: Noah and Trey

My time at New Day

My name is Nicole, I am from Australia and I have been at New Day for about 1 month. Tomorrow is my last day here. I have had the most amazing experience, and have learned some valuable life lessons. The staff made it very easy for me and the other interns to feel comfortable and right at home from the moment we arrived. The children here are so special. I will never forget them. From the way Chad's whole face lights up when he smiles, to Ethan's random conversations he tries to have with you. How quickly Samuel scoots across the floor to how chilled out and happy Joshua is to just sit, leaning against you. From Lindsay's ENOURMOUS chubby cheeks, to Tristan's sweet dimples. Judah's strength and lovingness to Victoria's funny jokes. Cora's beautiful curls to the funny faces Vincent likes to pull. They are all special, all complete individuals, and I pray that they all live happy and full lives with loving and caring families. Thank you New Day.

Happy Spring Festival!

There's holiday cheer in the air!


It's Spring Festival, China's biggest holiday. And we celebrated the way everyone does... by making tons of jiaozi and eating until we were stuffed.

Like any good holiday, we spent it with our closest friends and family. The children had a wonderful time. Be sure to check out the pictures from the event on our scrapbook page!

From our family to yours, Happy Chinese New Year! Chun Jie Kuai Le!

Dance with the Stars

We have some little ones who can get down and groove! At the recent Teletubbies performance at the foster home, Evan and Trey impressed us all with their moves. They kept a close eye on the dancers and did their best to mimic every step. If only we could all move as good as these boys!

Nathan Update

Be sure to check his family's blog for an update on Nathan's condition.

Wordless Wednesday: Walking Home with Papa

Prayers Needed

Nathan, one of our foster home graduates, joined his adoptive family in early November of 2009. Nathan has a complex heart condition that was inoperable in China, and he was scheduled for his heart operation in the USA in February. This morning, we found out he is in the middle of a medical crisis and needs our prayers.


We received an email from Nathan's parents this morning. They said:

Two Saturdays ago we took Nathan to the ER room. He had come down with a stomach flu. He was discharged on Sunday since they said that the virus just needed to run its course; he did not do well with his recovery, and on Friday and Saturday he was still not doing well, just wanting to sleep. We took him to the ER room again yesterday, and during the night while Kelly stayed with him, he started to have some seizures. They did a CT scan and found an abcess on his brain. They are going to perform emergency surgery now. The doctors are not sure if they can help Nathan.


We received this email update a few hours later:

Thank you so much! So many people are praying and we are so grateful. His surgery went okay. They relieved a lot pressure in his brain/head. The abcess was the size of an orange. Apparently, bacteria in his blood did not have a chance to get filtered out in either his lungs, liver or spleen (which is what happens to people with healthy hearts) and it traveled up to his brain and caused an infection. There was no way to know that this was happening to him until he had a seizure.

We are so thankful that the seizure took place while we were at the hospital and not while we were at home which we were told was a miracle. Apparently, this usually happens at home. He was in a position to get immediate help, praise God. Right now he is on antibiotics until they know the nature of the infection, probably by Wednesday at the latest. At that point they will know which antibiotics to use to treat him (right now he is taking antibiotics for everything he could possibly have). They said this therapy will go on for months (although he will most likely not be in the hospital for months). Within the next couple weeks they will monitor whether the infection returns, as sometimes it is very aggressive.

Unfortunately, this will postpone his heart surgery which we expected to take place this month. We are hopeful. This morning the doctors painted a grim picture. But this afternoon they were more optimistic. They said we will just take it day-by-day.


We're so thankful that Nathan pulled through the surgery and that doctors have a clear treatment plan. However, we know that the next few weeks are going to be difficult for Nathan and his family and ask that you keep them lifted up in prayer.

Our Big Helper

In a recent care package from a sponsor, we received a whole bunch of new socks, and we thought it'd be cute to let the kids try on some of their favorites. Ganlu caught this video of Khloe trying to help Tristan with his socks, bending Tristan in all sorts of shapes and directions to accomplish her goal. Annie even decides to help out a little. Tristan goes along with it, but not entirely peacefully.

At one point, Khloe gets a little irritated with his antics. "You've pulled it off! You're not wearing socks!" she tells him, with the huffy voice of an exasperated big sister. We especially like the part where he decides to show her that pulling off a sock isn't the only "pulling" he can do. Her pig-tails are just too tempting for Tristan...