What a journey this has been. I won't reiterate everything we've been through these past six years nor emphasize the heartbreak we endured this past month. All my life I've been told "everything happens for a reason" and of course there's the old saying of "good things come to those who wait." So, for those of you who have been waiting for as long as we have, I'll cut my poetic words to a minimum. I'd like you to meet our little girl, Wu Ji Fang (pronounced Woo Gee Fung). We haven't yet decided on what name we are going to give her. She just turned one on April 18. The doctor's evaluation of her medical information is excellent. She's at the top of the growth chart, and obviously a favorite at the orphanage. We hope to travel to China in early July to bring her home. YAY!!!!
Growth Report of Wu Ji Fang
Wu Ji Fang, female, was born on Apr. 18, 2011. She was found on Apr. 20, 2011, and was sent into our SWI on the same day . We gave her the name Wu Ji Fang. Wu means Wuhan CWI, Ji is the given name for all the kids who were sent to Wuhan CWI that month. Fang means fragrance.
When she was sent to our CWI, her height was 49cm, weight was 3kg, head circumference was 34cm, chest circumference was 32cm. It’s within 24 hours since her birth. Her umbilical cord didn’t fall off yet. Her hair was black, curved. Her eyes were not open. She smiled in her sleep. Everything looked normal, and she drank a lot of milk. Her appetite is usually very good. One month later, Ji Fang grew up. Her eyes moved as the things moved. She smiled at others. All the nannies love her. In order to gain more attention and care, she was selected to join the granny program of Half Sky.
Ji Fang loves laughters. She is a happy girl with smile all the time. She eats a lot, so she is very strong. We all call her “piggy”. She is very active, even in bed her limbs are moving. She likes toys. She turned around when she was 4 months old. Her weight was up to 8kg when she was 5-month-old. She is very cute. When she was 6-7 months old, she could roll around on the mats. She would reach for toys, hold the toy hammer firmly, and strike the hammer on the floor. Ji Fang loves to sit on the laps of the nanny, talking a lot and touching nanny’s face. When you talked to her, she would speak baby words to respond to you. She likes laughing, and playing outdoors. The nannies all love her, with lots of kisses to her, since she is too lovely.
Now Ji Fang is 10 months old. She can sit, crawl, and stand up when holding the fence or the hand of the nanny. She knows if you are happy or not. When the nanny smiles, she smiles too. When the nanny is unhappy, she will speak “Ma, nai(milk)”. Nai means milk in Chinese, and she wants to drink some formula. She can play the game of “hide and seek”. She learns to reject the food from strangers, and she doesn’t try the new food except that the nanny tries first. She will slap hands to show her happiness.
I obtained this information from a blog when I googled the Hallf the Sky program:
"The little ones in Half the Sky’s Baby Sisters Infant Nurture Centers make their journey from sleeping infants to running toddlers with the help of Half the Sky-trained nannies with whom they develop deep emotional bonds. These are the bonds that are crucial for healthy brain development.
Half the Sky’s nannies—retired or laid-off workers from the local community—are trained to act as every parent who has fallen in love with a child intuitively acts—they sing, play, cuddle, hug, and generally dote on their charges. In so doing the nannies help babies avoid the problems that are so common in institutionalized children who have been fed and clothed, but not cherished.
The nannies learn to recognize the signs of delays. They learn simple therapies to help the babies reach developmental milestones. They learn the art of responsive care…watching their young charges, listening to them, and providing the nurture as it is needed.
Infants need more than food and clothes—they need the daily love and interaction with caring adults that Half the Sky’s nannies provide." (provided by http://ourjourneytosophie.blogspot.com/2008/04/half-sky-granny-program.html)
Half the Sky’s nannies—retired or laid-off workers from the local community—are trained to act as every parent who has fallen in love with a child intuitively acts—they sing, play, cuddle, hug, and generally dote on their charges. In so doing the nannies help babies avoid the problems that are so common in institutionalized children who have been fed and clothed, but not cherished.
The nannies learn to recognize the signs of delays. They learn simple therapies to help the babies reach developmental milestones. They learn the art of responsive care…watching their young charges, listening to them, and providing the nurture as it is needed.
Infants need more than food and clothes—they need the daily love and interaction with caring adults that Half the Sky’s nannies provide." (provided by http://ourjourneytosophie.blogspot.com/2008/04/half-sky-granny-program.html)
