A special gift for Thomas.

Thomas is a little boy who has a lot of challenges. He has a metabolic disorder which is gradually robbing him of his abilities. He is blind and partially deaf, so his interaction with the world is through touch. He can sit a little with support, but his muscle tone is very low and he cannot crawl or move around. Sucking his fingers seems to help him relax.

 This Christmas, Thomas received a really helpful gift. It's something which can help him feel part of things during music time, or when the children are playing on the mat. Something which can provide rhythmic movement to soothe him, and which can give him a comfortable place to suck those fingers. Thomas is four, so he is too big for conventional baby rockers, even though they would be just right for his developmental needs. That's why this gift is so wonderful for him.

It's a rocking hammock - just the right size for Thomas. It means he can sit with the others while they are having floor time. He can be gently rocked in time to the music, or moved back to relax in a quiet spot. What a perfect gift!

Once again, we cannot thank everyone enough for the thoughtful gifts provided for our children this Christmas. We can't show them all on the blog (or it would take weeks) but we are thankful for every single carefully chosen gift. It was so exciting  to open them on Christmas day, and now we are blessed by the ongoing benefits to our children. There is a whole lot of playing, learning, puzzling, listening,relaxing, and good old fun going on around here - thanks to the generosity of our Christmas angels.

More Christmas mayhem

We know there have been plenty of Christmas pictures here already, but there are a few more which are too cute not to share. It was really such a fun celebration, and of course our supporters were a big part of it. We certainly know that without everyone out there, there would be no celebration, no gifts, and no Butterfly Home. So, thank you everyone!

Every boy needs a football, right? Kicking is actually a pretty tricky skill for a one year old to master. You have to be able to balance on one foot while you kick with the other one. Young Paul is such a well coordinated child that we think he will get the hang of it quite quickly.

 This is a lovely picture of Jesse starting to find out about his new toy. He is using his hands to carefully explore. There was a time when Jesse was so anxious about touching new things - look how far he has come! We love this boy so much, and we really hope that a family will claim him as their son. They will be so blessed: he is a wonderful little boy.

 Sarah is watching carefully to see what is inside her gift. Photographing her from above shows her lovely eyelashes - so pretty.

William enjoying a Christmas cuddle. His eyes are wide as he takes in all the excitement.

Funny little Sarah likes to sit inside boxes - and there were plenty of boxes available for her after Christmas presents were unwrapped. Though this one proved to be a little small for comfort!  And doesn't she look grown up in her little jean leggings?

Hannah's got wheels.

Here is Hannah getting ready to open one of her gifts. You can see the anticipation she is feeling.

 

 Now that it's open, she looks a little bemussed. Perhaps she is not sure what it is? Or perhaps she is just distracted by everything else going on this morning.

Now she is figuring it out. Love her look of total concentration as she masters this new skill. Knowing Hannah, she will be zipping up the passageway like a champion in no time at all.

Santa came to visit.

Alan played Santa, much to the children's delight. Most of them knew it was someone familiar of course, though a few were a bit thrown by his shiny red suit. It's actually much better for our children to have a Santa they know,and who doesn't wear a fake beard. They've all had trauma in their lives, and we don't want to frighten them on Christmas day. Here's a selection of our "Santa shots" for you to enjoy.

Dear little Angel is looking so sweetly up at the camera. Shape sorting games are great toys for encouraging problem solving skills and spacial awareness. We are sure Angel will have this mastered in no time.

Tiny Benjamin has a lovely soft toy which is just about bigger than he is. We hope it will bring him a lot of comfort and help him to feel secure.

 Hannah and Santa are posing by the Christmas tree. Children (and adults!) in China will almost always pose for pictures with two fingers held up like this.

Patience seems to enjoy snuggling up to that soft furry trim on Santa's coat.

 Beautiful Little Swallow is keeping her hands on her gift - we love toys which provide sensory stimulation and mental challenges for the children. Stacking from largest to smallest is actually an early  basic mathematical skill. We can also use toys like this to teach colours in both Chinese and English. And it's all good fun - which is so important for little ones!

Paul has a good grip on his markers. We will look forward to some beautiful one-year-old masterpieces for the Butterfly Home fridge! 

 Jesse's toy has lots of texture and makes noises- just perfect for a boy learning to investigate the world using sound and touch.

Sarah is concentrating hard on the unwrapping process. She is waiting to see what is under all that bubble-wrap.

Stay tuned - there are still more Christmas pictures to come!

A Merry Christmas at Butterfly Home

We hope all our supporters had a very special Christmas. We certainly had fun here. Our precious children enjoyed gifts from all over the world - beautiful thoughtful gifts, wrapped and sent with love. It was beyond wonderful for the children, and their faces were just the way children's faces should be at Christmastime - full of excitement and  joy, with a little awe as well.

It was also a great demonstration to our neighbours - a tangible way for them to see that these children are worthy. Our kids are orphans, and they have illnesses or disability. In some people's eyes, that makes them undeserving and unimportant. It sounds crazy, but an outpouring of love from all over the world can help change those preconceptions. And as the preconceptions tumble down, hearts are opened to our completely gorgeous and lovable children.

 And now - on to some Christmas pictures!!

Here are all the gang, with Santa Al. Alan had his Santa suit especially made. I wonder how many Santa suits for Englishman that tailor had ever made? We think it must have been a fun job for him. Of course, Al didn't need to have a fake Santa beard, because he looks the part already. And he has a huge heart and a great "Ho Ho Ho" - making him perfect for the role.

Here is the scene of happy chaos, with everybody opening their gifts. Think of your average family lounge room on Christmas day, with quite a few extra people! Love Little Swallow sitting there in the foreground, serenely wielding a hammer. She's ready for anything.

Here are Sarah and Angel looking intently at their new toys. Angel is on the lap of her beloved Daphne - these two have such a sweet relationship. Daphne is our cook and she loves all of the children very much, but she does have a special place in her heart for Miss Angel. And Angel knows it too!

Jesse's ayis are carefully helping him to explore his gifts. Can you see how he places his hand gently on the lap of the person he is playing with? That way he always knows that they are still beside him. He is such a lovely little boy. We are so hopeful that he will have a family soon - wouldn't that just be the best Christmas gift ever?

We are so thankful to everyone who showered love on the children in this way. Words can't really express what a blessing it was. Our children had a fabulous Christmas!

We have lots of Santa pictures to follow. Check back - we will get them up soon.

Christmas Greetings

Wishing you peace and joy, as we celebrate today's very special Birthday.

 To you and your family, from the Butterfly Home family.

Our Christmas Elf.

Ben looks just like our very own Christmas elf. He's the baby Butterfly at the moment - only 9 months old - and he is quite tiny. He has liver failure, just like Ysmael.

 You can see that his skin and eyes look very yellow from the buildup of bilirubin in his system. His liver is just not doing the job it's supposed to do, so toxic substances are accumulating up in his body. The toxins are just the byproducts of normal life, and usually the liver gets rid of them in the bile. But for Ben, and for Ysmael, that process is not working properly.

 But that's not what we think about when we are watching Ben enjoy the Christmas season. We love the way that he is interested in these new bright decorations which have appeared all around the place. He is probably a little baffled by the sudden explosion of bright, sparkly colour - normally our Home is decorated in sweet relaxing pastel tones. He seems to like these bright bold colours. It's so cute the way he is staring at the Christmas bauble with such fascination. Maybe he sees his reflection in there, and is wondering who that handsome kid is!

Ben is such a sweet little boy, and it is our privilege to be giving him the best Christmas possible this year. His cot is called " Blessed" - we know that we are blessed by sharing Christmas with Ben.

First sentence

Paul has spoken his first sentence today. He was watching two other children being fed, and he said: "Ma - Yao chi.". To translate into English, he said " Ma, I want to eat."

This little boy is just so smart and developmentally on track.. He was walking before he was even one year old. Now he is just over one, and he has started to string words together and make sentences! He really enjoys good food too - so it is totally appropriate that his first sentence was about food.

We have speculated that Paul might take up a career in engineering, or become a rock star. But perhaps he will be the next great TV chef. He has that winning combination of good looks, engaging personality and an appreciation for fine food. Look out, Jamie Oliver - Paul might be after your job!

Of course, we can't begin to imagine what Paul's future will actually look like, but we do know for sure that this little guy is full of potential. We can't wait to see what he will achieve as he grows up. And we are already so blessed to see what he is achieving right now!

Funny boy

Ysmael has quite a sense of humour when he is feeling well. He is being very comical here, sitting with his mouth wide open. He was very aware that everyone was laughing, and still he kept his mouth open, prolonging the joke. He sat that way for ages, making sure everyone had a good giggle.Then Paul came on over to join in the fun. He poked his finger right into Ysmael's mouth. Our little comedy duo had everyone in stitches!

It's so true that laughter is the best medicine!

Celebrations

Anyone have their birthday right before Christmas? Finlay does - and it seems so fitting right now that this little boy's life is saturated with celebrations. First comes the joy of his birthday, and then the magic of Christmas.
Before surgery, it would have been quietly understood that these celebrations were likely to be Finlay's only birthday, and his last Christmas. But that has changed, and Finlay has a new future stretching out before him. Our hopes for him are different now - many birthdays, many Christmases, a family, friends, school - it's exciting to wonder what may be planned for Finlay's life. Right now, we are so happy to be celebrating that he is home with us again.

 These cakes are just amazing. Looks like Finlay prefers his healthy baby food though. He got lots of presents for his birthday. His sweet ayis went to a lot of trouble to chose some lovely new winter clothes for him. Our children are not just a job for these precious ladies - they truely love each child that they care for.

He looks so handsome in the light of the Christmas tree. We can see that every day, he is becoming stronger and less afraid. He already has all the ayis doting on him. This boy has a gift for winning hearts.

Taking in the beauty of the Christmas tree. Bright lights and decorations are so mesmerizing to little ones!

We are so glad that you are home, Finlay.

Baby, it's cold outside.

Remember that balmy autumn weather we were enjoying so much? Yeah - so do we! I think a look at these pictures will show that "balmy" is no longer the word to describe our weather conditions.

Isn't Swallow cute? Just peeping out from under her hat, with her fingers all snug in her jacket sleeves.

Annie's smile will warm up the day, no matter what the weather is like.

Thomas was awake when he first came outside, but he soon drifted off, tucked up under a cosy quilt.

And Angel looks like a little cupcake in her pink hat, coat, and quilt!

Thank you to all the wonderful people who have made and sent us our cosy quilts. You can see that they are well used and in much loved. In fact we have many local visitors exclaim over these lovely quilts. They are always very moved that people would spend so much time stitching beautiful things for sick and orphaned children. So these quilts not only keep the children warm, but also show our neighbours how loved and precious each of these children are. A hand made quilt says that this child is worthy of time, worthy of effort, and worthy of love. You would be amazed at how far that message can travel!

  

Hannah's angel.

Our Butterfly Home Christmas tree has been decorated and we think it looks very special. While it's not the biggest tree you could imagine, it is decorated with love, and that makes all the difference. We are especially proud of our angel tree topper, made by one of our own little angels, Hannah.

Here's another picture, with the flash this time, so you can see Hannah's beautiful work. She was really proud to see her creation right at the very top of the tree.

It's  getting exciting around here - only 12 days until Christmas!

Ultimate recycling

How's this for imaginative fund raising? We have some creative supporters who have managed to transform the waste material from their equine companions (better known as " pony poo") into hope for our children. They have been faithfully collecting and selling pony poo to local gardeners to raise money for Butterfly Home. We love the idea that pony poo is being transformed into hope! That has to be the ultimate in recycling.
 We are so thankful to all our supporters and the many different ways they bless our Home. There are so many talented, hardworking people out there, and we love seeing the amazing ways that you all come up with to show love to our babies. We have been sent beautiful quilts and knits to keep the children warm and decorate the home. We have seen people use their talents in many different ways - from cycling to creating beautiful music and art, to hosting events or organizing Christmas gifts. People have travelled to visit us and given of their time and their hearts, while others have given in the same way from their homes. We want to say thank you to every single supporter - your encouragement means so much, and without your backing, this work could not continue. Life here is sometimes heart breaking, often challenging, but always worth while. And it is sustained by the kindness and generosity which is shown to our children. Thank you!

Little doll.

Doesn't Sarah just look like a little doll sitting in the toy box?

Actually, she is far sweeter than any doll could ever be. And her sparkling eyes are definitely the real thing. The nicest part of all is that Sarah's beauty is way more than skin deep. This little girl is so full of love and good cheer that she makes the world a better place for everyone who meets her.

Meet Ysmael.

Ysmael hasn't made many appearances on this blog yet. That's because he is one of our quieter kids, and he needs to spend a lot of time resting due to his serious health issues. Sometimes he has good days, when he joins in and is quite engaged with the activities going on. He likes music time, and if a DVD  catches his eye, it might keep him engaged for a little while. Other days he can be very tired and he needs a lot of sleep. On those days, he rarely eats any solid food, but his ayi makes sure he takes a bottle of milk as he rests.

He turned one a few months ago - so he's just a bit older that our two recent birthday boys. But he's not a typical one year old who is growing like a mushroom. In fact, it's a long time since Ysmael has grown at all. He weighs the same as an average 4.5 month old, and has stayed at that weight for many months now.
 Ysmale has advanced liver failure. His skin is jaundiced, and his enlarged abdomen looks startling, while his arms and legs are like fragile sticks. On his stomach is a small surgical incision - it hints at the roller coaster of hope and despair that his first parents must have endured. It looks like he had surgery - an attempt to repair his condition - but the surgery was unsuccessful. It's impossible to imagine how his first parents must have suffered as they realized that their beautiful son would not live a long life. We don't know how long they agonized over their decision, but finally, they left their boy and he became an orphan.
 Now Ysmael is one of ours. We know there is no cure for this little guy on this earth, but we are committed to loving him and serving him for as long as he is here. One of his hardships has been intense itching of his skin, caused by the jaundice. Lyn has recently started  him on a new medication, and is hoping it will make him more comfortable. He's not mobile, but he likes to be carried outside when the weather is fine. And while he might not join in when the children play, he seems to enjoy being held where he can watch them.

Here is Ysmael at Paul and William's party. He tried a little cake, and really enjoyed sitting with Nai Nai Lyn and watching the fun . (Why yes - he is wearing pink! And looking very handsome.)

Kids like Ysmael are an incredibly important part of our work here. This brave little boy will never be adopted and leave us for a new home with a Mom and a Dad. We will never get emails about his first day at school, or learning to ride a bike. This will be his home for as long as he lives, and sadly, we know that our time together will be way too short. But knowing this only increases our resolve to pour love into every day and  to make sure he is never alone. Ysmael's life will be cherished, and he will not cry out into emptiness. We will be there to hear him and respond - for every single day that he has.

What's better than an imaginary telephone?

I think we have mentioned on this blog that Paul likes to pretend he is talking on the telephone. Well, it looks like the game gets really exciting when he gets his hands on a real telephone.

  Wouldn't it be fun to know exactly what is happening in this imaginary conversation?

Three cheers for Jonathon ( and one hundred and three cheers for his foster mom)

Jonathon is really settled in his foster family, and it shows in his development. Since he became part of a family, Jonathon has gained the courage to try eating proper food. This is a HUGE step. There was no way anything other than a bottle full of Pedisure was going anywhere near this boy's mouth. Even in play, he didn't like anything in his mouth. And a spoon - that was absolutely forbidden by Jonathon. He did not like a spoon anywhere near him.
 His foster Mom, Rachel, decided to work on building trust first ( there's that word again - so important). Gradually, as their relationship strengthened, Jonathon became more willing to give things a try. Before long, he was taking all sorts of pureed goodness in that bottle of his. His diet looked super healthy - but it was still all pureed, and still all via the bottle.
Now he's taken the next step forward. Slowly he has shown an interest in finger food - little bits of tasty goodness that allow him to explore what his mouth can do. He's finding out about taste and texture and realizing that it's good fun. And now, he has eaten a whole bowl of rice cereal from a spoon! And Rach says she doesn't even need to coax him - he just opens his little mouth as if he has been doing this all his life. What a rock star!
 It just goes to prove a point - babies thrive in families. For anyone who is thinking about fostering or adoption, please nurture that thought. There is just something about families that make them the absolute right place for children. Jonathon's progress proves that!
 In fact, this is what gives us our motivation for our second hospice. We want it to be a community hospice for critically ill children with their families.  We see the way grief magnifies our children's problems by a thousand-fold. They are trapped by grief for their families; families who have been overwhelmed and made the terrible decision to abandon. Imagine if these families can get support and information before they reach that point - we absolutely believe that with some-one to walk beside them, some of these families will stay together. Now that's something to aspire to!
 By the way, you might want to hop over and give Rachel and Drew some encouragement. They've had a challenging time lately with Drew being very sick and Rachel caring for three wonderfully busy boys alone. And while you are there - you can check out Jonathon's progress.
drewandrachel.blogspot.com
Thank you Drew and Rachel, for loving our boy so well.

He's home!

Finlay is home again, and we are so thrilled that he is back. Last time he arrived, it was to die. This time, he is arriving to LIVE!

He looks very tired after his big journey and even a little shell shocked. Poor Finlay has had a lot of change in the past few months. He came from the SWI to Butterfly Home, Then just as he settled in, he was off to Shanghai. His surgery was an incredible blessing, but major surgery is traumatic, even for big people. For a little baby struggling with change, it's a very big trauma.

 Lots of our goals for him now are emotional ones - it's all about trust, trust, trust. Does that sounds like a recurring theme around here? We love medical miracles, but our kids are hurt children and they need miracles of the soul too. We look forward to seeing Finlay open up and let us love him, and we can't wait to hear another little boy's laughter ringing through this home.

Thank you so much to all who have made this story possible. If you would like to donate to Finlay's medical fund, please contact us. info@butterflych.org

Party time.

Recently William and Paul both celebrated their first birthdays. You would never guess they are so close in age if you glanced at them side by side. Paul is developing typically and he is learning new things every day. He's robust and active, with an appetite for fun and food.
William on the other hand struggles with the smallest things. He's had stridor and difficulty breathing all his life. His physical development is at about the level of a 3 month old - he can't even hold his head up properly yet. The hard truth is that there are a lot of things William will never do.  We know he might never run or jump or kick a ball - but that doesn't mean he can't take centre stage when he is the birthday boy!
And it was an extra special celebration for our William on party day. He actually managed to eat some of the very extravagant  birthday cake. It was a wonderful moment, as this tiny guy usually takes all his calories as liquids. Maybe he just got caught up with the excitement of the party and had a wild and crazy moment. Or maybe this is a sign of things to come. We will take it either way - we love celebrating our kids achievements, big or small.

It was a great party. The cake was over-the-top (though over-the-top is standard here - you'd think we would get used to it). The kids were all excited and the grown ups were just a bit giddy too. Birthdays always make everyone feel a bit emotional. After all these kids have been through, it's a real privilege to able to honour our precious one year old boys on their birthdays.

Here's William, getting comfortable and enjoying all the action.

A difficult decision for Paul - he has food, presents and a balloon. What to do first?

    

There seems to be a bit of a theme in Paul's pictures. Let's just say he was happy with the catering arrangements. You might notice that the ayis are always willing to keep his spoon topped up. Food in this culture is very closely linked to love. Feeding some-one is not just a practical task - it's a way to show love.  Paul's ayi is not only making sure he doesn't leave the table hungry. She's showing him that she loves him very much.

Poor William - this is not his best angle, but it was too cute to leave out. Apparently having a giant Pooh Bear hovering over you takes a bit of getting used to!