How do you take a lot of babies for a walk? (and a new blog site!!!)

With a lot of pushers of course!

Warmer weather is on it's way - but as you can see by the layers on our kids, it's hasn't quite arrived in our part of the world. It's still fun to get outside, enjoy the scenery and take a turn on the swings. There is plenty to do, but we certainly don't need sunscreen yet!

With the new season on it's way, we are also about to have a new look for the blog. We will be moving to a fresh  redesigned site - please come with us, and continue to follow the stories of our precious butterfly babies. The new blog has been put together by our bike riding friend, Neil Clarke, and  it's just beautiful. Thank you so much Neil - you have a fabulously varied skill set, and we are so thankful that you share your expertise with us. We will be posting there from now on - so we hope to see you!!

The new address will be  http://news.butterflych.org 

Big girls at the block table

 Swallow and Sarah look like they are planning to build something amazing at the block table. Both these girls were so tiny and helpless when they came to us - Swallow was just a newborn, and Sarah was not much older. It's been such a joy watching them grow from little babes in arms, to big girls who can sit up at the block table and interact together.
Swallow is a chatterbox and a bookworm, who really enjoys sitting down for a quiet read. She is not a stereotypical "meek and mild" bookworm though. If her buddy Paul comes and tries to take away the book, she will claim it back very firmly! There is no pushing this girl around.
Sarah is a sweetheart. She can crawl all over the place super-fast now, and she is saying about 15 words. One of her favourites is "Bao" - asking to be picked up. Any time is cuddle time for Sarah.
 Each girl has now been matched with their own family, so the day is coming when they will be leaving us. Our part in their growing up will be finished, and it will be time for their families to enjoy all the precious moments. We are so thankful  for these darling little girls, and for the wonderful life which is waiting for them.  And we are thankful that we get to be a part of their lives too. Even though we hope their families will be here quickly, we plan to enjoy every minute we have with them!

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?

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.

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.

Autumn days

The weather in our city is a little ....... extreme. In summertime every day is hot, hot, hot. Not only hot, it's terribly humid. You have to drinks lots, because you sweat lots. I know - it's not very polite, but it's a fact of life if you live in this city.

Then in wintertime, suddenly it's freezing. You find yourself rummaging around for all that really unattractive thermal underwear which you NEVER imagined you would need again. Your breath comes out as a frosty cloud, and that's even before you go outside.

So springtime and autumn are welcome relief from the two extremes. And right now, we are enjoying the pulse of a more outdoorsy routine. Lots of walks in the pushers, lots of swinging, lots of relaxed autumn days. I think you can tell from the pictures that the babies enjoy it too.

New haircut!

Dear little Sarah has a new haircut, and suddenly she doesn't look like a baby anymore. She's had her hair trimmed a few times before, but these bangs definitely make her look all "little girl". It's amazing how a haircut can make a child look so grown up!

Sarah is a party girl, with an engaging nature, and a talent for socializing. Her left arm has some nerve damage which makes it weaker than her right, though she doesn't seem to find that a problem. Twice daily she has physio sessions to help her work on new skills, but actually this little girl is pretty motivated to keep working all through the day. If there are fun and cuddles to be had, Sarah will get herself there. 

She's always happy to see YeYe Alan, because she knows she can count on him for a game and a giggle!

Hannah's Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Babies needing a loving home

This is Sarah.








This is Little Swallow.

This is Hannah.

Each of these girls came to Butterfly Home for palliative care. Now we are working on getting their papers ready for adoption. What a great result. From once being told they had no future, now we look forward to hearing that these precious girls have families who can't wait to come get them. Now that will be a day for rejoicing!