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 

Cute overload.

Look at this cute grin! You would never guess that Swallow enjoys her bath.

We hope her family are prepared for those big brown eyes. This look is incredibly hard to resist. Can't you just imagine her asking her father for the car keys in 20 years time? He won't stand a chance!

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!

Charm and determination

Our Little Swallow is growing up. She has done that incredible thing kids do when they go from 'baby" to "little girl" in the blink of an eye. We think she gets more beautiful every day.

She's getting smarter by the day too. She's already starting to string words together to make small sentences, and to use language in a purposeful way. Her personality is cheerful and relaxed, with a streak of stubborn when it suits her. It's a good thing, that stubborn streak. She will be able to draw on it as she works during her therapy sessions and learns the best way to use her legs. Actually, we are fairly certain that nothing will stop this little girl. Charm and determination are a pretty special combination , and she has them both. 

Swallow loved to play with Angel, and she is missing her since she went to be with her family. We can't wait until that day is here for Swallow too!

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.

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!

  

Pink is for girls - right?

I know we have been celebrating Finlay's pink lips and fingertips .... but some of our other boys are pretty in pink too. It's a cute cultural difference that pink is not necessarily a girls colour here. Nor is purple. So be warned - if you come for a visit, don't ever assume that a baby all dressed in pink or purple is a little girl. Our ayis lovingly pick out clothing for "their" babies - making sure they fit well, and look cute and cosy.  But colour has nothing to do with the selection process, as you can see!

Here is handsome Jonathon, before he moved to foster care. He is looking dashing in candy pink.

 

And here is Paul in sweet pastel stripes. You might notice that he is eating his snack with relish - this is typical Paul! He loves his snacks!

This one shows little William, enjoying a tender moment with his ayi. On this day, he was wearing a soft fleecy pink romper, and looking very cosy in it.

  And this is such a cute shot of William with Paul, Hannah, Swallow and Angel. It especially makes me smile to see Paul's wonderful purple vest.

So next time you see a referral picture of a baby boy in pink or purple - it's probably not because there weren't any other colours available. Babies wear any colour at all here, and they always look cute!

Look at those lashes

I think most of the world would agree that there is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby. Just seeing them resting, safe and relaxed, is a little miracle to enjoy every day.

At Butterfly Home, we can't ever forget the traumatic stories some of our children have. They are very sick children, often shattered by recent abandonment. Its nearly impossible for them to find rest. When they arrive, their sleep is usually fractured and tense. Their little bodies are wracked with pain and their hearts are confused. For some children, even breathing is a struggle. It's just heartbreaking to watch a baby who cannot even sleep peacefully.

That's why we don't take a sleeping baby for granted. Watching them sleep actually fills us with incredible joy. We are just so thankful that they are secure and happy enough to drift into total abandonment. 

And would you look at those lashes! Just beautiful.

And of course, Little Swallow's eyes are just as lovely when she's awake!

Sweet Swallow

We challenge anyone on earth to resist Little Swallow's grin! She has a gentle and tender nature to go with her adorable smile, which quickly endears her to the regular visitors at Butterfly Home. She’s a little shy though, so don’t expect this greeting if you are new. You have to take some time, and win her affection before she will let down her guard. It just makes the smile all the sweeter to know you’ve earned it!

We are all so proud of Little Swallow. Her core strength is building every day, and she can sit up quite sturdily without support now. That's an important milestone for a spina bifida kid. She's mobile too, and it makes her very happy to be able to commando crawl across the floor. With the help of her therapy sessions, she's quietly figuring out how to make the most of her body's abilities. She's the kind of kid who not going to let anyone set limits for her. She'll get there in her own time, in her own sweet way, and with a smile that will simply melt your heart.

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!