Buddies

Love this picture of Thomas and Annie hanging out together. Just two little buddies and one hedgehog relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Sometimes you could think that Thomas wasn't able to engage much with the people around him, but this picture clearly captures his interest in Annie. He knows she is right there, and his attention is completely directed towards her. Annie's sweet nature is a tonic for all of us, and it seems Thomas is not immune to her charms. The warmth of her smile is the best type of medicine!

Hallo again Wei Wei

Last time we saw Wei Wei the hedgehog, he was supporting Annie's neck. Now he is snuggled up with Thomas and giving him some comfort. This little furry guy certainly pops up all over the Home! Thomas is a quiet boy. Without much sight or hearing, he is limited in the ways he can experience the world. But his sense of touch is still there, and WeiWei has a nice soft texture that he seems to appreciate.

 Life for Thomas is full of challenges, and for every step forward there seems to be a corresponding step back. Lately he has made some progress with eating, and can actually take some food from a spoon if his Ayi feeds him very slowly and carefully. On the other hand, his seizures have increased, and we need to adjust his medication to try and control these. Forward and back - it's a delicate dance. Sometimes it's just so hard - like running a race where you just can't get past the starting line. For every move in the right direction, something else happens to pull you back.

And then you look at his sweet soft cheek and realize that it's not about reaching a finish line. Every day with Thomas is an opportunity - a chance to saturate him with love, another precious day when we can wrap him in tenderness. We can't tell how many days we will get, and we can't predict the ups and downs of each day. But we can treasure each day and do everything possible to make Thomas comfortable and happy.  Suddenly that dance doesn't look so complicated anymore.

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.

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!

  

Happy Birthday Hannah

 
Hannah - the birthday girl!

The amazing beetle cake.

Thomas

 
Ysmael

Jesse

Patience

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathon