Good News and Firsts!

     Last week it was heavy on our hearts that the boy in Ingrid's orphanage was not receiving the medical attention he needed.  There were many little boys that should be adopted and seeing them pulled deep at our hearts, our minds, our souls, our conscience.  As parents we know that a child should be loved and cared for.  That is basic.  This child, however, had his heart surgery at the same time Ingrid did, but the caretakers told us he turned "blue" and  did not feel the surgery worked.  We knew the orphanage itself could do very little to get him another surgery, and there were very few others that would be walking through the orphanage to see this little guy.  A verse that kept coming to us, (the same verse that kept our path towards Ingrid) is from Proverbs 24:12 "Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."  We needed to do something.  We called our agency and left a message.  Through some tears and perhaps a desperate tone of voice we asked them if there was anything that could be done for this 2 year old boy through the agency to advocate for him, or through us to raise money to get him the medical attention he needed.  
    During the time we were still in China the agency was asked to come and view some children from the Jiangxi province (ironically out of all the provinces all over China, that was the little province we were in to get Ingrid)!  The goal was for our agency to sponsor and advocate for children who were waiting to be adopted.  Most of them would be older, and would "age-out" soon which means they can never be adopted.  Some of them had translation for their medical need that was not correct.  For a month the agency could "highlight" these 9 children (mostly boys), taking video, updating their medical reports, pictures, etc.  After that month they'd have to go back to the big shared list where again they could get lost in the shuffle. 
     The same day we left the message pleading for this little guy, the agency sent out an email to all of their clients throughout the country.  We could not believe it.  This little sunshine was on the list! This was all happening before we made the call and while we were still in China!  Oh how we pray that God will direct a family to adopt him!  We are so thankful for our chance to bring Ingrid home and know the family who could bring him home would be blessed beyond what they could every know.  His videos look great and pictures and praying this happens fast to get him surgery!
     That's our good news! 
     Ingrid's firsts.... so fun to see her eyes light up with foods and sounds and sights and smells!  What a joyful little girl!

First time at a Pumpkin Patch:

First time at a park, on a trike, playing (eating) with sidewalk chalk, and rolling pumpkins:

We took this of ourselves

I've been told....

I was told that friends only saw 2 pictures from the last post.  If you push the "read more" at the bottom of each post it gives many more pictures.  Guess I'm too long-winded for a one-page blog post! 

Two weeks home!

What a joy to have little Ingrid home! Each day there are so many new things for her to experience and for us to learn about her!  She loves to be held and kissed, cuddled, tickled, fed, and rocked.  We had 18 months of not being able to do that for her, so we are pouring it on thick around here!

Ingrid has been to our favorite pediatrician and all reports show she is healthy!! They feel she was fed some descent food - no nutritional deficiencies like we expected.  However, she  is underweight- due to not getting enough volume of food to eat.  We are offering as many calories as possible! We do know that she will be a more petite little one based on the region she came from, but 16 pounds at 18 months is pretty small.  She is eating up a storm... her favorite foods are roast beef, pork, and hamburger.  Interesting foods for this sweet little girl!