Love Without Boundaries Anhui Cleft Healing Home

New Blog Address

2008-08-15T18:50:00.001-04:00

Don't miss any news about the kids you help support.

Our new blog is located at http://www.lwbblog.com/ You will need to RE-REGISTER if you wish to have LWB news arrive directly into your inbox each day. Simply enter your email address into the right hand box and then confirm your subscription. It is that easy! Then every day any updates on our programs and children will simply arrive via email. We have combined all of our blogs into one, so one subscription will give you all of our news. Our new blog gives you the ability to search for stories by program area, and it also will highlight our cleft healing home.

Thanks for taking the step to register! We have also placed a banner on our page that says "LWB BLOG" that you are more than welcome to copy and post on your own blog and website to get even more people interested in helping children in China. We will soon have one for our main website as well.

Thanks everyone! Happy reading! http://www.lwbblog.com

A weight-lifter in the making

2008-08-14T21:00:00.001-04:00

Are you talking about me??

Jack is getting stronger, and heavier each week--which is a great thing! But it seems that he's only putting on weight horizontally, as he hasn't gotten any taller! He "takes much nutrition, but it only builds him up horizontally, not vertically!"

Jack showing us just how WIDE he has gotten!

He is apparently shorter than many of the younger babies, and the nannies say that "He will be a good weight-lifting player when he grows up"

Practicing barbells in his sleep?

Out of the Woods

2008-08-12T12:16:00.009-04:00

Last week we introduced little 8 month old Tyler who traveled 14 hours by bus with his nanny to come to the Cleft Home for the nurturing, individualized care that he needed to be able to survive with his cleft. When he arrived, he was immediately admitted to the ICU at Anhui Children's to get treatment for dehydration, failure to thrive, and pneumonia.

We received wonderful news that Tyler has been discharged from the hospital yesterday and is now back at the Cleft Home. He is still very weak and can only be fed 80 ml of formula every 3 hours. The nannies say that Tyler can easily get a swollen belly if he is fed more than 80 ml one time. He will still need to take the medicine to control possible infection.

Thank you to everyone who have remembered these children in your thoughts. As you can see, Tyler is swimming in his clothing. We put the word out that we could use some tiny premie clothing for him and you overwhelmed us with your generosity. Thank you!
Look at those big feet. I predict he will be the next Yao Ming basketball star some day.

Heidi Reitz

Foster Care Director

Unwelcome visitors...

2008-08-06T20:09:00.001-04:00

Usually the babies at the cleft home are excited when visitors come to visit. After all, it generally means more hands to hold them, and more mouths to speak to them! But...recently they had some unwelcome visitors: nurses from the hospitals to vaccinate them!

Little Dawn doesn't know quite what to expect...

...but she quickly decides she doesn't like this one bit!

We know children are never happy to receive their shots, but we also know that this little bit of discomfort now will be very valuable to their health later! (We also know, thankfully, that babies have very short memories!)

A sixth sense

2008-08-06T19:58:00.002-04:00

It seems one of our little ones has a kind of "sixth sense."

Millie, a one-month-old baby girl, loves being around people, whether she's awake or asleep. Her nannies say that she can sense when they enter or leave the room, and she does not like it when they leave! Even if she's soundly asleep, if they try to leave the room for a few minutes, she immediately starts crying for her "mum."

If you look carefully at the above pictures, you may recognize the living room rug. Because she likes being around people (and noise!) so much, the nannies often let her nap in the living room, instead of her bed, where she may become lonely!

When she's awake, the presence of other babies or adults around her lulls her to sleep! The nannies say that she just has a sense of comfort when surrounded by others and is afraid of being by herself. Luckily, at the cleft home, there are usually plenty of babies and adults around to keep her company.

As long as I'm with people, I'm a happy baby!

Newborn baby boys

2008-08-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

When we first opened the home in March, many of our babies were already a few months old, and Becca and Kyle were almost six months old! We were happy to welcome any and all babies into the home at that point, but lately we are welcoming younger and younger babies. This is a wonderful shift for us, because we really do want the babies as young as we can get them. The earlier that cleft-affected children can begin to feed with a cleft bottle, received adequate nutrition, and gain weight, the better!

Please join me in welcoming the newest members of the cleft home family--Hunter and Lance, newborn baby boys!

Hunter sleeping soundly in his new home

Lance doesn't seem so sure about this...

...but after seeking comfort in his fingers,
he looks a little happier!

More baby boys!!

2008-08-05T17:51:00.000-04:00

The cleft home recently welcomed three new baby boys--Tyler, Matthew, and Louis. These boys all came from the same province and traveled many, many hours to get here! The bus left their home town at 7 am, and didn't arrive in Anhui until 9 pm! It's always a long journey, but this trip was made especially grueling because the bus broke down at one point and took over two hours to repair! We want to especially thank the nannies who brought these boys all that way. We believe that their willingness to undergo such a long trip speaks to the acknowledged value and need for the services and care we are able to provide to these children.

Like most cleft babies, Tyler, Matthew, and Louis have a very hard time feeding and struggled to gain weight at the orphanage. All three boys arrived at the cleft home weak and sick. Matthew and Louis are recovering from their colds and long journey at the cleft home, but Tyler needed to be admitted to the hospital. The state of all of these babies upon their arrival, especially the oldest two, illustrates how important it is for cleft-affected babies to have access to adequate nutrition.

Matthew is about two months old,
which makes him the youngest of the three...

But we are happy to say that he is one alert little baby!

Louis is almost six months old...and greatly enjoys sucking his thumb!
(That will be a hard habit to break when it's time for surgery!)

Tyler is eight months old. He is being treated at Anhui Children's Hospital for dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia, but we are happy to report that he has now moved from ICU to regular care. At the time of his admission to the hospital, he weighed just over 7 lbs.

We thank you for your continued support, which enables us to provide babies like Tyler, Matthew, and Louis with the specialized, individualized, care they need to survive. Please keep these babies, especially Tyler, in your thoughts and prayers.

Another baby enters foster care...

2008-08-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

Jenna left this week for foster care in her home province. Like always, her departure brings a mix of emotions. Together with her nannies, we are sad to see her leave the home, as we have greatly enjoyed getting to "know" her these past few months...but we are very excited that she is healthy enough to enter foster care!

"I'm not so sure about this..."

We know that her new foster family will take wonderful care of her, and trust that she will continue to grow and thrive in her new environment. We know how important a family environment is for a child's growth and development, and are very happy that Jenna can now experience this as well. (Many thanks to all of our supporters whose sponsorship of the LWB foster care program make these family-like experiences possible!).

Jenna is actually joining the same family as Shannon (who left the home a few weeks ago)...so we hope this familiar face will make her transition even smoother!

Goodbye, Jenna! We'll miss you!

Introducing...Daisy!

2008-07-22T21:09:00.000-04:00

A newborn baby girl moved into the cleft home today, her name is Daisy. She's just a few weeks old, and seems to have no problems adjusting to her new home!

Welcome, Daisy! We're so glad you're here!

Life Philosophies

2008-07-13T21:10:00.000-04:00

According to our house manager, Zhang Ming, some of the babies have already developed particular "life philosophies".

For example, Nick's life philosophy is to cry. You remember the post a while back, showing mouth open so wide you could see his tonsils? Well, he still likes to cry...but we're happy to report that he seems to be settling down a little bit. He has replaced some of his screaming with babbling, and that's a welcome change. He's not smiling in these pictures, but at least he's not crying!

Nick

Jack's life philosophy is eating...and that's one about which we are very happy! As long as the nannies strictly adhere to his eating schedule (every two hours!) he's a happy camper...but if his bottle is late, he let's everyone know about it!

Jack...taking a rare break from eating!

Dawn's life philosophy is smiling! And boy, do we have the pictures to prove it!

Dimply Dawn

Regardless of what their philosophy is, we are so pleased that each of our children has the opportunity to be unique in his or her own way, and so grateful that our nannies take the time to get to know each of them. It's such a gift to share in the development of each of these babies, as they continue to establish who they are. And we can't wait to see who they will be in the years to come!

Jenna's new smile

2008-07-13T21:07:00.001-04:00

I thought you'd like to see some pictures of Jenna a few weeks post-op. She looks much more comfortable, and happy, wouldn't you say?

Now that's a happy child!

My how they grow!

2008-07-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

Kyle and Becca still reside at the cleft home while we search for some more foster families. While they were never tiny by any means, they still have grown so much! Both physically and developmentally.

Even though neither could support their head when they first arrived, they are now both standing (though Kyle's a bit wobbly), and Becca seems to be helping Simba (the house manager's son) with his homework already ready!

Thank you for your continued support, which enables us to provide these children the physical, medical, emotional, and developmental support and care they deserve.

More babies!

2008-07-13T20:44:00.001-04:00

The doors are certainly revolving at the cleft home!
There are two new ones you haven't yet met, so I would like to introduce....

Leah

and Phillip!

(From left to right)
Becca...Jenna...Millie...Nick...
Kyle...Jack...and Dawn...all in the hands of our
wonderful nannies, and one visitor!

Showing some love

2008-07-13T20:32:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest benefits our children in the cleft home receive is individual care and attention. We know that the best nutrition and medical care is important, but without love, these babies would still lack what they need in order to thrive. I love all of the pictures we receive from the home of nannies interacting with the babies, because the care and love they feel for these babies is so evident. And they always look so happy to be with the children--we really couldn't ask for better caregivers.

Priceless picutres of Kyle learning to recieve...and give...kisses

Wren moves to ACH for surgery!

2008-07-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe that little Wren
now has some chipmunk cheeks!

Wren went to Anhui Children's Hospital this week for cleft surgery! Wren is the last of the "founding" babies (babies who were in the home when it opened in March) to receive surgery, and we are very excited for her. She was one of the youngest and smallest babies brought to the home in March. She steadily gained weight and is now ready for surgery. We look forward to seeing her new smile!

There she is, bright-eyed, and beautiful, ready for a grand adventure...

...or maybe a nap

Jenna returns home after surgery

2008-07-04T21:06:00.000-04:00

Jenna came home from the hospital this week after receiving surgery to repair her cleft lip. We're happy to report that everything went very well, and she's now peacefully resting and recovering back at the cleft home.

"What's going on?"

Jenna resting back at the cleft home

We're very thankful to the wonderful surgeons at Anhui Children's Hospital who have so dutifully cared for each of our children, and thankful to our many sponsors who make the surgeries financially possible.

Our twigs are budding!

2008-07-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

As a long-time subscriber to LWB publications and newsletters, I have read over and over again how lucky we are to have such wonderful caregivers, directors, teachers, and doctors in China for the children under our care. Now that I have spent so much time working with the cleft home, I can see just how true that really is. Our house manager, Zhang Ming, really is a gift--he is ready and willing to do anything our children need, and you can tell he really cares about the children in the process. I'm happy to report that I think he likes his job too! The weekly reports about the children often put things so eloquently, I'd like to just share an excerpt with you:

[The Chinese name of one of our little girls means flower] "So every time I see her, I feel that I am in a garden of early summer. Here we have fresh air, comfortable temperature. The little twigs are growing into branches, and are budding. They’re enjoying the nurturing of summer sun and rain. Dawn is just like a beautiful flower in this garden. She grows quietly. Only two months, we can see and feel her various emotions, happy, blue.."

Pretty beautiful (and happy!) flower, wouldn't you agree?

Many thanks for your support, which helps us help our "twigs" grow into

beautiful "budding branches"!

It's a girl!

2008-07-02T21:07:00.000-04:00

We have a brand new resident at the cleft home!

Meet Millie, a baby girl born on June 20th, 2008. We are happy to report that she is quite comfortable in her new home. We know the nannies look forward to getting to know her in the months to come.

Eagle Scout Visits Home

2008-07-01T21:05:00.001-04:00

Last week, an Eagle Scout named Alex visited the cleft home with his family, played with the babies, and brought many bottles and vitamins! Alex was on an adoption trip with his family to pick up his new brother. We are so glad he was able to visit the home and so thankful that he chose to partner with Love Without Boundaries!

Alex with his family and a few babies!

For his Eagle Scout project, Alex went door-to-door raising money to buy cleft bottles. He raised enough money to buy 17 cases of bottles, and brought five of these boxes to the cleft home!

Look at all those wonderful supplies! Five cases of bottles,
and 30 bottles of vitamins (Thanks to Tanner!)

Alex also brought over vitamins that were collected by another Eagle Scout, Tanner. He brought enough vitamins to last the cleft home for the entire year. We are very thankful for Tanner's hard work and generous donation, and know that these vitamins will be very important for our babies in the year to come

.

Alex smiles with satisfaction--as he should!
The babies (and LWB) say THANK YOU!

Becca's Standing!

2008-06-27T22:24:00.000-04:00

You may remember that Becca was scheduled to leave the home and enter foster care a few weeks ago--she and Kyle were supposed to leave the same week that John and Ben left. Her perspective foster family is not yet ready to welcome her into their home, so she's still at the cleft home for a little longer. I was looking through the most recent pictures from the home, and came across these incredible pictures of her STANDING UP!

Becca with Paddy's daughter

"Hello, and Good-bye!"

Looks like she's ready to walk on off the couch!
Here comes trouble!

It's amazing to look back on how far she has come in just four months. When she first arrived at the home, she could barely hold up her head. It has been a joy to watch her grow stronger, learn to sit up, and then learn to stand!

We are so thankful for the generosity of all of our sponsors whose donations help make these milestones happen. We look forward to the day when all children will know the love and support of a forever family, but until that day comes, we are so grateful for your support which enables us to provide these children with the care and attention they so desperately need, and deserve.

Jenna is ready for her new smile!

2008-06-27T22:01:00.001-04:00

We received word this week that Jenna has moved to Anhui Children's Hospital for her lip repair. We pray for a smooth and successful surgery, and a quick and easy recovery! We look forward to seeing her new smile shortly.

Jenna resting peacefully in the hospital before surgery.

More graduates!

2008-06-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

John and Ben have graduated from the home and moved into foster care! Our house manager, Zhang Ming, wrote a wonderful play-by-play of the day they left for foster care, which I think explains our mix of emotions very well. Please read his account of the day:

Two children were picked up back to [their home town]. We thought there would be four babies going to be moved direct to foster care, but we were told that one foster family is not ready yet to accept our children. So we only have Jun and Bao sent back. Bing and Kang are scheduled to be sent back in a couple of days this week.

Thinking that four post surgery children [all from the same orphanage] were leaving, our cleft home nannies had their last hugs and pictures with the babies. We also had a group picture of all our babies from this orphanage together.

These four children were scheduled to be sent back.

Ben, Kyle, Becca, John

[This orphanage] has the most cleft babies in our home. We have altogether 6 babies at one time accounting for half of the total numbers!

John questions, "You doesn't seem to be one of my mums. Who are you?"

"No, I don't want to part with my mums at cleft home.

I want to stay here. Why choose me first?"

Ben comments, "I don't want to go, either."

One more picture before we part.

One more hug! and one more hug for my wife and son!

One more kiss. Goodbye and take care!

Good trip, Ben!

Good trip, John!

We all love you!

With tears!

Zhang Ming

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Father’s Day: a day set aside in the U.S. to honor and celebrate fathers with gifts and cook outs. Gifts that can never come close to the significance that fathers play in their children’s lives. Perhaps a new tie, socks, or gifts like my husband often gets - gifts that the children would like to play with their dad. Like a motor boat to race in the pool, or a new Wii game system that quickly becomes the “kids” present. But isn’t that what fatherhood is all about? Sacrificing for the good of your children? Of course it’s not a sacrifice without rewards – the love of a child for their father often cannot be measured or matched.

Today we’d like to honor all the unsung heroes in our foster care program; the fathers who lavish affection and attention on our 300 plus children in foster care. These men are a vital part of our foster care program and play important roles in the lives of our foster children.

I’d like to tell you about two fathers who are very important in the lives of 12 children now in our Anhui Cleft Healing Home. Zhang Ming manages our cleft healing home along with his brother-in-law Paddy. Both of these men have families of their own but spend countless hours at our home. Paddy has a delightful teenage daughter and Zhang Ming has a very handsome little boy. These children spend many hours at the home along with their mothers (one of whom works in the home as well). They are probably there in part to play with the babies and also to see their fathers!

Zhang Ming spends many hours working for the children that LWB serves, not only in our cleft healing home but also throughout Anhui. He keeps our home running smoothly; hiring nannies, arranging for surgeries, ordering formula. He is also the only English speaker in our home so he is the one we communicate with and who translates the wonderful reports our Cleft Healing Home sponsors receive monthly. He is the man behind the camera taking the many great pictures we have of the children’s lives. As we all know, if you are taking the pictures, you usually aren’t in them! So while we don’t have many pictures of him interacting with the babies, I can assure you he is a huge part of their lives.

Zhang Ming

Paddy is our driver and Zhang Ming’s right hand man. He is a soft spoken, quiet man who loves to play with the babies. It’s obvious from the pictures that the babies love him as well! On this Father’s Day, we’d like to thank all of the fathers who dedicate themselves selflessly to children who will not be theirs forever, but who clearly own a part of their hearts!

We have our first graduate!

2008-06-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

Graduations can be bitter sweet, especially for the parents involved. Having just gone through three of my own this year, I know! The goal that you’ve been eagerly anticipating is finally reached, and then you turn the page to a new chapter. Shannon was one of the first two babies to arrive at our home, a mere three months ago. Look at the change in her! She has always been a sweetheart, but now she has a cute little rosebud smile to go along with her personality.

Shannon at the beginning of March...and a week ago!

She is off to her new foster family in Dingyuan now. We are sad to see her leave, but know we must let her go. She’s graduated, we’ve done our job in the home to bring her to this moment, but it’s not easy to say goodbye. Here is what our home manager said in his email this morning:

Shannon was sent back to Dingyuan today. We all hugged her and parted with mixed feelings. She is our precious. We love her and feel bad sending her away, however we also feel happy for her, for she is going to have a new life with a new look. Here are the photos taken this morning.

Speaking of photos…just like at any graduation there were a million taken of Shannon! I think everyone wanted to have a picture to remember her by. Here are just a fraction of the pictures I have .

Shannon and Zhang Ming

Shannon and two of her nannies.

Shannon saying good-bye to Paddy

While we are on the subject of graduations, I’d like to share my stateside graduates with you too!

Brian beginning life in the “real world” after graduation from law school.

Caitlin finishing her college career and beginning seminary in the fall

Kevin, moving on to elementary school and

the big yellow bus with his brother and sister!

Graduation is a time of moving forward, for the graduate it’s an exciting time of life. We rejoice with Shannon as she begins the next chapter of her life in her new foster family. She is still being cared for by LWB, so we know she’ll be in good hands! Congratulations Shannon and best wishes for a happy future!

Jack: Our future musician...or super hero!

2008-06-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

Like many parents, the nannies enjoy watching the little ones sleep (probably partly because they're quiet...but also because they're cute!) They say that when Jack's asleep, he often shoots his hands up randomly into the air. The nannies say that “his gesture looks like a symphony conductor holding his hands up to indicate the end of the playing, or like a superman’s flying pose”.

They think he is having beautiful dreams—and we hope that he is.

Or…maybe he IS a budding symphony conductor!

Like the other babies, Jack has become more demanding the longer he resides in the cleft home. This makes work a little more challenging for our nannies, but we love to hear that our babies are becoming more demanding because we know it means they are learning that they can voice their needs, and their needs will be met. We are so thankful for our wonderful nannies who meet the needs (and wants!) of these babies day after day after day.

...and the not so quiet one...

2008-06-09T21:20:00.000-04:00

At first, the nannies thought Dawn and Nick might have similar personalities because they come from the same orphanage...but they quickly learned that that is not the case! If you remember, Dawn is similar to Wren in that she is very calm, quiet, and low-key. Her friend, Nick, on the other hand, is anything but quiet!

Doesn't he look nice and peaceful?

The nannies have concluded that Nick might just like crying. Even when he is full, has a clean diaper, and should not be tired...he opens his mouth wide and cries loudly. Zhang Ming says “Crying is a good exercise, but he seems to have gone too far”.

Uh-oh!

The nannies say “He may come from a different planet…it might take time for him to get used to the environment here”. Don't worry Nick, we'll give you all the time you need to get used to your new environment. We certainly hope you'll be happy soon. You need all the energy you can get to help you grow big and strong so you can have surgery. Cheer up, little one!

The "twin" quiet ones of the house

2008-06-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

I was reading through the most recent reports, and I couldn't help but notice the number of similarities between Wren and one of our new arrivals, Dawn. If you remember, Wren is one of our smaller babies who has been at the cleft home since our opening in March. Dawn is younger and arrived just a few weeks ago.

You be the judge:

Wren is a quiet, sweet, observer in the house. She is taking her sweet time in gaining weight, but isn’t causing the nannies much trouble in the mean time. When she’s feeling well and is hungry, she likes to eat a lot! She’ll wake up in the middle of the night to be fed, but won’t even open her eyes to eat. She just drinks her bottle and then goes back to sleep.

Wren just appears as happy as can be! We also know that she really likes to play with her fingers (and chew them, apparently!)

Wren doesn’t care too much for toys, but likes to be spoken to, and likes to play with her fingers. When other babies are fussy, she looks at them quietly and seems to be asking “Why are you crying?” She loves her baths...in fact, they usually put her right to sleep!

Like Wren, Dawn continues to become prettier and healthier as time passes, and is a really pleasant baby to be around. She is very quiet…so quiet that sometimes when the nannies are busy playing with the other babies, they forget that she's in the room!

Wren's listening very intently for something...

Here she is...just hanging out. She looks very dainty
and lady-like to me in this picture.

The nannies say that Dawn is often found gazing at her fingers “as if she was appreciating a piece of art”. We think she’s a valuable, beautiful piece of art too!

Of course, Wren and Dawn are not actually twins, but I just think they have very similar personalities. And, with such pleasant demeanors, I know the nannies are more than happy to have two very similar babies.

Playing Favorites

2008-05-27T19:21:00.000-04:00

Now there's a happy girl!

Becca, one of the oldest babies in the home, continues to progress very well. She can wave hello and good-bye, and seems to understand when people are talking badly about her. She also knows what she wants, and is pretty adamant that things are done her way! For example, when she's tired, she doesn't like for anyone to disturb her. One time, she was yawning and rubbing her eyes in her bouncing chair when Kyle, seated next to her started to cry. As he got louder and louder, Becca protested by reaching over and pushing him away. As soon as the nanny moved Kyle away, Becca fell right to sleep. Now that's a woman with a mission!

Now she can also sit up on her own, and is starting to stand a little bit. She loves to be around people, and has chosen Zhang Ning as her favorite nanny. People say that she can even tell when Zhang Ning is approaching by listening to her footsteps! Becca likes to be carried by Zhang Ning whenever she is around, even if she's doing chores. One day she was so persistent that they tried strapping her into a baby carrier so that Zhang Ning could continue to do the chores AND keep Becca happy. But...Becca didn't seem to like that idea too much!

Becca and Paddy
(cleft home assistant manager and the husband of her Zhang Ning, her favorite nanny)
In the first picture Becca looks half way content...
in the second one, she doesn't look too thrilled!

Don't be fooled by my size....

2008-05-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

Nick, one of our newest babies, is only 6 weeks old. He has been at the cleft home for about a week now, and has settled in nicely. He eats and sleeps well, and likes to be rocked to sleep.

Nick and Shao Mei

When he's not happy though...you better watch out! Zhang Ming writes "When he cries, he cries in a very high pitched voice as if he wants everyone in the building to hear his voice!" Just by looking at these pictures, I think we can get a pretty good idea of the lungs on this boy! We think those mighty lungs are a sign of strength and determination though...and that's what we like to see in all of our children.

Waking up from sweet dreams...

...I'm up! I'm up! Feed me!

Ben, Shannon and John are home!

2008-05-21T21:14:00.000-04:00

We are very happy to announce that Ben, Shannon and John have all returned to the cleft home after their surgeries and are doing very well.

John was the first to receive surgery, on May 8th. Everything went well, although the nannies say he was very fussy after surgery. I know everyone's happy to have him back at the cleft home, and I'm sure he's much more comfortable there than at the hospital.

"What? Me? Fussy? NEVER!"

Shannon had an extended stay in the hospital, as she was admitted early to receive treatment for bronchitis. With a few antibiotics, she was ready for action! She received surgery on May 10th, and is now happy to be back at the cleft home.

Shannon shows off her new haircut and new smile
(well...maybe not quite a smile, but you get the idea!)

Ben received surgery on May 12th and also had a smooth recovery at ACH.

Ben certainly is happy to be home!
Look at that beautiful new smile.

Little Princess and one smart cookie!

2008-05-15T19:37:00.000-04:00

We just love all the cute clothes and accessories our babies wear.
Thought we'd share these with you:
We really do believe Ben is one smart cookie!

Becca is pretty in pink, and, apparently, a little princess...

....times two!

(This one doesn't really have to do with outfits...but I couldn't resist)
"You crack me up!"

Yankees BEWARE!

2008-05-15T18:35:00.001-04:00

"I may not be able to sit up yet...
but I'm ready for the World Series...or maybe the Olympics! "

"Ready to catch? I've got quite the throw"

"Batter up!"

"Yea! We won!"

Disclaimer: LWB is not affiliated with the Red Sox, nor are we bias against the Yankees. If you'd like to send over a Yankees outfit, please do! Maybe we can have our own version of the World Series right in the cleft home.

The little ones are smiling

2008-05-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

Our littlest ones at the home have taken their sweet time gathering energy and comfort before they've shared their smiles with us...but every update we get from the cleft home reports that they are growing bigger and smiling more and more every day. Please enjoy some of our smallest smiles!

Jenna has recovered from her sickness and is happy again!

...and she stays healthy by sleeping lots! Her reports say she likes to have her fingers in her mouth all the time...and this picture attests to that!

Sweet little Wren

Jack's smile is as big as his outfit! I bet he gets a hair cut soon.

John: The Best Actor in the Cleft Home!

2008-05-13T20:31:00.000-04:00

(John went for surgery this week...this is an old post)
Doesn’t John look happy and content in all these pictures? It certainly looks like he’s a happy baby! But Zhang Ming warns us to not be “cheated by his disguise. John is actually now the fussiest boy in the cleft home!” John loves bathing and behaves very well in the bathtub, but likes to be the center of attention and quickly becomes fussy when something isn’t going his way.

When John first arrived at the cleft home, he couldn’t hold his head up, but now he can stand up with just a little bit of help! He has also turned into quite the explorer—he likes to go for walks to different rooms and upstairs. He also likes to go out on the balcony to enjoy the outside view and the fresh air! We love that there are so many people at the cleft home to speak to him and tease him…and so many innocent victims that he can trick by his smiley disguise!

We're moving now...

2008-05-13T20:01:00.000-04:00

The doors of our Anhui Cleft Healing Home are beginning to resemble revolving doors! This is a good thing because it means that our babies are growing big enough to have their surgeries. But it can be enough to make your head spin at times! Fortunately we have a wonderful home manager in Zhang Ming and he seems to have everything under control.

Becca and Kyle returned from Anhui Children’s Hospital on April 24^th having received their surgeries.

Kyle's smile has already returned...

...and Becca just keeps getting chubbier and chubbier!

We now have three more babies in the hospital for surgery

Shannon went on April 22^nd to receive antibiotics to help clear
up bronchitis before her surgery on May 10^th. She certainly looks happy and
healthy, doesn't she?
Then Jon followed on May 4th and had his lip repair surgery on May 8^th.
Poor thing looks a little concerned....
Ben went to ACH on the 8^th and had surgery on the 13th.

In the meantime, Zhang Ming hired new nannies to care for two new babies who just arrived from Huainan.

Meet Dawn (she looks like a serious one!)...

...and Nick!

In case you’ve lost count, we now have 10 babies in our home! Make you a little tired reading this?

There are times when I feel like I live parallel lives, one here in the states and one in China. I “only” have 7 children of my own, but feel like I have 17 when I include the babies in the home. And this time of year, my home also has a revolving door! Our oldest son graduated from law school this past weekend; the same weekend our second oldest son needed to be moved out of his dorm room. Fortunately their schools are close together! So now I have one car full of one child’s things, a small moving truck full of another’s furniture that needs to be stored until he moves into his own place. My oldest daughter will graduate from college this coming weekend. Of course her things will need to come home as well J. Maybe Zhang Ming can come to my house for awhile to help us get organized and in control!

I apologize for being late in sending this blog, but things have been a LITTLE busy!! I am very thankful for all of the good things happening to “my” children on both sides of the ocean! I hope you enjoy seeing the new faces of the children in our home, I know I do!

Sandi Glass
Cleft Healing Home Coordinator

Smiles, Smiles, All Around!

2008-05-06T21:34:00.001-04:00

I just read through the weekly updates on all our babies...and the one constant is that every single one is smiling more often! Each of the babies eats up individual attention and as soon as they are picked up or spoken to, Zhang Ming says their faces just light up. This is even true of Jenna and Wren...babies who were very shy and hesitant to smile when they first arrived. What wonderful news!

Yan Yan showing off her new smile

Xiao Xiao with his new smile...and new toy!

Zhang Ming says Ben is the home's "Smiling Star"--can you see why?

Sometimes, a picture really says a thousand words...

2008-04-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

Today I thought you'd enjoy a little collection of the smiles emerging at the
cleft home. You can really tell that the babies really have come out of their
shell and feel at home--which is just what we want!

This is Jon...he tends to be a little shy at first, b
ut once you get him going he's all smiles!

Do you like our new seats? We sure do!

This is Jenna...who used to be very serious and rarely smiled.
You can tell that she has fully recovered from her pneumonia!

Can you believe this is just a few days after surgery?
The resilience of these children is awe-inspiring.

Becca is a bright-eyed one!
(This is from before her lip repair surgery...
we'll have post-pictures soon!)

Wren has outgrown her nickname!

2008-04-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

The nannies used to call Wren “Little Tiny Bit” because she was one of the smallest babies, but she has put on so much weight that the name no longer fits her.

Wren is no longer "little bit" but "little Xue" which means "little snow"

The title of “Little Tiny Bit” was given to Jack, the newest arrival. We’re happy that Wren has outgrown this name, and we hope that Jack outgrows it soon too!

Introducing our new "little bit", Jack.

To have someone rejoice at all your firsts!

2008-04-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

Shannon’s the star of the week…she’s very excitable and is learning new things every day. She can now sit on her own, and stand up (with some help).

In our post at the beginning of April, we said that we wanted to see some of the older babies crawling soon. Well, we reached that goal! Shannon's the first one on the move! As you can see, our head nanny, Shao Mei, is very proud of her!

Look out, world, here I come!

Thank you for your financial gifts which allow these precious children to have loving nannies who rejoice and cheer when they learn a new skill. We believe every child deserves this kind of support and encouragement. If you would like to help make this a reality for more cleft orphans, please visit our main website at www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/sponsorclefthomechild

Introducing Our Home Manager

2008-04-23T16:45:00.000-04:00

We’d like you to meet the people responsible for the smooth running of the Anhui Cleft Healing Home. So every so often we’ll feature on of them in our blog. First and foremost is our Home Manager, Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming is the Anhui Province Regional Director and has worn many hats over the years for LWB. Among his recent jobs he has been Manager for Mobile Medical Van, Foster Care Manager & Education Manager for Dingyuan, Luan, Fuyang, & XiaoXian programs, 2006 Cleft Trip to Hefei Manager, and Anhui Children's Hospital Liason. He has given up some of his other manager duties and is now focusing on being the Anhui Province Regional Director and the Cleft Healing Home Manager.

Caitlin, baby Jenna, Sandi and Zhang Ming

He put in many, many hour over the past few
months getting the home ready for the babies. He acted as our general contractor to remodel the home to meet the babies’ needs. He’s shopped for flooring, paint, kitchen appliances, furniture and rugs – just to list a few. He went out to pick up paint for the home in the snow storms that swept through Anhui around Chinese New Year. He coaxed workers to return early from their holidays so that the home could be ready on time. He also found all of the wonderful nannies that we now have working in our home!

When we were in China shopping for our third day in a row, I just had to ask: “Zhang Ming, do you LIKE shopping?” He was being so much more patient than my husband would have ever been! He chuckled and said shyly “Not really.” He is a little camera shy as well, and prefers to be the one behind the camera rather than in front of it. But here are a few pictures that we were able to catch him in.

Zhang Ming is married and has one son, a delightful little boy whose name was too hard for me to pronounce, so he gave himself the English name of Simba. Zhang Ming is a true asset to our program in China, and we are so grateful for hi s many hours of work helping us help the children!

Simba, with a LWB Volunteer

Zhang Ming's wife with Jon

Kyle and Becca travel to ACH for surgery

2008-04-21T13:25:00.000-04:00

Last week, both Kyle and Becca, two of our bigger babies, traveled to Anhui Children's Hospital to receive cleft lip surgery. We know their presence is missed at the cleft home, but everyone is very excited to see their new smiles!

Don't you just love Becca's bow and both of their wide grins?

Bye for now! Next time you see us, we'll have our new smiles!

"I want to help!" and learning to eat new foods after surgery

2008-04-19T12:10:00.000-04:00

Kyle really likes to eat! And we like that, because a fat baby is a happy baby.

Sometimes, he thinks the nannies are taking too long to feed him, and so he likes to try and help!

"Oh...just let me DO it already!"

Xiao Xiao just had surgery last week, and Shao Mei is patiently helping him learn how to eat with his new mouth.

He makes a bit of a mess, but we trust that he’ll learn how to use his new mouth very quickly.

The "bad" habits that we love!

2008-04-17T22:37:00.001-04:00

With every week that passes, the family-like environment of the cleft home grows stronger. The babies are becoming more and more comfortable all the time, and have become selective and demanding! While this may make it harder to keep them happy, we are VERY glad to hear about their “bad” habits.

Ben now only falls asleep in the arms of his nannies—

he likes to be fed, held, and patted as

he drifts off to slumber land.

Becca also likes to be rocked to sleep, and some

nights, she will only let Nanny Zhang Ning do it!

All of the babies are learning how to attract the attention of their nannies.

John is happy and content as long as you keep speaking to him…

but as soon as you try to hold other papers, he cries hard!

SWEET NEW SMILE

2008-04-13T21:03:00.000-04:00

Our first baby to have surgery has returned to the cleft home, while she waits for her friend to be discharged from Anhui Children’s Hospital.

Doesn’t she look tickled pink to be back?

Our home manager reports that she can lift her head while lying on her tummy on the carpet. She can hold toys with both hands. She got two teeth this week and she is still happy! She is babbling and likes you to speak to her. Her repaired lip will help to improve her language ability. Thank you to her surgical sponsors for giving her this gift!

Stay tuned for more new smiles shortly!

IT’S A BOY!

2008-04-10T22:41:00.000-04:00

We have a new arrival at the Anhui Cleft Healing Home, a little boy who we have named “Jack” He was born the end of February and arrived at our home April 7^th. Could he be any cuter?

Jack is in need of two baby sponsors to help support him in the home as he gains weight and grows big enough for surgery. In fact, all but one of our babies still need at least one sponsor.

If you would like to help in this way, please visit http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/SponsorCleftHomeChild.cfm to make a difference in one little child’s life.

Baby Exercise Time

2008-04-06T20:56:00.000-04:00

Time to get these babies up and moving! We had some Love Without Boundaries volunteers visit the cleft healing home, and while they were there they did a baby exercise class of sorts! Thank you to Arlene, Maire, Julie and Helen for demonstrating the benefits of tummy time, practice sitting up and playing with toys. As our babies all come to us from orphanages, they are developmentally behind, which is to be expected. A little side benefit (which is really NOT so little after all) of being in our foster home is that these babies will get a chance to catch up on some of their motor skills. In the few weeks that they have been with us, I can already see a difference in their strength. More babies are holding their heads steadily, reaching for toys and even holding their heads off the floor.

Come on, you can do it!

This is a different view of the world!

See he can lift his head!

Now this one is REALLY advanced!
Keep practicing guys! We want to see you crawling!

Sandi Glass
Cleft Healing Home Coordinator
Love Without Boundaries
"Every Child Counts"
www.LoveWithoutBoundaries.com

SUCCESSFUL SURGERY

2008-04-01T11:41:00.000-04:00

I am delighted to tell you that our first baby has come through surgery with flying colors! Little Yan is still recovering at ACH but is doing fine. I can’t wait to see her new smile fully revealed! Her little friend Xiao is still being treated for asthma and has not had surgery yet.

We have another little one in the hospital who is having a hard time fully recovering from pneumonia. Jenna has been in ACH for 20 days now. Please pray that she is well enough to be released soon!

Sandi Glass
Cleft Healing Home Coordinator
Love Without Boundaries
"Every Child Counts"
www.LoveWithoutBoundaries.com

First Babies Have Surgery

2008-03-26T20:18:00.000-04:00

Our first babies have gone to Anhui Children’s Hospital to have their lip repair surgery! These two little faces may not look familiar to you, because they aren’t actually “residents” of our home, but have been “houseguests” for about two weeks. They arrived in Hefei for surgery sponsored through LWB, only to find that ACH had no beds for them. So they have been waiting for space to become available and enjoying their time at our Cleft Healing Home. I was just thrilled to get this email from our Home Manager, you can tell what wonderful nannies we have in our home, that they would get so attached in two short weeks.

Zhang Ming writes: “Baby one and Baby two were moved to Anhui Children’s Hospital for surgery yesterday (Mar 25). Cleft home nannies were all feeling bad to have to part with the two little ones for a couple weeks for the surgery. They all hugged the little ones and kissed goodbye to them. They prayed in their heart for the smooth operations on the babies.

Baby one is going to get surgery tomorrow. Baby two has asthma and possible lung infection according to the surgeon, so he needs to get medication for the asthma first before operation”

We will all be praying along with the nannies that everything goes smoothly for this little one!

Sandi Glass
Cleft Healing Home Coordinator
Love Without Boundaries
"Every Child Counts"

www.LoveWithoutBoundaries.com

All Those Smiles!

2008-03-26T18:48:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the lack of entries since my return from China. It has taken awhile to get adjusted to life at home and reconnect with my family. I have a list of stories I’d like to share from our visit and I promise I’ll share them. But I just received these photos from our Home Manager and had to share them first! I just love seeing the sparkle in the babies eyes. They are clearly adjusting well to their new home. They were all “so good” when we were there, but imagine the changes they have been through. New home, new environment, new caregivers. I can tell they are coming out of their shells now, just look at their smiles. Their whole faces are smiling!

Sandi Glass
Cleft Healing Home Coordinator
Love Without Boundaries
"Every Child Counts"

www.LoveWithoutBoundaries.com

Hi Babies!

2008-03-19T16:07:00.000-04:00

What have you been up to?

Nothing much! Just playing with our new toys!

MMMMM...Vitamins!

2008-03-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

We arrived early at the home today to be able to see the morning routine. The babies get their baths and their vitamins in the morning. You've already seen bath time which they love. They aren't so fond of vitamins!

Next we went to Anhui Children's Hospital for a tour of the facility that is being so gracious to help us care for the children in our home. We enjoyed a LONG traditional Chinese lunch with the Vice President of ACH, Dr. Huang He. Then we returned to the home for a bittersweet farewell to the babies and the nannies.

I felt like I was leaving my first child at college again. I know they are ready to run the home on their own, we've seen first hand how accomplished they are. But at the same time we were very sad to leave the children we have grown to love in a short time.

We were unable to hold back our tears as we left. One nanny helped us carry our bags to the van (did I mention down 6 flights of stairs??). Before we closed the door of the van she said "Put down your heart, we'll do our very best." I know they will.

Off to sleep before the long trip home. Sweet dreams!

Sandi Glass
ACHH Coordinator

Music to Dance To

2008-03-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

Music and Dancing!

2008-03-07T14:10:00.000-05:00

Today was a day for music and dancing - for the babies that is! The nannies had music playing all over the house on the cd players we bought yesterday. we have two short videos that we will load once we figure out how of the nannies dancing with the babies and all the babies playing with the gyms that were donated. Some of them are starting to swing out their hands to touch the toys, a big step.

We completed developmental checklists for all the babies today. As expected they are behind developmentally, but the nannies are working hard to catch them up.

My daughter and I re-organized the clothes today and made sure every baby has enough clothes in their drawers. We made tags for the dressers and the clip boards containing the babies charts. They each have a basket for their vitamins and any other medicine they may need.

Oh and when we arrived at the house, new light fixtures were being installed all over the house (we had dangling light bulbs before). It is really starting to look and SOUND like a home! The babies are getting noisier and more demanding which is great.

Tomorrow is our last day and it will be so hard to leave these babies. Please know that you are making a big difference in their lives! It's an early morning for us tomorrow, we're going for bath time so we can weigh all the babies!

More later,

Sandi

The First Couch Photo!

2008-03-07T00:50:00.000-05:00

One more morning of shopping today, this time in a store that was somewhat like super walmart. By the time we left we had three carts full of supplies for the home. The highlight of the shopping expedition was watching Zhang Ming clear the shelves of the type of baby formula we need. He has found it difficult to find in quantity and when he found it, he bought it! Unfortunately we didn't have our camera.

We returned to the home to unpack, have a training session and play with the babies. I must say we really have some wonderful nannies. They clearly love the children and are very attentive. Because all of the nannies were there for training, there were enough arms to hold every baby. I can already tell a difference in some of the babies' ability to hold their heads up since they've been with us, even the nannies noticed.

We had a little photo shoot with the nannies and the babies. Then we lined the babies up on the couch for a picture. I really didn't think it was going to work because these babies are still so floppy. But as you can see, they stayed upright. It was really funny because none of them moved and no one made a peep for a LONG time. All of the adults were in stitches watching them. I guarantee you that if we try this again in a month, they will not be sitting still!

Everyone is beginning to settle in and feel more at home. I cannot tell you how great it is to hear the sound of laughter, cooing and singing as the babies are carried all over the house. The nannies seem to enjoy each other's company and were having fun together by the end of the day. One little fellow didn't want to be put down and his nanny came up with a solution that let her arms have a rest and kept him cozy!

I will hate to leave these little people, they are so endearing. Thank you so much for your support.

The First Full Day With Our Full House

2008-03-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe it's only my second day here in Hefei, we've done so much with so much left to do! This morning we went shopping for a rug so the babies can have some tummy time and the all important scale to make sure they are gaining weight.

We chose two rugs we thought we'd like and the store brought them the same day so we could see which went best. It looks like an ad, doesn't it? Don't worry, it wasn't long before we had toys strewn on the carpet to trip over.

The babies are settling in nicely to their new home and their little personalities are starting to emerge. We have several very serious babies, several very ticklish babies and several that love to "talk". At one point today I said to my daughter, Caitlin, that I had the best job in the world. Getting to cuddle all these babies is wonderful.

Stay tuned for more news, we are going to attempt nanny training tomorrow during naptime! we'll see how that goes. I was never successful at getting two children to nap at the same time!

Sandi Glass

ACHH Coordinator

Full House

2008-03-04T12:12:00.001-05:00

Eight Is Enough

The rest of our 6 babies arrived today along with the LWB Cleft Home Coordinator, Sandi Glass and her daughter Caitlin. We are now have a house full of babies with 8 children in residence. I spoke on the phone with Sandi briefly this morning from China after she had been in Hefei only a few hours to get her first impressions. She said the home was beautiful, the Cleft Home Staff were very kind and attententive, and the children were gorgeous. This project has been a labor of love for dozens and dozens of people around the world for many years. With all sincerity, we cannot thank you enough for your support and belief that we can make this dream a reality.

When I first looked at this photo I said to myself, I wonder how long Sandi was able to resist taking one of the children into her arms and hugging them? We have seen photos of the children for a good month now. It is not until I see Sandi actually holding a child in her arms does it really sink in how tiny, fragile, and vulnerable these little ones are and how totally dependent they are for us to help them reach their full potential.

I asked our Cleft Home Manager how things were going today and he said all was well. The nanny's were thoroughly enjoying taking care of the children under their watch and making sure that they are warm, fed, and well. We have 6 nanny's at the home right now taking care of the 8 babies during this stage of transition. So far, so good. Notice the couch full of clothes that Sandi brought with her. If you have been following the blog, you remember Sandi warned she has been shopping...

We had our first visitors today too. A few of the staff come by the home to meet Sandi and see the home in operation. The ACH doctors said that Cleft Home is a wonderful project! They explained that this partnership will allow them to choose the best suitable date to do the cleft repair and also give them the chance to see how well the cleft babies are healing after they are discharged from hospital to the cleft home. They talked with Sandi how ACH will perform a routine check on the babies once a week to make sure the children are growing and thriving. We are so grateful for our partnership with this hospital yet again to provide the best possible care for the children. The doctors from ACH (from Left to Right) are cleft surgeon Doctor Wang, heart surgeon Doctor Ding, Anhui Regional Director & LWB Cleft Home Manager Zhang Ming, Director Zhai, LWB Cleft Home Coordinator Sandi Glass, Sheri Glass, and Vice Director Zhang. Both Director Zhai and Zhang are in charge of doing the coordination between ACH departments with LWB.

After a good night's sleep, Sandi will hopefully be able to post some first hand accounts tomorrow. Thank you.

Heidi Reitz

Foster Care Director

The Babies are HERE!

2008-03-03T11:41:00.000-05:00

THE BABIES ARE HERE....

While we were sleeping last night, the first two babies, Jenna and Shanon arrived at the Anhui Cleft Healing Home. First they were taken to Anhui Children's Hospital for a check up before they came back to the home. Jenna had a little bit of a cough. After the pediatricians conducted their exams, they perscribed some medicine for her cough. She is not eating that well yet but hopefully she will be feeling better soon.

We had 6 Cleft home staff memebers here receiving the 2 babies on the day shift. 3 nannies to one child - that is a good ratio but we won't be able to keep this up for long. The nannies were busy making sure the room was ready. You could feel the excitement in the air as there were all talking at the same time about our first babies from Dingyuan.

The two children from Dingyuan were accompanied to Hefei by Director Xi's wife along with other two staff. Here is a photo of the Director's wife feeding Jenna, with our head nanny, Shao Mei looking on. She looks so kind and loving.

This is the night shift nanny whose name is Liu Xiao Li. She is gentlly making sure our littles ones are tucked into bed.

It has been a full day for these children with an exciting new chapter of their lives begining today. It is an honor and a priviledge to be able to follow these children so closely as they come to the home, grow & develop, and then eventually have their surgery. Our Anhui Cleft Home Manager is Zhang Ming. He is such a dedicated man to make sure that everything is always done right for the children. He was sending me these photos at 2AM in China because he wanted to make sure all was well with the babies on their first night

Tomorrow, 2 babies from Fuyang and 4 babies from Huainan will come to our cleft home

We are all so very excited to finally be able to care for these precious children.

I am so pleased to introduce you to Shannon. She is pretty in pink.

And Jenna. who looks like she already is having sweet dreams. I wonder what she is dreaming of?

Both of these children are still available for sponsorship.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/SponsorCleftHomeChild.cfm

Our Cleft Home Coordinator, Sandi Glass is on her way to the Cleft Home and will arrive in Hefei Tuesday at Noon. Until then we will have to wait for more news.

More gifts for the babies!

2008-02-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

We have been so touched by the outpouring of love for the babies we will be caring for at the Cleft Healing Home. The other day I went outside to find a stack of boxes in my garage. These boxes contain backpacks with many essentials for each baby to begin their stay at our home. In addition to providing many daily life essentials, the backpacks are CUTE! They are red with the Love Without Boundaries logo on them. The backpacks themselves will also be used by the nannies when our babies go for surgery at Anhui Children's Hospital.

This great gift was coordinated by a wonderful supporter of Love Without Boundaries and ELIM Christian Services. The backpacks were put together by disabled and special needs adults who love the opportunity to help others. I think it is SO special that these special adults are helping our special little people.

Thank you ELIM for sending your HOPE PACKS to offer hope to the babies at Anhui Cleft Healing Home! To read more about ELIM visit www.elimcs.org.

If you happen to be traveling to Hefei in the near future and could take a box with you as an extra piece of luggage, please contact me, we would be happy to arrange pick up!

Sandi Glass

Cleft Healing Home Coordinator

sandi.glass@lwbmail.com.

February Update on ACHH

2008-02-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

We’ve come a long way, baby….The Anhui Cleft Healing Home is nearly complete! The next official update will not be about the home’s progress, but about the babies’ progress, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. In order to get us there, our Chinese staff has been working over time to get the home ready, even during Chinese New Year.

The kitchen cabinets are installed, don’t they look wonderful?

The rooms are all brightly painted. The flooring was somehow installed DURING the holiday; Zhang Ming must have real clout!

There is still a lot to be done in a few short weeks for our projected March 1 opening. But given the progress that I’ve witnessed, I feel confident that we can do it. This week some of the nannies will begin work to get the home ready for the babies. We will also begin their very important training so that the babies will get the best care available.

I would like you to meet our first babies!

Aren't they all precious?

If you would like to sponsor one of these children in our home, please visit

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/SponsorCleftHomeChild.cfm

Aren’t they all precious?

Thank you so much, we could not help these babies without your help!

Baby Shower for the Cleft Healing Home

2008-02-20T18:09:00.000-05:00

While our China staff is busy working on the home in China, we have volunteers who have been busy helping us prepare for our babies! The women of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, VA held a baby shower for our home! They celebrated Chinese New Year with (what else?) Chinese food, and showered our babies with a ton of gifts. Not only did we receive many wonderful gifts, but $2000 was also donated to our home.

What baby shower would be complete without a cake?

Look at all these wonderful gifts for the babies! THANK YOU Abiding Presence for your generosity!

If you would be interested in hosting a baby shower for our home, please contact me for more information sandi.glass@lwbmail.com .

Anhui Cleft Healing Home Update January 2008

2008-02-20T16:58:00.000-05:00

Our Cleft Healing Home is really beginning to look like a home now, albeit a home under construction. With each new addition, whether it’s a staircase or tile in the kitchen, we get more and more excited because that means we are one step closer to caring for the babies who need us. We haven’t even opened our doors yet and are already more than half way full with babies who have been identified as needing care from orphanages in Anhui.

The push is on now to complete as much as possible before the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration, when everything stops for a week. The kitchen and baths have been tiled; the kitchen cabinets and appliances have been ordered and should be installed before CNY. Door and window trim has been added, as have lots and lots of shelves for storage. We have stairs now and the walls are ready for paint.

We have paint colors!! Soft shades of yellow, green and blue for the babies’ rooms.

Our house manager in China, Zhang Ming, has been very busy pulling all of these details together for us. He has also found a wonderful head nanny who we witnessed working magic with the babies on one of our cleft mission trips. He will begin interviewing possible nannies before CNY begins.

We are getting ready to order the baby equipment that our donors have provided for – the bouncy seats, crib mobiles, walkers, high chairs and strollers that will make this house a home for these babies. Our first shipment of cleft bottles is due to arrive soon, the real essential ingredient for these babies to thrive.

While a lot of hard work HAS gone into this home, I have to admit that it hasn’t been all work, no play. I must also admit that I’ve developed a little problem; I can’t seem to pass up a clearance rack of baby clothes! I will have to stop, or I won’t be able to carry our suitcases to China in March. But can’t you just see our little babies lined up for their photos with chubby cheeks at Halloween and Christmas time? I surely hope that we meet our deadlines so that I can cuddle with some of these babies when I am there in March!

2008-02-18T19:12:00.000-05:00

Anhui Cleft Healing Home Update: December 2007

A lot has happened in a few short months in our Cleft Healing Home, in fact some days a lot happens in an hour! In October it became clear that renovating the older apartment we had in mind would be too costly and perhaps not provide the result we wanted; a safe homelike environment to nurture very frail babies. So, we changed gears from renovating an older apartment to finishing a new apartment. The new apartment is located in the same area as the older one and still close to Anhui Children’s Hospital. It will allow us to build to the specifications we need and things are moving along!

Our apartment is two stories, with a large storage area on a lower floor that will enable us to store the supplies we need. The first floor has a playroom/sitting area, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms and two baths. The babies will all live on the first floor for now. One of the bathrooms is being built out as a changing/wash area exclusively for the babies, with a nice large sink and attached counter for drying and changing.

The second floor will house LWB’s office in China. There is another bathroom, bedroom, storage area and sitting room upstairs as well. These will allow us to expand in the future to take in more babies if necessary. Missy Ridley, our Education Director was able to visit the site in November and reports that it’s a bright, cheerful apartment with lots of potential.

Custom construction began soon after we procured the use of the apartment. A new floor has been added upstairs to allow us to have 2 playrooms. The plumbing for the heating system has been installed. The electrical wires and extra plumbing required for the outside laundry room should be finished this week. We have chosen tile for the bathrooms and flooring for the rest of the house. The tile in the kitchen is supposed to be laid this weekend. Lisa Raymond, an interior designer living in Shanghai, is helping us choose paint colors. Hopefully painting will be complete by the end of December. Once the rooms are painted, the radiators will be installed. We had hoped to be open in January, but it looks like the apartment won’t be done until February. Of course we wish it was done yesterday, but we all know you can’t rush construction.

In the meantime we have been busy finding sponsors for our rooms and soon to be occupants. We have 4 rooms sponsored already – 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The first baby is sponsored for 6 months. We have had a generous donor give diapers for 10 babies for a month as well as all the highchairs, bouncy seats, mobiles and strollers we need. We still have lots ways to become involved, besides the above mentioned room and baby sponsorship, we have bed sponsorship and many needs listed on our general donation page to help us outfit the apartment. How about sponsoring a baby shower in the New Year? .

2008-02-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

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