Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Happy Birthday Emma Grace


We were able to send a birthday cake to Emma Grace.  I didn't expect pictures, so it was a wonderful surprise to receive an email with a little update and with pictures from her birthday party.  Her last birthday without her family.




This is how birthday cakes look in Chi*a.




Do you see what I see?  A WHITE guy!  Maybe we won't scare her too badly by our whiteness :-)  We are pretty sure that the lady in the gray pants is Emma's foster grandmother.  Mark noticed that she is wearing the same pants as the caregiver was wearing in the video we received.  We are guessing that the woman lighting the cake is her foster mother.  Her 2 foster siblings are most likely present.  






I was sad but not surprised to see that they had cut her hair.  This is a very common practice and is actually done with good motives.  The belief is that it will lead to the hair growing back fuller and more beautiful.  I am still so sad about it:-(  I will be bringing plenty of bows with me to Ch*na!



You can't see Emma in this picture, but we think that the man cutting the cake is her foster dad.  Emma has clearly been loved and well taken care of by her foster family.  We do feel so very sad for them.  I can't imagine loving and caring for a child for 2+ years only to lose her and maybe never hear about her again.  We hope to be able to maintain contact but that is sometimes not allowed.  




My sweet baby girl.  I cannot wait to love on her and take care of her.  That time cannot come soon enough.



We sent 10 questions and received 5 answers.  We learned that she is afraid of the dark.  She has not been around animals, but she loves stuffed animals.  Her favorite foods are dumplings and meat soup.  It seems she can eat bowls and bowls of meat soup.  I will need to figure out what that is.  It appears that she might have had at least one surgery done by a doctor from Hong Kong.  Also, her foster siblings are around the same age as she is.


I think she is saying "Don't touch my cake."



Could she be any cuter?  Please hurry home.



Blogger won't let me rotate this picture.


I looked back to what I was doing around the time that she was born.  It was right after Easter that year which is appropriate since she was born in the year of the rabbit.  I was getting together with some wonderful college friends.  It was also a time that I was really struggling with not having a daughter.  I was strongly grieving during this time and even began to see a counselor that May to try and let go of the strong desire and the grief.  It was a very difficult time for me.  Unknown to me, my daughter was already born and was about to experience a tremendous loss of her own.  I do feel so much sadness for her loss and for her birthparents' loss.  I pledge to help her grieve her losses when the time is right.  I promise to always honor her birthparents and her birth culture.  Most of all, I will always love her and will be a safe place for her.  Please pray for her sweet heart as she is about to go through so many changes and experience so many losses.  Emma Grace, we already love you so very much.

3 comments:

  1. Jenna, if it brings you peace, I never came across a single child that was scared of me because of my color. They believe the lighter you are the richer you are. They actually sell creams to lighten the skin. Older kids flocked to us just because we were different, but no one was ever afraid. She will instantly since the kindness in you all and the color of your skin will make no difference! I am so happy for you.

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  2. Ohhh Jenna !!! She is precious

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  3. She is so adorable! How did you go about getting the cake to her and all of the pictures back? (If you don't mind me asking!) :)
    -Erin

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