Let me introduce my new friend Sweet Baby Girl

I would like to introduce you to one of my new little friends.  I call her "Sweet Baby Girl."

One of the challenges on this trip is that the children's names are written in Chinese characters.   Because the tones are so different between the 2 languages, it's often hard to repeat the sound of the name without any spelling reference.  At least it is hard for me.  So we create nicknames.

This little girl is in the baby room where Jason and I have been feeding the babies twice a day.  We are not allowed to take any pictures in that room.  Jason and I both have been feeding toddlers but we always spend some time with the babies in the cribs.

This little girl is so very solemn.  I've never gotten her to smile and she just seems so guarded. She has a disformed hand and I believe is missing her other hand.  One foot has 4 toes but the other foot has all the toes.  You can tell from her flat head that she has spent a lot of time laying on her back.

Today Miranda and I spent time in the Angel Room, which is a room sponsored by a foreign benefactor. To my surprise, Sweet Baby Girl was there as well!  I decided I would love her the entire time I was in the room.  I tried holding her, sitting her up against me but found she was most comfortable just laying between my legs.  She is perfectly healthy other than the hand/foot deformities but is tiny.

Later, back in the baby room for feeding, I learned that Sweet Baby Girl was born in October and has only been at this welfare house since June 27.  It is unclear if she was transferred from another welfare house in June or if that's when she was abandoned.  (The flat head is also a result of the care she received before coming to this welfare house.)

Back in the Angel room, we got her sitting up in a boppy chair.  That also allowed me to love on her and spend some time with some other kids.  Miranda even got Sweet Baby Girl to hit her foot against the tambourine to make noise!

After spending time in the Angel room, we headed back to the baby room to feed the babies.  Sweet Baby Girl's crib is right outside the washroom so I always say hi after washing my hands before the feeding.  When I leaned over her crib this time, she responded with the biggest smile and just melted my heart.

You can see the beginnings of a smile from our time in the Angel room.  

This Sweet Baby Girl NEEDS a family to love on her!  Her special needs are so minor in the US.  Shriners provides care for children with missing limbs until they are 18.  She does not appear to have any other issues.  

I don't know where Sweet Baby Girl's file is in the process but we could share story after story after story of children much like her.  These kids needs families.  The need is so great.  While the nannies on the welfare house will love on her, if she is not adopted (most likely internationally as the medical cost for these issues in China would be large), she will continue to live in the welfare house until she is 35 and then would be moved to an elder care facility to live out her life.

THIS is why I'm in China.  To help tell Sweet Baby Girl's story.