More Pictures and Info about Kate

Click the photo for more new pictures of Kate.

I just got more pics of our precious baby Kate!!  These were taken yesterday by Jingjing, a volunteer for the Mooncake Foundation, who visited the orphanage yesterday!  I just can't believe how sweet these volunteers are to visit her and send me all of the photos and information about our daughter!!  The lady in the photos is Li Rongrong, one of the  Nannies at the Children's Welfare Institute that takes care of Kate. 

Thanks for keeping her in your prayers until we can travel to get her!!!

This is the sweet email that I received with the photos from Jingjing.

Dear Sally
You never give me any burden, i do it because i really like it, and i know how important is this for u and for Jingmei, so don't  worry about it;-)
Here i have got some questions solved;
jingmei cannot walk indenpedently now, but she can walk a little distance with holding some things.
She drinks bottle milk and eats cereals. she's too young too eat the solid food now.
She's not picky with the food.She likes everything.
She weighs 10 kg.  Her height is about 72cm .

I have been told by her orphanage, that she is from JinBian (a village near yulin, about 1and half hours drive). But they are not sure about the exactly place.
She's a very sweet girl, and a little bit shy.  Jingmei is in the 2th floor of the Yulin CWI.  I think u can visit Yulin, It takes u 45 mins from xi'an to yulin by plane.
About the care package you sent, i have told the orpha staff, they are appreciate very much, and they said they will keep to photo Jingmei until u arrived here.
I think for next package, you can send some toys, the children always like it. and for the nunnies, i think they can send some books which is about ur hometown, that will be great, cuz they can have a look at the place where Jingmei is going to live in the future.

For the name of Mooncake Foundation, marlies think our foundation is aim to help chinese children, so we need a very chinese name , the mooncake is chinese only, plus, the mooncake can stand for united, you know everyone is united and make some differences. About the details, maybe u can e-mail marlies, and ask her about it;-)

Jingmei's caretaker named Li Rongrong, we do have her pic on the website, maybe u can check it out, and I am also took some pics of she holding Jingmei, i will send all the pics to u this afternoon(i forgot to take my USB).

U are very nice family, and i do believe Jingmei will has a happy life, and i am sure u will take good care of her.

take care,

jingjing

Updated Photos and Info from CCAI

Today we received updated photos, information and medical reports from our adoption agency CCAI. 

Kate had surgery to repair her cleft lip in Hangzhou China at the Operation Smile Charity Hospital on February 25, 2010.  She does not have any other medical issues or illness.   She does not have any ear infections and her hearing is normal.   She has 6 teeth and weighs 10 kg (22 lbs). She is not walking yet, and the orphanage explained that she may be younger than originally thought.  The orphanage thinks that now she might be only over 1 year old. She is being potty trained, but still needs diaper.  She is babbling alot. She loves to take a bath and she plays well with the other children.  She plays with dolls and a balloon.  She is introverted and takes some time to warm up to strangers.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Next year, we will have another little one to help us celebrate!

We can't wait to come get you, Baby Kate.

Sweet Caroline with New Photos of Baby Kate

Updated Pics of Baby Kate in China

God has put a special angel in Yulin City, China!!  I have been in contact with a young Yulin University student who volunteers with a non-profit in Yulin City that trains orphanage workers in the care of special needs children. The organization is called the Mooncake Foundation and I happened upon their website while researching Yulin City online. They have posted pictures of their "mooncakes"...the babies that they help care for in the Yulin City CWI (Children's Welfare Institute.)  As I was looking through the photos, I thought I recognized Kate.  I emailed to inquire about the photo and sure enough it was our baby Kate!! 

This sweet Mooncake Volunteer, named Dan, visited Kate's orphanage yesterday and emailed me these pictures of our baby last night!  I am so surprised to see that her lip has been repaired and she is even more beautiful than we already thought she was!
She looks great and happy. 

Even laughing in one of the photos. 

Truly so sweet!

This is the email that I received with the photos.

Hi Sally,

How are you doing?

I went to the CWI yesterday. There's some information to your questions.

Jingmei has did the surgery with her lip, but she haven't got the surgery on her palate. She eat a lot. She is not old enough to eat yet, so she only have milk and ground rice congee. She weigh 10kg (22 lbs). She is about 76centneter (28 in) tall.

She can't walk yet. She can't even stand by herself, but she can stand with the help of the fence of her bed.

She's a very shy girl. Her nanny told me she will cry when she ever see a stranger.

She likes to play with a girl named Yu Jingli. The nanny said maybe because they are from the same foster family.

Jingmei has very long eyelash. In China we have a saying  "one who has long eyelash are always very stubborn."

I don't know if it's true,  you can found out that by yourself when you meet her. :-)

I will tell the nannies about your package when I visit there next time.

There's some picture of Jingmei in the attachment . Enjoy!

Best,
Zhang Dan

First Care Package Sent to Kate in Yulin

Click the photo for more pictures of Kate's 1st Care Package.

Caroline and I had a big time today shopping for all sorts of goodies to include in Kate's care package. We sent a couple of disposable cameras in hopes that the Nannies and orphanage care-takers would take some photos of Kate in her current surroundings so that she have some record of this part of her story as she gets older. We included sweets for the Nannies and a letter to the Orphanage Director with questions about Kate. Caroline picked out one of her "loved on" baby blankets, a set of play car keys that play sounds and a new very soft, blue stuffed whale for Kate. I kept trying to persuade her towards the bunny, bear or puppy...they seemed more traditional...but Caroline was insistent that Kate would like the whale!! I will thank Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Graham, Caroline's Pre-K teachers, for this since her class finished the year studying about whales and dolphins. We also put together a small photo album with pictures of our family. Everything including the photos were labeled in Chinese characters. The man at the Post Office said it would take 10 days for the package to arrive. We are so excited to be able to send her a package. When your daughter is a world away...putting together a care package with items that she may actually hold and play with just makes it feel more real!!

Caroline is a Proud Big Sister

This is officially the first picture of Caroline and Kate together!

The meaning of Kate's Chinese Name

We just received this information from our adoption agency, CCAI  - Chinese Children Adoption International.  

Name Translation 

Congratulations on your recent child match!!

Part of CCAI's service to our families is to provide a translation of your child's name when we translate a child's file.  Because your child's information came to us already translated, a translation of her name was not included.  Thus, we are including it with your Match Packet!

The Chinese characters for Yu Jing Mei's name are: 榆靖美. 

Yu is her surname coming from Yulin which is the city where she is;

Jing means quiet, peaceful, or tranquil; and

Mei means beautiful.