Lots of News and Updates!!

First of all I apologise for the lack of updates over the last month. Things have been busy with school and dealing with the fact that my little girl is being adopted. So lets catch up...

I never did tell you all that Beautiful Grace not only recovered but she has come out of hospital and is doing so well! She celebrated her first birthday and is now learning how to crawl. The doctors cannot believe that she is the same child :) There was a little bit of a complication with an IV not being inserted properly and so medication leaked under her skin causing the skin to burn. It is actually left a massive spot on her head that is taking a very long time to heal. She saw a plastic surgeon though, and they seem very optimistic that with a little bit of reconstruction, she should be as good as new!

I also wanted to update you on a post that I wrote a year ago. I wrote in around Easter time last year about a little girl that had come to us on her death bed. She had been eaten by rats and was starving to death. Well I have some disappointing news but also some wonderful news for this little girl!

Last year, this little girls parents brought her younger sister to us. They are about 14 months apart. The little sister was also malnourished although not nearly as bad as her big sister. We were just thankful that the parents had brought the sister to us so that we could care for both of them. We had another shock though when we took the parents to court to sign consent and found out that the mother was indeed pregnant yet again! We do know what will happen to this third baby but we pray every day for safety; that God will hold that little one in the palm of His hand.

The sister are going for adoption in just a few days time to a wonderful family willing to take them both in! They have both developed so well and are completely different girls from the time they first arrived. You see the power of God when you look at where they have come from to the beauties that they are today. God is good!

Ok, so now onto my news!... I am VERY excited to let you all know that I am heading back to South Africa for two weeks! When I first heard that my special girl was going for adoption, I wanted so badly to be there, to see her one last time, to do the handover, and to meet her family. I know that no one else at Door of Hope has the full background history on her and I felt like it was important that I be there to answer any questions they may have. Part of it is pure selfishness in just wanting to meet the people who have been blessed with such an amazing little girl!

As it works out, I just so happen to have two weeks of between semester at the same time that her family is in South Africa! So although I will not be there for the handover, I will be able to meet her forever family! I am SO excited to meet them, and to share with them just how much I love their daughter.

I am also very excited because I will not be going to South Africa alone! One of the youth from my church will be coming to South Africa with me for two weeks. Jenny (who will celebrate her 18th birthday while in S.A.) first heard about the Door of Hope when I came to speak at her Sunday School class about 8 years ago. She knew from that moment on that going to Door of Hope was something that she wanted to do. It was while conversing with Jenny's mom at a ladies event, that I first heard about Jenny's interest in going to Door of Hope. It started out as just light hearted/ half joking talk about the two of us going together, and then three days later we had our tickets booked!

I am so excited to take Jenny to South Africa and of course to show off my beautiful babies! Jenny will be graduating high school this year and so it is a perfect time for her to do a missions trip and experience just a little bit more of the world before starting university and trying to decide on a career path. I am praying that this trip will be an eye opener for Jenny and that God will reveal more of Himself to her as she loves on His precious babies.

I am SO excited! I was in a store yesterday, when an African lady came and stood in line behind me with her six week old baby boy. It took everything in me not to be one of those crazy people who ask to hold your child. :) As if I would ever let a stranger hold my newborn baby, why on earth should this lady let me? So I admired him from a far with warm fuzzies in my heart, knowing that in 8 days time I will have my own babies in my arms once again!! Oh the joy that that thought brings me!

In preparation for my upcoming trip, I have been collecting a few things to take with me to the Door of Hope. One thing that we always use are headbands for little girls. I absolutely LOVE little girls with headbands on! Especially ones with big bows or flowers. The bigger the better is how I see it! :) So while shopping around for some headbands to take with me, I realized that they are way over priced for what you are actually getting! That is when I decided to make my own! Let me tell you, some of them are just too cute! I cannot wait to be there and dress up my little princesses :) I will try to get some post-able photos for you...

I also need to say a BIG thank you to Tanja from http://www.sewfunky.ca/ as she is donating slings to the Door of Hope once again! Tanja has donated slings and wraps to us before and they have been so useful! If you don't know anything about baby wearing, then I suggest you look into it. As you know, my biggest thing at Door of Hope was resemble a "normal" family as much as possible. Tanja's slings and wraps not only help us to kangaroo our preemies, but they also help keep all of our babies close and calm on days when they needed a little extra love. I had one with me everywhere I went, whether it was to the hospital, or just out for some shopping; "baby wearing" helps these kids learn bonding and attachment.

So school is almost over, and the first semester has gone really well! Thank you for all who have been praying! It has been an adjustment but I am getting the hang of it. It's hard to even think about school when this time next week I will be heading "home" :)

Wearing my babies; helping them bond! Thank you Tanja!