4.24.2009

Gracie Update

If you're new to my blog... Gracie is a baby I sponsor from New Day Foster Home in Beijing. I volunteered at New Day last fall. Gracie arrived at New Day with a heart problem the week I was there. From the moment I met her, I just loved her! Gracie had a successful surgery to repair her heart. I'm not in the processing of adopting her. I SO wish I could. As of May 2007, you have to be married to adopt from China.



Gracie is 1 Year 1 Month Old.


Gracie’s nanny wrote this update:
"Gracie’s appetite and sleep patterns are fairly normal recently. She can walk for more than a meter. Gracie can walk very fast with her hands on a banister to support her. She can pick up small pieces of food and put them in her mouth. She knows how to eat cookies and can use a bowl or cup to drink water with the help of others. Gracie likes to eat rice noodles, rice, noodles, and food that is easy to chew. She will turn and smile at you when you call her name. She recognizes familiar faces and she likes to listen to music and dance to the beat while clapping her hands. While dressing her, she will hold out her arms and legs to help out. Gracie can throw and pick up toys and plays with them with both hands. She is very smart and can flip the pages of books. Gracie is very active. She is very pretty and everyone loves her, but she just won’t let any strangers hold her. The visitors can play with her but not hug her. Her good appetite has made her a chubby and cute girl."


I love what Gracie's nanny wrote about her being chubby and having a good appetite. Ha Ha. I can't believe how much Gracie has changed since October. She was so tiny and "blue" when I met her. She doesn't even look like the same baby in these photos.




She doesn't let strangers hold her anymore.... ahhh!

17 comments:

  1. I am so glad that she is doing well!

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  2. I'm curious about what you say about needing to be married to adopt from China. Is that a rule within New Day? A family friend of ours, who is single, recently adopted a baby girl (well, she's teo years old) from China, though I don't know what service she used.

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  3. thanks for answering the question!

    that actually makes a lot of sense. I know she had applied well before then (back in 2006ish) and actually got engaged while in the middle of the process. she was told not to get married until after the adoption went through, as to not hurt her chances with any change in status.

    it was funny- while engaged and in the process, she became pregnant. she's an elementary school teacher in my hometown and the superintendent of schools said that she was the first teacher in the district history to have two maternaty leaves in the same school year! she just had the baby last month :)

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  4. I love that picture of her :) I think chubby babies are the cutest!

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  5. Aww...she is so chubby! She is adorable!

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  6. Aww she is a little doll baby! That pic is precious. xoox

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  7. She's so cute!!! Those cheeks are too adorable....

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  8. I love reading these updates. She sounds like she is doing great and being cared for well. What a cute and smart little girl!

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  9. Gracie is so cute!! I am so happy that she is doing so well!!

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  10. I think what you are doing is so awesome...she is such a cutie!

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  11. Gracie looks AMAZING! I can't believe how much weight she has put on. Look at those cute little chins ;)

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  12. Look how big she is getting! So cute :)

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  13. thanks for sharing this update! i look forward to hearing about little gracie.

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  14. I'm glad that she is doing well! And what lovely chubby cheekers!!

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  15. SO good to hear that Gracie is doing so well. She is a little chub :) ... so precious!
    Lat I heard, my little Elise is doing well also :)

    xox

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  16. Chubby babies are the best! She is adorable. I'm so glad you get updates on her.

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