Emily turned two on January 3rd and we had a low-key family celebration (shared with my dad and uncle - whose birthdays are a few days later). We ate Mexican food (a family favorite) and made cupcakes. Emily ate the chocolate icing off of her cupcake and generally made a mess. She received some gifts and spent the day finger painting with new paints from Nana and making "dot" posters with new dot markers. All in all, a nice day for all of us and we're so glad that we are able to celebrate with her this year! It's hard to believe our "baby" is TWO! It's funny to me when people ask me "how is the baby?" This "baby" is a big girl now! (quite literally - as her two year appointment noted her to be 2 pounds bigger and 2.5 inches taller than when we adopted her six month ago! (and she was already big and tall then!)).
Last year, Emily celebrated her first birthday at her orphanage with her special "nanny" and one friend (only two children were at her orphanage at the time). Thanks to another family who generously shared with us pictures of Emily's first birthday cake and orphanage celebration, we have something to show her when she gets older. It looked like a nice - but cold - day at her orphanage. She was wearing a heavy coat inside. There is a heater visible in some of pictures. Happily, though, she was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her. We are very grateful about that.
As this January 3rd came and went and as January 13th (the day she was found outside the orphanage doors) came and went, I found myself thinking about how her parents - and maybe especially her mother - might be feeling when January rolls around each year. I know that every October as my boys' birthdays approach, I think about when they were born and how it felt to go to the hospital, to feel the labor pains, to see their faces for the first time, and to bring them home. I can't help but to think that Emily's mother must remember those same things when the calendar turns to the time of year that she gave birth to Emily. Emily was almost certainly a full-term baby (she weighed 7 lbs., 7 oz when found at 10 days old), so the "evidence" (as my lawyer-self would say) is that her mother must have taken good care of herself during her pregnancy. She - or someone - also cared for Emily for 10 days before making the decision (or perhaps being forced by other family members) to abandon Emily. And she (or someone) took Emily to an orphanage vs. leaving her (as many babies are) on the side of the road, under a bridge, in a ditch, or at a store or hospital or police station.
Emily's orphanage wasn't right in the center of town. It was a little bit outside of the center of town and up a hill. Whoever took her to the orphanage took a risk in making that journey up the hill, to the building, and right near the front door. But that risk resulted in Emily being found quickly and cared for in a place where she was loved and safe and from which she could, one day, be adopted. It must have been cold that early January night, but Emily was bundled into a blanket outside the orphanage doors. She may have been hungry, but she was left with a bottle of milk. Also tucked into her blanket was a handwritten note on a torn piece of paper. They told us that the note said that she had been born on January 3rd. Her orphanage shared with us the note and the picture that had been taken of her when she was found that January night by the orphanage guard (who would then become her "nanny").
Perhaps her parents had no idea about her health condition and were just afraid something was terribly wrong to cause her to have been born with white hair and skin and with blue eyes. Maybe they thought they could not afford whatever treatment she might need. Maybe they were pressured by older relatives to have their "one child" look more "Chinese" than Emily did. We will never know. Maybe they believed, as we've been told that some people in China do, that albinism is a curse.
Emily's orphanage wasn't right in the center of town. It was a little bit outside of the center of town and up a hill. Whoever took her to the orphanage took a risk in making that journey up the hill, to the building, and right near the front door. But that risk resulted in Emily being found quickly and cared for in a place where she was loved and safe and from which she could, one day, be adopted. It must have been cold that early January night, but Emily was bundled into a blanket outside the orphanage doors. She may have been hungry, but she was left with a bottle of milk. Also tucked into her blanket was a handwritten note on a torn piece of paper. They told us that the note said that she had been born on January 3rd. Her orphanage shared with us the note and the picture that had been taken of her when she was found that January night by the orphanage guard (who would then become her "nanny").
Perhaps her parents had no idea about her health condition and were just afraid something was terribly wrong to cause her to have been born with white hair and skin and with blue eyes. Maybe they thought they could not afford whatever treatment she might need. Maybe they were pressured by older relatives to have their "one child" look more "Chinese" than Emily did. We will never know. Maybe they believed, as we've been told that some people in China do, that albinism is a curse.
But whatever their reasons for making the decision they made, I can't imagine that Emily's parents' hearts weren't breaking as they put her near the orphanage door and turned to leave their little baby.
Emily was born the very day that we submitted our application to our agency to adopt a child from China. I don't think that is a coincidence. I think that Emily's story - and our part in it - was being written even then.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
In most circumstances, I believe that is it best for children to be raised by their biological families. But, when that isn't possible for whatever reason, then adoption is a wonderful option. We are grateful that when Emily's biological parents made the decision not to keep her that they took a risk and took her to an orphanage where she was well cared for and loved. We are grateful that her orphanage quickly readied her file for adoption and that when her file became available, our agency representative saw it and immediately thought of us. We are grateful that we could be the family to say yes to loving Emily and to caring for her and to being her family forever more.
So, Happy Second Birthday to our crazy, funny, precious girl!
And here's to many, many more birthdays to be celebrated with us!
