This picture was a gift for so many reasons!
- It was unexpected that 3 1/2 years after we became a family I would ever receive another picture of the time in Hannah's life before we became a family
- There are 2 other babies in the picture. I wonder who the sweet baby girl on the right is? Were they friends? Were their cribs next to one another? Where does she live now? Has she found her own forever family? I was blessed to receive 2 cameras of pictures when I met Hannah but all of those pictures are of her alone. What a blessing to see another baby with her!!
- I love that the picture shows the cribs tucked together next to one another. Hannah loves to sleep touching me and it warms my heart to think that she had the opportunity to reach out and touch another in her sleep
- The SWI is so clean.
- I can't see what she's wearing but based on the layers on the other sweet baby I can only imagine that my precious Hannah was bundled warmly too. Also, all the blankets in the cribs helps me believe that she was warm as she slept at night.
This is the original picture I saw on her blog.
While it is not my sweet XiaoFen in the background, it is her nanny (to have a picture of her is a gift in itself) and in the forefront is her friend Emma who was adopted by friends in our travel group. Hannah and Emma are still friends now and it's a gift to receive these pictures of them when they were together in DaoXian!
This is a picture Hannah and Emma taken recently
I cannot express to you what that one picture did to my heart. Is was such a blessing and I will be forever grateful for it!!!
As my Grandma says, 'Each new day holds some lovely secret just waiting to unfold.' What an amazing secret and blessing the picture was! God is so good!!!
WOW! What a special gift! one of the pictures of Chloe that we have framed in her room is her with another little girl in her SWI. We are very lucky to know that little girl was adopted and lives in Florida. Although Florida is about as far as you can get from Washington state I hope to someday meet, so both girls know that they had relationships before they met us. That picture means so much to me and I know it will mean a lot to my daughter someday.
ReplyDeleteoh wow... I am speechless... such a nice picture. From the photo the orphanage looks to be very 'homely'.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a wonderful gift!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I have posted here before but I want to say how happy I am for you to have found this treasured picture. I'm so glad that Hannah has a BFF in Emma from her children's home. Such a blessing!
ReplyDeleteSo happy for both of you in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I was amazed to see these! I think God made sure these pictures found their way to you. I found your comments on the other baby girl next to Hannah so interesting. I hope that wherever she is, she's as happy and loved as Hannah!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift! I feel your adrenaline surge!
ReplyDeletei also have pictures of our youngest daughter prior to us coming to China back in 2000. There was a Dutch family who had an orphanage visit in April of 2000, and we came in May. This family posted their visit to the Orphanage complete with pictures, and to my delight, one of them was of our daughter in the arms of her Nanny. I think the website is still available, complete with that story.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gurrad.com/china/yongxiuCJ.htm
My daughters picture is the 3rd one down. We got the photo blown up, and it is framed and hanging proudly in our home. Immeasureable treasure, for sure!
Laurie Nesbitt
Tillsonburg, Ontario
What a gift! I find those cribs fascinating. Xanthe's was similar, and all of our babies had marks on their thighs from being tied to the crib so they wouldn't fall out. (The explanation given when we asked about the marks.) The marks faded, the girls weren't necessarily hurt, but it's sad to me. Why can't the sides of the crib just be higher? Interesting to see similar cribs in your picture. Isn't it amazing to see Hannah in that little face? I always look at my kids' baby pics and say, "You were in there!" All that personality, just waiting to be discovered! :)
ReplyDeletePriceless!
ReplyDelete