Rachel is Adopted

Our number 16 baby, Rachel is with her parents Jet (Pronounced Yet) and Henk and now has a new brother Robin, who was also adopted from China. They live in the Netherlands and will be about an hour away from Mei-Li (Olivia). I hope the two of them will keep in touch. This will also give me a good reason to go and visit.

I heard about Rachel from a Mrs.Ma, who lives on the 24th floor of our building. Mrs.Ma had been to the hospital and while she was there she heard that a woman had abandoned her baby. She told the cleaning lady that she was going to the bathroom and then never came back to get her. I would assume that she left her there because she had just found out that Rachel had heart problems. Mrs.Ma encouraged me to go to the orphanage and go and get her and that is what we did. Rachel was very well taken care of and she was quiet plump, a miracle if you know how badly she ate. We struggled so hard to maintain her weight. She only ate much better after her heart surgery with Dr.Li.

To come back to the relationship with Rachel and Olivia. I saw Olivia the day I went to get Rachel. I went to get Olivia a few weeks after Rachel, so they came from the same place. They shared the same nanny, they went to Hangzhou at the same time for their heart surgeries and then they got adopted to the same country. You can only imagine how excited I am that the two of them will be visiting one another often. I just love this idea!!!

Here is an email I received from Jet this morning talking about Rachel whose name is now Nora:

She's doing great! She even had her afternoon nap in my Mei-tai (a sling) while we were at the Civil affairs office. She's naughty, loving, mad about Robin... gives hugs and kisses.... truly amazing...
She's been sleeping in her own bed now since 8 pm. She didn't want to at first, but we just turned the lights of and got into bed ourselves until she slept.

I am so grateful that things have gone so well. I am sure that for all this time Robin has been an only child. It must be a shock to his system to have a new sister in his life.

We have four kids that are matched. I have no idea who is going to be next. I am hoping that it is a certain young lady but the name of Jade. I know she is matched but I have information other than that.
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda

Starfish Foster Home

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