Anthony (Benjamin) Update at Christmas 2009

Hi Amanda

We are doing just fine here! Anthony is doing really well in school, but has had some problems with his ear. He has a slight hearing loss, and is unable to hear some low tones according to the Audiologist. He had an ear infection that would n't go away...lasting 45 days and 4 antibiotics it took to get better. The ENT (Ear Nose and Throat Specialist) said that Anthony has a lot of fluid in both ears, and are afraid to put tubes in because of the seriousness of his heart. So we are waiting to see if the hearing loss is from the fluid, or if there is really a loss in that certain "tone range" that they speak of. You would never know that he has anthing wrong...not one sign or symptoms of an ear infection...eats well, although doesn't seem to like much meat, sleeps through the night, loves to play games and do puzzles, runs and plays like any toddler :) So I had no idea that he had trouble with his ears. He had a runny nose and the doctor only looked at him for his preschool physical. I guess that was a good thing, because I wouldn't have had any other reason to take him to the doctor.


We just celebrated his 4th birthday on Dec. 7th. I couldn't believe that we have been home already 18 months. He is such a gem. He loves his brothers and school. His hugs and smiles are contagious and so loving. He loves with all his heart.


His heart is doing well too. I will be seeing the cardiologist in mid January for a check up. But, for the last 6 months, he has been healthy, takes his meds like a champ and never complains. He does have a strong temper when he doesn't get his way, but nothing out of the ordinary. He has grown almost 4 inches in the last 7 months. Amazing !!! We continue to amaze everyone with his strong ability to thrive.


I do apologize for my tardiness. I am not as good as I intended to be keeping in touch. I have followed your journeys to the USA and wished I could have met you for your award. You have been quite busy yourself!! All those new babies in the cleft home. :) I am so proud of you and your accomplishments.


Anthony knows about his "China Mama, Amanda" and talks about you and "his China" when we watch pics of his journey. So sweet...

The pics attached are of bath time, and I will send more in another email or two of our summer and fall in Orlando, Florida.

Peace to you and yours this holiday season!

Carrie

Anthony!

Anthony

Update on Will (Nathaniel)

Will is doing really great! We went to Hilton Head, South Carolina in July where Will spent lots of time playing in the ocean and on the sand. Will is such a little fish. He loves swimming so much! He made the lifeguards at our swim club very nervous all summer because he just wants to continually be under the water….he just seems so little to be doing that already.

Also in July, we discovered through a sleep study, that Will had Sleep Apnea. So in August he had his tonsils and part of his adenoids removed. He had a rough two weeks of recovery, but then started sleeping through the night, peacefully. On August 4 we celebrated Will’s 3^rd Birthday. Will was so excited to have so many of his family and friends to celebrate with.

Will is now 36 ½ “tall and weighs 30lbs. He is in the 20^th percentile on the height and weight charts. He started Preschool in September and is getting Speech Therapy once a week at school and every other week at our local children’s hospital. He is talking so much! And is still so affectionate and silly!

Love from the McMahan’s

Will

Ana (Angel) Update Two Years Later

Hi Amanda! Hope all is well at Starfish and you are enjoying the holiday season. Are you taking photos of all the kids this year? I remember that two of Ana's referral photos were ones you had taken the previous Christmas and it was comforting to know that she was so well cared for and got to dress up and enjoy a little of Christmas all the way over in China. We are getting about 5 inches of snow today here in Wisconsin. Ana and Sophie just went sledding and are outside my office window building a snowman right now. Ana still only wears her long dresses and leggings and she put on her snow pants and boots on right over her outfit. She had her Christmas program at pre-school yesterday. Patrick took the day off so we both got to go---it was very cute and they had a little cookie reception afterwards, They had a Santa and this time she sat next to him and talked to him al liitle bit. We also went to a magnificent Christmas Pageant Saturday night---although I would call it more of an off-Broadway production---they had real camels,sheep, hundreds of performers---Ana was mesmerized. Sunday night we had all our play-group families over for dinner and a couple of the moms were saying how they couldn't believe how well Ana is speaking now. She is in speech therapy two mornings a week and right now we are working hard on "F" and "S" sounds. She still calls Sophie "DOPEY", but we are getting there. She is learning to write her letters and her favorite thing to do is make "mail". She draws and colors pictures, then puts them in an envelope with tons of stickers and takes them to her friends at school or gives them to me and Patrick. She and Sophie also take swim lessons at our Recreation Center and Ana is moving on to level 2 now---took a while to get through level one, but she really loves it. I have to say that I have never met a girlier girl than Ana. She plays lots of dress up and likes to admire herself in the mirror. She likes to pretend to put on make up and do her hair. Everything has to be pink and "pretty". I don't know where this comes from. Ana's health is great---absolutely no problems. The girls were vaccinated for Swine Flu and Ana hasn't been sick this year at all. We need to find a new Cardiologist for her here, because it has been two years since her last hear check up. Her height and weight are just where they should be, but one thing that worries us a little is her need to have something to eat and drink almost constantly. She'll say that she is "very, very, very, very hungry" twenty minutes after we have a meal, She is very comforted by food. She has snacks that she can choose from whenever she wants, but I try to keep them healthy and hope that this phase passes as she grows. She always says that she wants to "go back to China to eat noodles". Yesterday she said that she wore a purple dress in China---which she did the first time we met her. She may know this from photos, but sometimes she says things that make me think she remembers Starfish a little. We think about you all every day and hope that all the kids get healthy quickly and find their forever families soon. Have a great holiday and please share the photos of Ana with her nannies to let them know she doing just great! Jennifer Life, Love and Laughter, Amanda

Ana

Xmas Kick off at the Salamone Manse with Norma

Norma First Christmas with us will be a series of soiree's starting at the Salamone's... Amy and Al made sure the baby was well taken care of with her first snowman kit and first Christmas ornament-- Auntie Am made sure she had plenty of "kees." and Chris showed her how to properly rip open a Xmas gift. Now we are on our way to the Burgh...

Hope you all are having a great Xmas Eve...

Love, Cindy
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda

Norma at Christmas

 

 

 

 

All Babies on the Bed, Hosea

 

 

Alice, Malin, Faith and Caroline, Callum

 

 

 

 

Joseph, Heather, Cailean and Rose

 

 

 

 

Teresa, Sophia, Megan and Justin

 

 

 

 

Heather and Virginia, Anthony, Jack and Anna

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays from Starfish

It is always a little weird celebrating Christmas in China, but in many ways it highlights the very simple message in such a profound way. I cannot celebrate this time of year in the most traditional way, but having the children has to be the sweetest message that there is to share as we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is such a great example of how the spirit of Christmas is around all through the year. There is no way that I could EVER have managed the babies on my own and so my gifts are given throughout the year as so many combine their efforts, talents and time to help take care of the babies. I am grateful for the many who so generously donate their money which enables us at Starfish to do our best to save babies lives. I have said this before and I will say it again: I appreciate you all for trusting me enough to send your hard earned dollars across the world. I absolutely love knowing that when I see a need, I have the financial backing to bring a baby to Starfish and offer so much hope for the future. I would be heartbroken if we were unable to help. So, you can see that I get to see Faith in action as we follow the admonition to take care of the orphans.

This year we celebrated our fourth anniversary. It was a wild year! We doubled our numbers (24 to 48!), and started another apartment. You have no idea how scary that was. I was not sure that we would have enough money for all of that, but knew that 9 little people needed help in the worst way. Talk about having faith...stepping into the unknown! Not only did we get enough financial support for them in 3 months, the donations were enough for ALL the children on the first floor! It was a huge change going from one apartment to two and we became busier that before. I had not thought that was possible. My days start early and are so crazy. I subscribe to the motto: Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.

This year we did 23 surgeries. The best part of that is that we only paid for two cleft lip surgeries from Starfish funds. The rest were all donated. I am so grateful to all the medical volunteers and the medical staff at the hospitals in China for their help. The babies receive excellent care and I am so grateful for that. This year I have not traveled much with the babies to the hospitals as in previous years, but now have a nanny that goes with them. I have stayed at the foster home more helping to keep the boat afloat.

We also have seven adoptions this year, bringing the total to 23. Two babies went to France and five to the US. We have another two babies who are matched and whom we expect to be adopted in January 2010, starting the year off with a bang. In the meantime, we are working on many dossiers for adoption. Ten files are at the CCAA and another 21 are at the orphanage, and then there are another 13 at the foster home. I imagine that we will have many adoptions in 2010. We miss the babies, but is does allow the opportunity to bring more babies to Starfish. We are always happy to see how they thrive with their new families and what ambassadors they become for what we do at Starfish.

Before the end of this year we are going to take care of baby number 100 and 101. They are in Hong Kong undergoing Spina Bifida surgery and will return to Starfish soon. I am honored to have had the opportunity to take care of all of the babies. It is impossible to save every one, and there are some really sad times here at the foster home. All of it is part and parcel of the experience and of life. I know there are so many people who pray for us and I can tell you how much I "feel" those prayers!

I am looking forward to many new projects in 2010. The biggest and most important to me will be finding a hospital where we can do surgeries. There are some medical teams that want to come to Xian and help the babies and I am so eager to help facilitate this. I am going to be traveling again this coming year and already have two trips organized. The first will be to Holland, the land of my forefathers, in March for a fundraiser and the second to New York in June. I have been joking that more than 300 years ago the Dutch went to South Africa as settlers and I am doing my best to repay them by sending our little Starfish settlers over there. It is about time I pay them back.

I appreciate your support and your love. I consider myself extremely blessed, and even though this is a great responsibility, I do not want to be doing anything else. Thank you for helping me to live my dream as I thought it would be impossible to open a foster home in China. I guess I still had to learn the life lesson that with God nothing is impossible.

Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda

Starfish Children's Services
US Tax Number: 20-4682916
Xian China