HALAINAH'S "100 GOOD WISHES" - WHERE ARE THEY?

Thank you GuGu Annmarie, GuFu Tommy, and cousins Celeste, Antoinette, TJ, Serena and Leanna
Thank you Michelle
Thank you Larry, Ali, Briana and Ashley
Thank you Lila
Thank you Susan

In January 2008 I sent the below message to all of my friends and family asking if they would help create a most special quilt for Halainah so that she would know just how much she is loved way before she physically entered our family. As you can see from the picture, Halainah has only received 5 good wishes. Halainah received 1 good wish from her immediate family so thank you tremendously to her GuGu Annmarie, GuFu Tommy and cousins. The other 4 are from friends some of whom never met me but are so excited for our family and for Halainah and heard about our story from Aunt Deb. All 5 good wishes brought tears to my eyes as it is truly touching how loved Halainah is. So below is the original message I sent out. Please help me gather "100 Good Wishes" for Halainah. It is so very important to me as I want to be able to give this to Halainah when she is older.

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a "Bai Jai Bei", or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It is a custom to contribute a patch of cloth with a wish for the new baby. Part of the cloth goes into the quilt, and the other part will go into a creative memory book with the wish for the baby. The quilt contains the luck, energy, prayers and good wishes from all of the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed from generation to generation.

We invite you to join in our "100 Good Wishes" project by contributing two 10" X 10" 100% cotton fabric squares (the same fabric for both squares) and a prayer or "good wish" for our precious daughter. I'm working to keep her culture and background very alive in her life and in her home. We feel that she would enjoy this special keepsake when she is older and can see how many people joined in the prayers to bring her home.

Along with the fabric, please send Halainah a prayer, or "good wish", or anything you would like to share with her on a note. This note will be placed in a special memory book. We know that our daughter will love to see all the people that prayed and loved her before she was home with us.

Thank you for participating and contributing to Halainah's "100 Good Wishes Quilt". We know in the years to come she will treasure each and every one of you for being a special part of her journey home.

Here Is What We Would Like You To Do - 1) Choose any 100% cotton fabric that you like. It just needs to have a design and color that you like. 2)We ask that the fabric is pre-washed to avoid shrinkage. 3) Cut two 10" x 10" squares from the fabric. 4) On an acid free piece of paper (so it will last a long time), attach the second piece of the fabric on the note (so she will know what piece of fabric goes to each wish) and include your good wish note (this can be any type of wish for Halainah) your name and address. The fabric will be used to make a goodquilt, and the notes will be placed in a a special book that we will give to Halainah when she is older.

Ideas For Selecting Quilt Squares - Select a fabric that is meaningful to you. 100% cotton fabric is best, as it washes and wears better. If there are several members in your family, please feel free to send more than one good wish note and pieces of fabric. In China, these quilts were originally made from the garments of family and friends surrounding the child with luck and good wishes.

Ideas For A Good Wishes Note - Well, what would you wish for an infant to have in her life? Some ideas are good health, perseverance, compassion, love, and a sense of humor. Use that as a guide for your good wish note. Keep in mind that our daughter will not see your note until she is older. Please take a few minutes to help us create this very special keepsake. The miracle of this adoption has been helped and nurtured by so many of you and this will be so incredibly meaningful for us as well as our new arrival!

My Idea: One of the hardest obstacles that I have to try and deal with every day is the loss of my mom...my very best friend. She would have been so excited to help with our journey to Halainah. I know that she is watching from above and is guiding me through good times and bad. Halainah will know and love her Oma (grandmother in German...that's what my mom wanted to be called....she told me more than once) because I will share all of the warm, fun, and amazing memories of my mom with my daughter...she will have her Oma's picture in her room and know that even though her Oma cannot be with her physically....she's in her heart always. I am putting a patch of material from one of my mom's favorite article of clothing into Halainah's quilt....it will be special just from her angel Oma in heaven.

If you would like to contribute and don't know my address, please e-mail me at: deanna.napolitano@yahoo.com

Thank you so very much