Almost 5 months ago on "Gotcha Day", the absolute best day of our lives, Halainah's director of her orphanage handed me a small Winnie the Pooh photo album. Inside the photo album are the most precious photos of our little girl's past. I will be forever grateful to the director for giving me such an indescribable gift. For without these small clues to her past, we don't really have many answers on how Halainah lived the first 14 months of her life.
I often sit and think about the time when Halainah will come to me and ask about her birth mother. And it pains my heart that I don't have many answers for her other than to assure her that her birth mother loved her so very much that she chose a very safe place to leave her knowing that she would be found right away. And to assure her that her birth mother wanted her to have the best life that she couldn't provide for her. There are a lot of unknowns for Halainah. But what I do know deep within my heart was that she was loved.
I know that because Halainah is the most loving and affectionate little girl that I have ever known. She gives tons of kisses and hugs to us, to her extended family and even to her stuffed animals. She also has a very special way in which when you are holding her, she rubs your arm or back almost in a way like showing you "everything is going to be alright."Halainah would not be so affectionate if she was never shown love in the beginning of her life, I am certain of that.
I also know that she was happy and content. I know this because she is one VERY happy little girl. She laughs all the time, she smiles all of the time, she simply has a smile that is so contagious that we are constantly stopped and told that we have such a "happy and beautiful baby." Halainah has never shown signs of being anything other than happy from the moment she was placed in our arms.
I also know that she was shown security. She is secure in who she is and she is secure in who we are. If she was shown anything other than security, it would have been difficult for her to trust us and settle into her new life. This photo album only proves my theories. Her nannies collected these memories for her, so that she will have answers to part of her past, where she came from and who raised her for 14 months. This is a gift to her that most adoptive parents do not get. We are so very thankful and truly lucky for this wondrous gift.
Now let's take a little peek into this tiny photo album filled with enormous memories for Halainah when she gets older.
This is a closer view past the gates.
This is one of the rooms in which she slept when she was younger, but we are unsure which crib was hers.
This is the playroom.
Look at our beautiful China doll. Wow it is amazing that we actually have this picture. It was taken shortly after she was found. Jiu Jiu, check out the spot by her lip that shows up in some photos...you can see it in this picture.
I love this picture. Although I am not sure of her age. I am guessing between 5 - 8 months based on her referral picture that we received in which she was 8 months old.
Not sure of Halainah's age here either but I'm guessing about 9 - 12 months of age. She is so beautiful.
Many prayers were answered the day I wrote the post, Happy Birthday Baby Girl! I asked for prayers that Halainah was being celebrated by her nannies. This photo was taken on Halainah's 1st birthday and shows her little birthday celebration.
We are uncertain who this little girl is but I plan on posting this picture on my yahoo group to see if I can locate her family. Wouldn't that be really neat if I can locate them? Perhaps we would be able to unite the Rao girls again.
Here's a picture of Halainah with the orphanage director on her 1st birthday.
1 comments:
Just wanted to stop in and say Ni Hao =-)
Jiu Jiu
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