A Surprise, But Very Welcome Letter

We had an interesting letter in the mailbox when we got home today. It was from our adoption agency and included a narrative from the Chibi City Children’s Welfare Institute (the orphanage) that tells us more about our baby. The narrative was dated April 24, 2008.

Our baby was found abandoned in Chibi City on June 18, 2007. She was found at the entrance to the old Civil Administration Bureau. Families often abandon children near buildings of this type because they want the babies to be safe and found quickly. We she entered the orphanage she was wearing light-colored cotton-padded clothes and was barefoot. She was wrapped in a blue blanket. She had been placed in a basket along with a bottle. She weighed a little over 6 pounds when found, and the doctor estimates she was just three days old, so her birth date was listed as June 15, 2007.

Her nickname is “Na Na.” When she was three months old, she could raise her head, make sounds, and dance her hands and feet about. At four to five months, her head was steady when sitting and her line of vision could track. She could differentiate between familiar people and strangers. At six to seven months she was sitting up on her own. At eight months she was grabbing toys near her while sitting. They say she already knows the gestures for “bye bye” and hello.

Note -- As a future Ravens fan, we have to teach her the gesture for “move those chains!” And in a home of parrot heads, it won’t be long before she’s doing “fins up!” You can count on that.

They also included a full immunization record.

They note, again as of April 24, she weighed 18 pounds and had already sprouted "five cute little teeth."

Three months ago, she was napping twice a day, for a total of four hours a day. She has one BM a day, and pees seven or eight times a day. The letter says “she urinates when she hears an adult’s whistle.” That’s interesting, wouldn’t you say? We have her full eating schedule and a list of what she likes. It even tells us she likes to eat "bananas and apples and can drink yogurt through a straw."

Here is the last paragraph verbatim:

“Cute little Na Na is a little fussy. When she is particularly fussy, she wants to be outside – where there are lots of people – and play. She loves listening to music and likes watching TV. When she sees brightly colored things, she will not take her eyes off of them. Her round eyes are very sharp and cute. She is truly adorable!”

We can’t wait to get her in our arms, and to share her with you! As for adorable, you bet!