Don't Judge by the Cover

     I never cease to amaze myself.

     The more kids I have, the more scatter-brained I become.  Things slip by me, I am forgetful and unorganized.  It doesn't matter that they are getting older, which should help me.  I feel like I am actually getting worse.

     This post is going to illustrate one example.  But, it's a big one.  And, keep in mind, there are 100's more where this one came from....I am starting to lose hope.

     Emme was in foster care in China.  This was because an organization (who shall remain nameless right now) gets sponsors who pay for these children to get into homes and out of institutions.  The reason I don't want to mention their name right now is because sometimes I get angry that they didn't do more for Emme.  I think her first home was good.  However, I think in the second home she was neglected.  (You will see by the pictures that follow.)  This organization is supposed to go in every couple of months and make reports on children they place.  If they were doing this, why didn't they see Emme was starving?  I don't know all the circumstances, but really it's neither here nor there because had any one variable been different, Emme would not be mine.

     I am supposed to be talking about my scatterbrainness and hear I am harping on someone else!  

     ANYWAY....

     When we were in Nanning getting Emme, someone from the organization dropped off a CD with photos of Emme, at our hotel.  I popped in the disc while we were there, looked at a few pics that I already had, apparently concluded that there was nothing new to see and put the CD in my backpack.  The CD remained in that backpack until this past Friday evening.

     On Friday evening I was packing to go on a tour with Shelby's choir for the weekend (another story altogether).  I saw the CD, thought, "Hmm... I wondered where this was,"  and continued packing for the trip.

     On Sunday evening after I returned from the trip, I happened upon the CD again.  I picked it up and for the first time in 7 months, I actually looked at and read the cover.  It said (name of the organization) given name: Rose.   That organization named her Rose and called her Rose or Rosie and I didn't even know it!  What kind of mother am I??

     I decided that it might be a good idea for me to look at the CD again.  Duh?

     So, I popped it in and saw pictures of Emme that I had never seen before.  Pictures of when she was a teeny tiny baby and about a 100 pictures of her hometown.  What a gift!  I can't begin to tell you how much of a treasure I feel I was given.  And, how horrible I felt that I had neglected it and didn't even know where it was... until last Friday.

     I sat looking at the pictures of my precious little girl.  And, let me tell you, she may be beautiful now... even bordering on gorgeous.... but there was a time when that girl was hard on the eyes... if you know what I mean.

     Don't take my word for it! You can see for yourself.

     This is a picture of Emme when she was still in the orphanage.  She was about 38 days old.       And this picture.... Do you remember the Seinfeld espisode...  She is breathtaking!  Whooo!  
     I am guessing this is one of the orphanage workers.  Bless her soul for the thankless job of caring for Emme and all the orphans.  Look how tiny Emme was.  I bet she was a preemie.
    

     This was Emme's first foster mother.  

      Emme, you've some a long way baby!  

     Look at those woman's hands!  Emme was so teeny!
     

     And, look how chubby she was.  That woman took really good care of her.  I am so very thankful for her.  I think it was so important for Emme to have that good nutrition early in her life so her brain could develop properly.
     




     She looks happy, huh?  I think so!

     More pictures tomorrow!

     By the way, Emme is doing great.  She enjoys eating now, even asks for food.  She hasn't thrown up in a very long time.  She is sleeping much better at night.  She is happy.

     Do you know when we first got Emme, she couldn't laugh?  It drove Paul crazy!  Now, she laughs all the time.  When she does that deep belly baby laugh, we could almost cry... if we weren't laughing too!