I think this is the hardest question that Jorja has asked us!
It breaks my heart!
I hate that the only baby photo we have of Jorja is from a newspaper.
In China, when a child is abandoned, their photo is put in the
newspaper with an ad - (information of where the child was abandoned).
It is called a "finding ad".
When we were approved by the Chinese government to adopt Jorja,
we were also able to send some disposable cameras.
The orphanage staff was very kind to take many photos for us.
But...
Jorja was already 4 years old.
(and another 9 months before we were able to hold her)
We are missing 4 years of her life.
We will never have answers to many question,
like...
When did she first sleep through the night?
When did she have her first solid foods?
What was her favorite baby toy?
When did she get her first tooth?
What tooth came in first?
What was her first word?
When did she take her first step?
We didn't see the look on her face when she
went down the slide for the first time.
We didn't get to kiss her first boo-boo.
or bandage her first skinned knee.
Or the scar on the back of her head.
We'll never really know how she got that.
We missed so many firsts!
But one thing I know -
we didn't miss...
her first airplane ride,
her first bedtime story,
her first trip to feed the ducks,
her first swim in a swimming pool,
her first day of kindergarten,
her first Valentine's day,
her first family vacation...
She does not need to face the world on her own anymore.
She has a mommy and daddy to protect her, and teach her,
brothers and sisters to play with and learn from.
But there are 143,000,000 other orphans in the world.
Still no one to care for their most basic needs,
No one to celebrate their first tooth.
No one to cheer them on when they take their first steps.
No one to read them a bed time story.
No one to catch them at the bottom of the park slide.
Please don't turn you head and heart away from these kids
find a way to be involved!
If you need ideas, let me know, I'd be glad to help!
