Half The Sky

When we arrived in China to bring Daniel home, we discovered through Holt that Daniel had spent some time in the care of a wonderful organization called Half the Sky. We knew of them and had even donated to them in the past. To find out that they had cared for our son was heartwarming, to say the least. When we returned home, I contacted Half The Sky to see if they could provide information about Daniel. Today, we received precious information that seems like gold to us. The most amazing thing is that Daniel was taken into their care on September 19th of 2008--Madi's birthday! Here is the information we received:

Hong WeiFeng NAN197 NNAN24 (fall 08)

Hong Wei Feng, who has congenital heart disease, joined our program on September 19^th, 2008. He was not afraid of the strangers and new environment. He just stared at me and then looked around the surroundings. I loved this beautiful boy at the first sight. He would smile whenever you amused him. Because he was rather weak, he was not able to sit steadily and he could raise his head for a little period of time when he lay on his back. I have spent twenty days with him. During this period of time, he has received the treatment due to the bad health. When he turned a little better, we would sit and talk together. When I gave his body massage, he would look into my eyes. Then he would give me a sweet smile. How lovely he was.

Now he is able to turn his body around the soft cushion. Moreover, he can sit alone for nearly one minute. When he sees a toy, he will reach out his hands to obtain it. After he gets it, he will have a close look at it. And he will shake it or knock at it. When his toy is taken by other children, he will cry sadly. He likes to play games with me and communicate with me face to face. Look at the photo!, He was listening to me seriously.

Hong WeiFeng NAN197 Winter08

WeiFeng did not make much progress in this quarter. He got fever a few times and coughed.

He knows to ask for food now. When he sees me holding a milk bottle, he will look at me and cry. Then as soon as i feed him, he will smile happily. Sometimes he will grab the bottle from me and hold it himself. He likes to lie on the foam mat, try to grab his little feet with his hands. When i amuse him, he will laugh out happily. He recognizes some of our voices. When he hears my voice, he will look at me and ask for a hug. If i do not take him, he will cry.

He is able to think things over now. For example, when he sees a baby playing xylophone, he imitates her and striking the keyboard and then he hears the sound it makes. He thinks about it for a while and he understands that it this toy can make sound.

When he sees me taking some snacks, he will extend his hands and ask for his share. He is so cute.

Hong Weifeng NAN197 (spring 09)

During this quarter, Weifeng was livelier. He can recognize people. When he sees people he likes, he will stretch out his hands and ask them to hug him. He no longer sits quietly. When he sits, he turns his body left and right to look around. When he sees things in front of him, he will try to move his body forwards to fetch them. When he lies on his stomach, he can push his torso off the ground for a while using his limbs. He can move his body left, right, and back. He can stand for a long time by holding one of my hands. He can switch the toys between his two hands to play. He can eat biscuits on his own. He can take the toys out of the containers. When Weifeng sees the toys he likes not far away from him, he will crawl to them and then pick them up to play with. He is not very strong because of his ailment. He crawls for a while and then takes a break. Weifeng likes playing games with me best. For example, I use the towel to cover his face and then uncover it to knock his head lightly with mine. We play games called ‘clap your hands and touch your nose (you can see it on the photo)’ and ‘touch my head using yours’. He can imitate me by turning his wrist with music. When the music starts, the older children begin to swing left and right to dance. With an air of happiness, Weifeng looks at them excitedly and then begins to swing his body too. Then I stretch out my hands to him and he holds my hands to dance, with smile on his face. How happy is he! We teach him with games . Weifeng has been able to point out his nose and mouth. He can touch his head, clap his hands in welcome and wave goodbye. Weifeng is more attached to me now. When he is happy, he will call me ‘mom, mom’ repeatedly. When he sees me hugging the other children, he will begin to cry loudly to show his unhappiness. Weifeng is a handsome and clever boy. We all like him.

Hong WeiFeng NAN197 Summer09

WeiHong has made great progress in this quarter. He is really active and cute. He can stand up by holding onto something and walk a few steps. He likes to stand by the table and pats on it. He is really good at crawling these days. He crawls around the activity room and looks for the toys or plays with other children.

He is becoming more and more attached to me. When i play with him, he will not let me go or take care of other babies. He wants me to stay with him only or he will cry.

He is smart and outgoing. He calls all the nannies mom and often smiles at them. He always observes our emotion. If someone looks at him with a upset expression, he will cry. Then if you give him a happy smile, he will laugh happily too.

WeiFeng likes new toys a lot. When we receive some new toys, he will always be the first to explore how to play with them.

Hong Weifeng NAN197(fall 09)

In this quarter, Weifeng has started to walk on his own without the help of walls or other things. He also likes to climb. When he plays with the rocking horse, he even stands on the back to swing. When he sees me scared or nervous about what he is doing, he will smile at me. What a mischievous boy! When he sees the other children climb upstairs, he will hold onto the railings to go upstairs and downstairs quickly. Weifeng has made progress in fine movement and he is more careful. He often pays attention to tiny objects. He is always interested in the screws on the mirror, windows, and shelves very much. He can play with them for a long time; he touches them and tries to turn them. Weifeng has better imitating ability now, and he can imitate the adults. For example, he can help me to hold the milk bottle for the younger girls to feed them. He also calls me ‘mom’ on his own initiative. He calls me ‘mom’ before he does anything, and has established an intimate attachment to me. Every morning when he sees me, he will climb into my arms happily and be unwilling to leave me. When he stays with me, he smiles all the time. Once I leave him, he will lie on the ground kicking and crying loudly. He is a smart boy; he can understand the expressions of the adults. He gets close to the people he likes; and smiles at everyone who plays with him. He is a very lovely and handsome boy!