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SAVANNAH AND JORDAN |
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Savannah and Jordan with their mom, Michelle |
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The Welling Family arrived home on October 4th with their two newly adopted children: Jordan Francky Welling (born Francky Saint-Louis in June of 2005) and
Savannah Ludnie Welling (born Ludnie Jean in January of 2004). They were gracious enough to send us an update on how the transition into family life is going.
Savannah eats everything and anything that we give her. She seems to enjoy trying new foods. We don't know if she has any favorite foods yet because she eats most everything she's given with such gusto. Jordan is a bit pickier of an eater. At mealtime, he divides his food into his "edible" food pile and his "yucky" pile. However, the yucky pile contents of one day can be in his edible pile the next day. If in doubt, he loves rice and brown gravy (but not any grains without gravy on them, those go to the yucky pile), pastas, bread, oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc. - basically the foods he was used to at the crèche in Haiti.
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Savannah and her dad, Scott, experiencing SNOW! |
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Helping out her brother Jordan is one of those things Savannah finds important. As early as at the airport on our way home from Haiti, when Jordan kicked off his shoes (which he does when he's tired), she notices it (as she is used to her habit of having shoes on all the time), announces it, and is eager to help put them back on. Jordan also gets "mama" and "papa" confused sometimes and Savannah is there to let Jordan know who's who. She used to like to wake him up in the morning when she got up, but luckily she now seems to understand that it's all right to let him sleep a bit longer.
Savannah is pretty good about going to bed, but is very particular that her mother puts her to bed. She used to fuss a lot, but that has greatly improved over the couple weeks she's been home. We believe it was the fear that we might not be there in the morning. She now only wakes up one or two times per night (good time for a visit to the bathroom) and calls out to us (mainly to mama) one or two times per night, which is down from the initial five through seven. For the first week or two, Jordan was very clingy and didn't want to be left at bedtime, but he now knows we'll be there in the morning and he goes to sleep well and sleeps through the night without fail. After the pre-bed routine is complete, we can simply walk him to his bed, lay him down, pull up the covers and he goes to sleep usually without a single peep. Naptime is a slightly different story. :)
Both children thrive on having a set routine because it helps the children feel in control and know what's going to happen next. They both love going to the park, going on walks in the stroller (a double jogging stroller became a must after trying to single-handedly navigate two umbrella strollers around the neighborhood). At church they do very well in class among their peers - we were able to leave them in their class without them fussing at all!
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Ready for Trick-or-Treating |
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Savannah talks a ton more now than anyone at the crèche ever thought she did. She has lots of Creole words that she now uses (although we don't understand some of them). She also has a few Creole songs she sings and gets Jordan to sing with her sometimes. He likes to do anything Savannah does, from getting a drink to repeating words. She is good with repeating English words. Jordan likes to say "bye-bye" to people and his little wave along with his voice melts everyone's hearts, whether it be family members or people we're passing in the store. He seems quite comfortable associating with strangers whereas it takes Savannah a little while to warm up. The most common thing they say is, "Hey, machin!" in creole, which sounds like "machine" and roughly translates to "vehicle" in English. Basically, they're fascinated by cars, trucks, buses, semis, etc. and like to point out every one they see. Overall, they are both doing well understanding our English combined with unofficial sign language.
Although the waiting part of the adoption sometimes seemed unbearable, these kids are wonderful and have been well worth the wait! We feel we definitely made the right choice by adopting children from the Crèche Enfant Jesus in Haiti. Many thanks to the wonderful staff at A Child's Hope Foundation and their partner, Chances for Children. We are also grateful for the entire staff at the crèche who have taken care of our children so well until everything was ready for them to come home. |
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SMALL, SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE |
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Kevin Gallagher of Utah Auto Sales stands between
Ryan Bailey and Peter Robinson of 5 Star Vending |
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Sometimes the most effective fundraising ideas seem small and simple.
For the last couple of years Hugo Ornelas, and now Ryan Bailey and Peter Robinson, have placed small and simple candy machines at businesses throughout Utah County, Utah, donating a portion of the revenues from his machines to benefiting the children we serve.
When asked why he donates to A Child's Hope Foundation, Ryan Bailey said, "All three of my children are adopted, so I have a soft spot in my heart for children that need supportive families. It is an important cause that businesses need to support."
Kevin Gallagher, owner of Utah Auto Sales, is one of those that is supporting this cause by placing a machine in his office. Kevin and his wife Annetta have long assisted parentless children find loving families through The Adoption Exchange, so supporting the mission of A Child's Hope Foundation is just an extension of their love for orphaned and abandoned children. The Gallaghers are also monthly donors, giving their monthly contributions automatically through our web site (learn more about donating monthly).
Ray Taylor, of Muddy Boys Drywalling, has recently placed a machine in his office too. Ray and some of the employees at Muddy Boys have been supporting A Child's Hope Foundation for years, including sending some of their employees to Haiti with us to build the orphanage there.
Today there are over 225 machines throughout Utah Valley, resulting in thousands of dollars donated to A Child's Hope Foundation annually. A Child's Hope Foundation would like to thank all of the businesses that have allowed a candy machine to be placed in their facilities. Your support means a great deal to us!
Until December 25, 5 Star Vending will donate $25 to A Child's Hope Foundation for each new machine placed, and will do so in that business' name. If you know of a location in Utah County where 5 Star Vending could place a machine, please call Ryan Bailey at (801) 830-0350. |
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Ray Taylor of Muddy Boys Drywall (second from left)
recently placed a machine in his office |
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October 29, 2007 |
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Upcoming Benefit Concert
On December 1, 2007, at 7:00 p.m., A Child's Hope Foundation will host a benefit concert at the Provo Tabernacle in Provo, Utah, to raise money to purchase a van for an orphanage in Kiev, Ukraine. All of the proceeds from this concert will go toward purchasing this van and other supplies for this orphanage.
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Jenny Oaks Baker |
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| Several well-known classical performers will perform at this event including violinist Jenny Oaks Baker, former member of the National Symphony, David Glen Hatch, concert pianist, singer and song writer Cherie Call, the 2002 Olympic Children's Choir "One Voice," and a jazz trio including Bob Bailey, former jazz pianist on the Dean Martin Show, and Ray Smith, award winning BYU jazz director.
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Cherie Call |
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| Tickets cost $10 per individual or $5 for students. CLICK HERE to order tickets. |
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David Glen Hatch |
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Haiti Days Brunch |
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Last week we had a great time at our 2nd Annual Haiti Days Celebration where families that have adopted from Haiti were able to visit and their children could play together. Here are some photos from that event.
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| 2nd Annual! |
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| The kid's table |
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| Max (left) was once our preschool teacher in Haiti, now he is studying at the local university while Holli (right) is our adoption coordinator |
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| The party just getting started |
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| Sophia's smile was infectious |
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| Some of the girls playing together |
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| The Welling Family with their children they just adopted this month! |
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Forward this to a friend!
Let your friends know about A Child's Hope Foundation and forward this newsletter to them. Let them know they can subscribe at our web site. |
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Hope. Compassion. Love. With the help of volunteers and donations.
Get involved
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