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December
7th, 2004
Wednesday
Evening in Barlad, Romania
I
am at the internet cafe where the internet seems to be turned
on and off every ten minutes or so. I have to write off line
so I don't lose everything! Not a problem... I am grateful to
have access. Thanks to you all for your emails. You are my evening
entertainment.
So...
I am loving this experience... Here's my typical day:
7
a.m. wake up.... breakfast with Ramona at 8 and picked up in
a Dacia (Romanian car) by Dan, the night nurse at the clinic.
20 minute drive and I walk in, change my shoes and we start
bringing the "non-mobile" babies who are my charge into the
large play room. I have between ten and twelve all day depending
on whether any have a fever. We bring them in one at a time
and place them in either little jumper things that the volunteers
have brought or on pillows on the floor surrounding me in my
white Rubbermaid plastic chair.
The
aides then bring in bottles for each child and the babies who
range from 2 months to 9 months "drink up" as best they can
until I can get around. I hold Mihai (Michael) first since he
is the tiniest at 6 pounds... and then I work my way through
them up to another Mihai who looks like the Michelin Tire Man.
Four are sets of twins..... Today they were all dressed in the
new outfits that I brought and it was such fun. I took a bunch
of pictures.... No one who knows me ever would have expected
this!
I
call these wonderful babies "Glorious". No wonder. The cooing
is a great sound.
The
kids get their first bottle at 5 a.m. and then are bathed and
changed by the aides and nurse. the clinic is incredibly clean....
the stunning thing is how little crying there is. The babies
are used to being alone in their beds and smile, reach up and/or
are just frantic to grab you. Two of the kids who I don't have
in my room, Florentina (a gypsy baby with Florika, her twin)
just yells when she sees you go by. The twins were one year
old today and have never been visited by their parents. When
you go to pick her up, Andrea claws at the air and screams until
you get her. She's ten months old and is wildly in need of holding.
Other than that and the tiniest baby, there isn't much crying.
When
all the babies are eating it sounds like a symphony of little
sucking sounds and wonderful coos. They just laugh and smile
and love every minute of someone touching them. At various points
in the day I have been holding up to two babies and rocking
one with my foot. Usually when there are teams of 8 to 20 people
and the rooms are divided among the volunteers. The babies are
changed every four hours by the staff (whether they need it
or not -- and of course they all do!).
The
kids are fed every four hours with a mixture of what looks like
a smoothie but is made from scratch by the staff from potatoes,
beets, carrots, oatmeal, milk, etc. they have one blender stick
to do the food for 30 babies.
The
smoothies vary by meal and each is configured to the individual
child. Vitamins, iron and other medication is blended in. They
have enough bottles for all and sterilize them between feedings
in a 40 year old sterilizer. The women who work there are amazing.
it's a machine that's been well oiled and the Dr. in charge
(who is in Minneapolis this week at a Global Volunteers meeting)
is fanatic about cleanliness and meds and feeding. I am impressed...
but it's incredibly sad to know that without volunteers these
children basically sit in their cribs all day. there is a 'teacher'
in the afternoon for the "mobiles" (i.. those who can walk)
and she works with them with toys and videos. They love animals...
Baby Mozart, etc.
Andrea
and Gloria: I finally "got down" on the floor and wound up learning
that I too could roll over!
There
are a number of special needs kids as you can imagine.... I'll
update you more on them later in the week. My favorite is tiny
baby Vioral who arrived at 3 pounds and is up to 8. He just
smiles every time he sees me. He puked all over me today (not
the first). I could just eat him up. I have many photos.
At
night I try to wash my clothes in a sink without a plug....
it would be ok if it were just socks and underwear, but it's
jeans and large denim shirts and Uconn Husky t-shirts.
By
the way, I sing away all day behind the closed door. The babies
fall asleep in my arms when I sing "True Love" and all cheer
when I sing UConn Husky. I have recited the Legend of Diana
Taurasi many times so they will be sure to know of her importance
to women’s basketball!
I
couldn't be happier with things.... although the evenings are
dark and long. Thank goodness for books (and my 25 watt light)
plus the internet cafe to catch up.
Bye
for now.
g
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