A "temporary" addition?

When SEDEGES called a few minutes before closing time Thursday, I should've known they'd stoop to anything to find a home for the 4 day old in their office. They had already called us about 3 times in a row that afternoon, and every time I saw their number on caller ID I braced myself to say NO if it was anything to do with a kid. But when they said "temporary" I said hmm...how long? The secretary consulted with someone in the office, maybe the director, and said "tomorrow or Monday, very latest". Well then, why not? Sigh.

As I read his papers before getting to praise team rehearsal late, I began to panic. The mother was not simply physically unstable as they'd claimed, but emotionally unstable. Great. Sounds long term to me. (Now we've learned she's suffering from post partum depression, and if not from the street, is pretty close to it.)

Sooo.......now we're faced with a decision of what to do, since we're three over in the Baby Home, and adoptions delayed. At least for now, the issue was helped in an unexpected way. The newest baby is in the hospital! Last night (Friday) on the way to a dinner/meeting with former volunteers who minister to street kids now, I picked up the results from his CBC and bilirubin. He was obviously jaundiced and I prefered to go ahead and test him rather than wait for the return of our pediatrician (traveling to the US).

Reading the results, I could tell the bilirubin count was much higher than with the last baby we tested just last week, and the pediatrician had told me only higher numbers required action. I decided to go to the pediatric hospital we've used many a time and do an emergency consultation. The pediatrician said yes, he needed to be admitted for light therapy. I told him I'd be back after the meeting and swapping out babies (I was out with a different newborn). When I finally got back at about 11:15pm, the doctors were again a little confused "Uh...who is your doctor? How did you know to do these tests?" I've been around this bush before, that's why!! It's so interesting-and rewarding-to learn new things every day about health and medicine and be able to put it into practice, for the good of our kids.

I need to go visit him now. He's actually in a room where family/visitors are not allowed to stay, otherwise I'd be there and not here right now. As I write I'm with a baby, not an unusual state these days. I took care of a fussy 5 week old until 4am two nights ago then was woken early by my cell ringing, which meant that last night admitting the new baby till midnight, I was nearly falling asleep while talking to the doctors and nurses. (It's crazy trying to answer their "background history" questions--I'm always like, what do you not understand about "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING"?! I just met this baby 28 hours ago, and I would also love answers to your questions about his family.) I was so glad for the rare chance to sleep in today after such a packed week!