New baby!

We didn't have to wait long for the first entry of the new year, and newborn at that! ~big grin~ He arrived from the countryside (overnight?) and was supposed to go to another home, but on Monday. Now he's sleeping soundly in my lap. =)

Rosa and I approved his stay from a meeting with the accountant and I got here as soon as I could, exactly an hour later thinking "any minute he/she will arrive" and about 2 minutes later "he" did. It's a boy!

Just the other day I had to laugh at myself when I realized what I was thinking, something like "How I miss having newborns. It's been a whole three months since we've had a newborn!" (of course because we've been entirely out of space and were saying no) How spoiled I've gotten! And apparently I'm not the only one. The staff protested when I said he's just here until Monday. So if the other home is okay with it, guess he'll stay with us!

Baby F was found in the bus terminal on Monday, unconscious. Efforts to find his parents were in vain. He weighs 7.2 pounds (3.3 kilos) and is sun and/or wind burned from being born in the countryside (high altitude + strong sun). He arrived very alert and active. Any guesses as to his age? Some of his papers say 12 days old, some say 3 weeks. He has something in his umbilical area, like a bit of the cord left?

Today we have a national adoption, yeah!!!! So, still six hours before Baby JC leaves, we've already filled his space. Although there was another little boy that was supposed to fill it, hm.... Boys are starting to overtake the Baby Home. Right now we're at 11 boys, 7 girls.

So, I wake up never knowing what (or who) a day may bring! Yesterday I planned to write about some of the odd events that happened (odd being commonplace here), but by 11 I was so worn out I didn't think I could compose a sentence and my sister was sleeping with me at the Baby Home and needed to go to sleep.

*A lady and her friends came to our door saying she would like to nurse a baby for us. Her own baby had died two weeks ago and she wanted to keep nursing a baby, taking it home with her with the intention of adopting. I feel for her loss and it's a very noble idea, but I do NOT just hand out my babies to perfect strangers at the gate! Nope.

*While talking with them, the toddlers were spilling out onto the street. Another lady stopped and asked me if it was a daycare and I said no, a home (ie, the children live here), she thanked me and waved bye to the kids. Well here you wave "chau" but Toddler S waved really cutely to the lady and said "bye-bye" clear as a bell. This is from my FAS child who barely says anything! Guess she'll just shock us all with her perfect English one day!

*I got an email from a lady in Spain. She wrote on behalf of a Bolivian living in Spain, whose sister passed away a week ago, leaving two orphaned girls. They wondered if our home could take them in immediately. How I'd love to, but the oldest (10) is too big for us. Besides that in the home where my oldest kids are moving to next week, all six current girls will share a bedroom, yikes! That leaves us definitely out of room for more there, but that's how I wanted it to not be tempted to pack in more. (Pray that we find another home for the sisters. Everyone is full.)

*In the afternoon I was called downstairs and was startled to see the entry full of bulging black trash bags. A Bolivian lady was donating all the clothes and toys from her deceased daughter....17 years ago deceased. As she told me of the sentimental value contained in those well-stored bags, her eyes pleaded "use them well". Wow. How do you respond to that one? Heart warming moment!

*A Bolivian-American lady called me asking about their possibilities to adopt. I talked to her awhile then passed on the phone number of the adoption lawyer we refer everyone to. That was the FOURTH time in four days that we'd given her number to someone wanting to adopt. Every week there are more! Poor lady! But I find it a great blessing when so many Bolivians DO want to adopt, despite everyone's comments to the contrary. Granted, more adoptions "fail" than with international couples, but adoption is not a big part of their culture....yet.

And that's just what I recall....


Okay, gotta keep working on the sponsorship packets. Then call New Zealand for a new volunteer interview. And our physical therapist just told me she suspects torticollis in girl twin G. Great. There's a new one for us! (Just so her odd positions are not due to cerebral palsy or something else neurological...!)

Reading about torticollis now briefly, what if her pain all along has been from neck pain and not colic?! Poor baby. She's been screamy again the past few days, too. Poor us.