Cleaning Day!! ....etc.

At last: the long anticipated "cleaning day" at the Baby Home! Well for me anyway, although I think some caregivers were equally as ready to sanitize this place and "re-enter" after all the viruses and junk that have gone around.

A few staff members stayed back to clean from top to bottom, with special focus on cribs, baby bouncers, and toys, things that don't always get such a thorough cleaning but should.

The rest of us loaded up in my Dad's car to take the 14 babies currently in the Baby Home to CDA II for a morning spent playing outside in the sunshine. You can't beat 14 babies and 6 adults crammed in one SUV for a total of nearly an hour! A couple blockades and detours due to construction also kept things interesting. But other than Luz, 1 1/2, throwing up a couple times in the car (I really suspect motion sickness by now) and Brayan, 1 1/2, being in a bad mood and Belinda, 1 1/2, screaming almost constantly (she hates changes to her routine), all had a great time. I always say being 1 year old is harder than being 2..... Of course we only have ONE 2 year old currently and SIX 1 year olds at the Baby Home.

Okay, just wanted to put up a quick post to say something since I've had almost zero computer time, and to explain what's going on:

I feel like I have babies and kids scattered all over this city. Just getting around to check on all of them every couple days makes office work almost impossible (and then spending all evening till late in ER waiting rooms or the hospital doesn't help either).

Yesterday I finally made it to CDA III for some catch-up time, bearing the formula they needed (30 minutes late for Victoria's bottle, oops! didn't know my arrival was so crucial).

My family and I "visited" Gabriela during a second memorial service at her gravesite. Very good friends of our family, missionaries here in Bolivia, lost their baby on Saturday (miscarriage) and we are sharing Gabi's spot in the cemetery with them. We are so glad to be able to do that small thing to bless their family, however bittersweet. God's timing is always right.

Today I was at CDA II for just the second time this week, but that's the best I could do.

Now, as soon as my clothes finish washing (haven't had a chance in two weeks to wash), I am heading to the hospital to relieve volunteer Katrina and take my shift with baby Esteban. He's very sick with some bug and it finally came down to admitting him yesterday. :-( When our chubby Esteban refuses all food and formula, you know something is wrong. He's had bouts of vomiting and diarrhea ever since the chicken pox, but since Tuesday has been very ill.

Once my family is available to stay with him in the evening, I'll check on how baby Angel is doing (good so far, PTL!!) and the family he is with then race to praise team rehearsal. From there, either the hospital or back here (Baby Home) to have a little computer work time...and maybe upload pictures.

It would be super nice to have my car back during all this craziness. A couple afternoons ago when I got out at the orthopedic specialist with two toddlers and Katrina, my window would not roll up. This is the second time to have that same issue. Last I heard, the mechanic is still hunting for the part to fix it.

Thanks for your prayers!!


2/8/09 picture addition: The toddlers and babies roaming around during our outing to CDA II.