Homes of Love: September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Thanks to (former) volunteer Sarah for the picture!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

Child History 12.0

Each child comes with their own unique story:
heart breaking, tragic, with conflicting details, many unknowns and doubts...or all of the above. Here's the story of siblings in the Baby Home.

When we got the call about Mary*, we already had a newborn in the house. However for some reason, we took her in. She arrived after office hours on August 19, 2008, at five days old. I always remember taking her to the pediatrician that evening with my sister Emma because our parents were going out. Then we went out to eat together, enjoying our new little sleeping bundle. =)

The reports say that Mary’s mother is mentally ill and has lived on the streets for many years, since she was a teen, and is often taken advantage of. Although she was a model when younger, she got in with the wrong crowd and has never been the same since.

Eventually the grandmother appeared and while interviewing her, we found out that Mary had a brother. Michael had lived in another baby home his whole life and was

now 1 1/2. Since we had already bonded with Mary, we of course voted to bring him to us rather than send her to him, and the other baby home, overcrowded, readily agreed with our decision.

It took a long time for everyone to get their act together and he finally arrived on December 22, our Christmas present. Unfortunately, the other home had failed to mention that they were in the middle of a chicken pox epidemic. On Christmas Eve Jennifer was changing Michael for bed after festivities and noticed too many spots to be ignored. Thus began a horrendous season in all the homes of chicken pox, with each cycle of the virus more vicious than the last. Almost all the kids still have scars.

Michael and Mary’s mother alternates between living on the streets and a psychiatric hospital. She abandoned both babies at the hospital after they were born and has never visited them. We have been unable to speak with her since she is often high from sniffing glue and very violent.

Mercifully, Michael does not appear to show signs of damage from his mothers’ addictions….unless you call having a superior attitude and wanting to be treated like a king at all times a problem! He’s a cute toddler with a great sense of humor. He plays little jokes on the staff all the time, like hiding so that everyone will search for him, or doing silly things to make everyone laugh.

We are less convinced that Mary has not been affected by her mothers’ addictions and trauma. Only time will tell if she suffers lasting damage. For now she is growing and developing fairly well, and is good at entertaining herself—helpful in a house with so many!

Michael and Mary’s maternal grandmother visits them regularly but is not in a position to care for them. The siblings’ papers are currently in the court to be processed towards providing both with a loving adoptive family.

*Names are changed

Pictures from top of post to bottom:
1) Baby Mary (right) the night she arrived, 5 days old
2) Michael dressed up like a bug (he loves being silly and playing jokes!)
3) Mary at 1 year
4) The two together, Easter 2009

Help provide loving care for Michael & Mary for $50/month through Casa de Amor's child sponsorship program. Download THIS form to start!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

baby paraphernalia

My nightstand, formerly home of my Bible, agenda, books, and other odds and ends....

...now all for baby!

They just have a way of taking over your ~~schedule, sleep, heart, room~~ life, don't they?

And you haven't even seen the rest of my room.

Friday, September 25, 2009

two weeks

I’m so cute that even with my many many brothers and sisters running around (I don’t know how many there are, I can’t count that high yet), people stop in their tracks to look at ME first and longest.

When the tía prepares 3 ounces I drink 2; when she makes 2 I want 3.

I like to keep them hopping that way.

The first time I burped was during a Saturday night young people church service. But in my defense, I NEVER spit up. Ick.

SLEEP is the coolest.

During the day if "mommy" let's me go for a minute, about 8 people are at my beck and call.

They think I’m pretty neat.

But at night, it's one on one with the director.

She's happy that I'm pretty much on a schedule, whatever that means.

I get wagged around a lot by a bunch of crazy toddlers. I just pretend like I’m asleep and they lose interest.

There’s a talkative one (maybe 5?) who keeps smothering me with kisses anyway.