more on our newest additions...

The first two comments of those meeting baby Santiago:

Oh, so small!

then...

Que choquito!

Anyone with light coloring or skin in Bolivia gets called or nicknamed choco/choca, and this baby is definitely looking to be of lighter coloring. His hair even has a slight reddish tinge. Just look!

So another comment I'm getting is, is he YOUR BABY?! The tias said "Tia Jenny, you are out a lot at night..." Very funny. :)

He also has very little hair for a Bolivian baby, who are usually abundantly blessed in that department. He's super cute!! I need to work on getting better pictures of him, in good lighting and all.

Look, I have eyes!

Getting weighed and not happy about it, but hey, first time I'd heard him cry! Have to mention he peed while on the scale. Definitely a boy!

Oh and just as an aside, Santiago shares a birthday with our J from CDA II: July 16, also La Paz's founding day!

Can't wait for volunteer Savannah to meet the new babies this morning!!! She's getting back today from her 2 1/2 month vacation in the US after nine months with us, and I was kind of trying to keep the new kids a secret, unless she's read the blog while traveling.... Last year we got Baby Girl F at 5 days old a few days after Savannah's arrival and now we have another new baby for her next year with us, fun!

As for little girl J, we are getting very worried about how difficult it is to get anything down her, or anything to stay in. We've called the nutrition center and they have agreed to take her back in at any point if we feel things are getting bad because she won't eat. Maybe the change of environment is affecting her, but we have yet to figure out the secret to feeding her.

Our therapists on staff are bringing up the word "autism" in explaining some of her behaviors. Before our A had hearing aids, she was also displaying a lot of autistic tendencies. Interesting how lacking one sense leads to that.

Her father was supposed to visit yesterday but didn't show up. Our observations seem to be right so far: obviously he's just been agreeing to everything and "going with the flow" to get his special needs daughter into a home and then disappear.

Till later!