September 2 Arrival!

On September 1, I was by the maternity hospital picking up TB results for someone from the bridge. Or rather trying. The employees were on a 24 hour strike demanding this year's obligatory pay raise. So instead of picking up the results, I used the few minutes I had to cross over to the hospital and ask the social worker if there were any abandoned babies. We only do this when we are serious about taking in another because there are always abandoned babies.

My heart lept when the social worker waved some papers she was holding and exclaimed "I was just preparing papers on a BEAUTIFUL baby that was released yesterday and I need to find a place for him! Do you want to go upstairs and see him?!" Oh YESSS!!! I was also thrilled to hear it was a BOY as our 4 youngest at the Baby Home are girls.

And...he IS a gorgeous little baby! I took a picture of him in his hospital bassinet in the preemie room (brought back memories of the triplets!) but alas, I can't get pictures off my cell phone right now.

We decided with the social worker that I would pick them up the next morning and we'd go to the government office to do the entrance papers, then I'd take him home. I realized he didn't have a name yet, just one last name. That night in bed, back from my street work at midnight, I was trying to go to sleep after only sleeping 1 1/2 hours in the past couple of days, but I was going over favorite Spanish boy names. Never a dull moment, hehe.

The next morning I mentioned my top name to the caregivers and they all shouted YES YES tia! Well, that was easy! Then at the hospital the social worker said she wanted to give him the name of the neonatologist and I kind of groaned because it's a doctor who has tried and tried to get me to go out with him. He goes to my church actually. So we compromised because the two names went together well. Oh what the heck, I'm going to put them here. He's completely abandoned and we have very scant information about his background anyway. Drumroll...... Edgar Santiago! We call him Santiago. That's Spanish for James, which is actually my grandfather's name. The social worker wanted to put my last name too for his second last name, but I insisted that we NOT since no one here can pronounce or write it.

The poor baby had to put on roller skates. My day was already packed full so I threw in baby stuff and bottle supplies and was out with him for about 5 hours before he finally got to his new home.


Heading to the prefect offices on the main plaza. Yes, he's in my lap and I'm driving. Honestly, I was hunting for my carseat before leaving but kept getting distracted talking to staff and kids and I forgot it. And it's Bolivia, where few use car seats or seat belts anyway! It took a half hour to progress a few blocks there was such a traffic jam downtown so I actually cuddled him a lot. Otherwise, he fit nicely into my lap and I could have forgotten he was there, he was so still and quiet.



We passed him down the row of Casa de Amor at government offices downtown. We were celebrating "Dia de la Familia" in a press conference and special ceremony. (Last year's post on this day.)



Rosa speaking on behalf of the children's homes of Cochabamba! Authorities are seated at the table up front. The director of the government body we directly work with was there (just not in this picture as he had gotten up to take a cell phone call).

Then I had to run try to meet the neighborhood zone's president on behalf of the kids at my bridge. So yes, I have to admit... Baby Santiago went to the bridge before the home, and my kids there met him before my kids here. They joyously welcomed him to my family. (Mom, D had washed her hands before feeding him! His first bottle with us!)

I ate soup with the kids at an outdoor restaurant. My Mom called to ask what was going on and I happily announced that I was holding my newest! Then I went back to the hospital to pick up copies of his medical history and get the aforementioned TB results (thankfully negative, although they are telling me it could easily be a false negative...what???), then finally....



In the arms of Tia Luz! Santiago arrived around 3pm during the staff devotion time. The kids all (and I mean ALL) kissed him at dinner later on but I didn't take pictures.

He is super quiet and good. I didn't even see his eyes till late afternoon, and the only time he's really cried is when I weighed him today. He weighs 2.4 kilos, or 5 pounds 5 ounces. I was telling people he weighed about 2.5 kilos even though I didn't know for sure...we've just received a lot this size! Of coures usually they are younger. He is already 6 weeks old. He was 1.450 kilos when brought to the hospital the same day he was born (at home).

Now the hospital is already asking us to take in a 2 month old. We'll see!

More pictures to come! :)