Updates–2007

Link to the 2007 Hospital Gallery here

November 2007 - Codi and Andrea are liking their new kindergarten where they go for the morning. Codi's teacher is very seriously preparing the class for Grade 1 where the children are really pushed with what they have to learn, and with hours of homework. They have to write with cartridge ink pens in Grade 1! Codi is practising already with her pen, and after lunch goes into her room to do her "homework". Fortunately there are good exercise books to prepare a child for Grade 1. Codi loves to learn and has satisfaction with what she does.
Andrea's teacher is sweet and gentle, her love for the children is clear. She is exactly the kind of teacher that Andrea needs. Andrea just turned 5 and mornings are not always easy, but the thought of Patrick, a little classmate who is crazy about Andrea, will usually get her mobile!
The annual newsletter is now out and in the post to friends and supporters, it is also here in the Newsletter section. Abandoned babies on the premature section who are healthy are getting placed into foster care quicker this year, and that's a wonderful thing. But the sad thing is that new ones keep coming. We now have twin girls Denisa and Florentina who are 3 months old. They were brought in extremely dirty, sick and neglected. They're now beautiful and thriving. And then there's Razvan who is 5 months old and also the size of a newborn. He was abandoned at birth and has had health complications but is holding his own. In Vera's arms is his favourite place and he stares at her with such intensity, as if to pull every ounce of love out of her! And he does!

August 2007 - We had a wonderful visit with Mom again this year who also helped us with our move. She amazed everyone with her stamina! Life in this other apartment is going well. Codi and Andrea love being able to go out to a backyard and behind our hedge to play with other children. Codi is finding independence to be a real joy! On the 40 degree days, when it's too hot for us to go to a park, the girls sit on our back steps in the shade and play with pots of water. Having immediate access to the outside is really great for them and sure beats our other apartment on the 5th floor.
Right now Vera has 5 abandoned premature babies to love and take care of. Two of them are in incubators. When I was there the other Saturday, our weekend worker Irma had 2 of them in her arms. This often hapens with these tiny babies, 2 are crying and want to be held at the same time. Because they are so small, it's possible.
Amy Loov and Cheryl Friesen from Red Deer came in July to volunteer on our "genetica" side. They really loved Soledad, Evelin, Levente, Ioana, Kevin and Florina, and everybody including the staff loved them. They enabled Dorina and Rodica to take some vacation time. There was some arm twisting - Dorina and Rodica are so attached to their babies that they didn't want to go! But in the end they were thankful for the time off. Amy and Cheryl were really committed to the babies and the work and it was wonderful having them here.
It now being the end of August, we just had a visit from sponsors from a church in Oud-Beijerland in Holland. Reverend Chris Kors and some parishoners visited our babies in the hospital, holding and loving them, and they gave our team a lovely dinner and evening in the campground where they were staying. It was such a treat for us to be taken care of during this wonderful evening! Reverend Chris, Ina and Caas also spent a morning playing with and loving Codi and Andrea, and that was very special for the girls. This group also brought with them clothes, shoes and children's toys/games which were very much appreciated by poor families.
We are grateful to this parish for their support and their prayers.

May 2007 - We're all glad that winter is over and Codi and Andrea are especially happy to be out on their bikes again! Codi has just learned to ride a small 2 wheeler that was given her and that is now her favourite activity. Andrea likes a slower pace and is content on the other bike with training wheels.
Both girls are now taking gymnastic/ballet classes. The doctor thought it would help Codi's round shoulders. They just love this time of exercise and fun. As soon as they put on their special slippers, they just fly!
We're moving to another apartment next month, one that is on the ground floor and has access from the kitchen to a type of backyard. It's just dirt and trees but is surrounded by a tall hedge and there's a cement walkway by the building for the girls to use their baby carriages. It will be great for them to play outside while I work inside. And now there's a possibility that there may be a cat or a dog in our future, something the girls would dearly love!
Jessica, a student from Canada has been here since the end of February. She came to volunteer in the hospital with the abandoned babies, (she's a wonderful and loving worker) and she is a great help with Codi and Andrea. We'll miss her when she goes the end of this month. But then my mother arrives for the month of June. It will make it easier for the girls to lose their big sister, when their grandmother comes! They are so excited to see their "Buni" again.
In the hospital, the babies on the ward with genetic conditions are all becoming more vocal! They are busy up in their chairs playing with toys, or playing with the toy boards in their cribs. They love being up and exercised, Evelin just giggles when she's exercised! The other day when I walked in, Soledad was sitting in the walker, looking so demure and content to watch the children around her. She always is quick to smile when we go up to her and talk to her.
We have a new woman working on the weekends in the hospital. She replaced Vera who works 6 days a week with the abandoned premature babies and Dora our student there on the weekends, while they took a weekend course this winter. The babies really responded to Irma's love and have become as she says, the light in her life. Irma's husband died a few years ago and she's finding her work with the babies very healing for her. She works as an engineer but her salary is very small, this is why she wanted weekend work.
When Vera and Dora returned to the ward for their Saturday shift, I just couldn't let Irma go. She is like an angel with the babies, very tender and gentle. So she is keeping Sunday afternoons on the premie wing, where we didn't have coverage before, and is working on Saturdays with our students with the handicapped children. Everyone is being blessed.

February 2007 - This winter was quite difficult due to a bad virus that went through the country. Children and the elderly died from it. It also hit the abandoned babies in the hospital. Vera our lady who works with the abandoned premature babies was shown a cupping thing to do on their backs to loosen phlegm and that was very helpful for these little ones. The physiotherapist didn't have time for them.
Something wonderful happened with Giselle, a 1 year old who couldn't move her legs. Lia's been loving her and exercising her and she's standing now! She has a look of ecstasy on her face when she does it! She's as delighted as we are. The sensitive babies know when they've been abandoned and they give up early.
I saw something so beautiful with Soledad and Rodica. Rodica had put her on her left side then lay down on the bed behind her. Soledad began moving her eyes, where was her mama? Then slowly she began to turn her head and her body till she was face to face with Rodica. What a huge smile she had when she arrived! Rolling over is about the only thing that Soledad can do by herself and we cheered her. The beauty and power of love is an incredible thing, and Soledad knows that there is someone in the world who really loves her.
Codi and Andrea also got the virus and were off kindergarten for 2 weeks. Their teachers love them and Codi's was especially glad to have her back as there's a new child who speaks only English. He was born abroad and his family just returned to Romania. Now with Codi he has someone to talk with and play with until he learns Romanian. She's a good little translator. She calls him "my boy"!
Andrea's been concerned lately that I'm lonely without her while she's at kindergarten, so she often leaves her moose specifically to keep me company! Both girls have started to pray every day for Mom's safe arrival in June. They love their grandmother so much and can't wait till she gets here.