week three :(

So now I am on to my third week here and I have decided to block out that there are only three more days at the clinic! I look at all of the beautiful children and am so sad each night as we step onto the bus to go back to the hotel. I just have to give out as many hugs and kisses as possible and imprint on my brain all of the smiling faces. Over the weekend five of the remaining people took a weekend excursions to Iasi (pronounced Yash) to tour painted monasteries and then to tour Iasi- we spent most of city tour outside because the buildings we were going to go to were closed for renovations. we did get the chance to have an authenic romanian meal complete with plum brandy and homemade wine. We had a different bus driver who did not like the horn as much as last weekend. He had never been to Iasi before so he would go touring with us. He also paid attention to when we were trying to take pictures out of the windows so he would actually stop the bus for us. I was completely amazed at the difference in the ecomomic status the further we drove out of barlad. I was reminded of home by a lot of the sights and smells. We woke up to the smell of wood burning stoves and at almost every meal there was dill in some dish. And on our way back we had asked the tourguide to ask the bus driver to find a nice well by the side of the road so we could stop and take pictures of it. The next thing we know he was slamming on the breaks and backing up the bus for us. He did this twice for us and at the second well our tour guide even demonstrated how to use the well. We happened to be stopped by a bunch of plum trees at the side of the road and our bus driver and guide picked plums off the tree for us to eat. Now our group is down to 8 and yesterday we returned to Tutova with a group of 6- we were short one because one of the volunteers had a cold. We did ok until it started to rain in the afternoon which meant all 25 of the children were cooped up inside!! They were so used to being outside that we were doing everything we could to entertain them. And today for some reason we did not take the babies and crawlers outside so we had 17 kids and 5 adults in one small area! When it came to snack time we just started sticking spoonfuls of yogurt into any mouth that happened pass by. It was a room full of Birds vieing for a worm. and then they brought out the bottles for the babies at the time so now each of us had about five mouths to feed some of us were holding two babies and feeding 3 crawlers. We were never so happy for naptime as we were today!! after lunch we made sure all of the kids were outside. It is amazing how many little milestones we were able to view in the three weeks we have been here. I will never forget the pleasure in seeing the excitement in seeing baby smile, or giggle, or turn over for the first time. And putting a baby on the scale and seeing her gain two pounds in two weeks. We also challanged a 6 year old to feed herself with a spoon for the first time. I only have three more days here But I keep praying every day for a new memory to store up. I know those babies are loved by the nurses and aides so I will feel just a bit better about leaving. I want you all to pray for me about 1030am your time on wednesday because somehow I am going to have to dance after dinner. I have learned a very valuable thing-- NEVER say you don't do something in front of a psychologist because the next thing you know you are having to dance in front of a group of strangers. I am thinking it will have to be the chicken dance though because you cannot dance that with just one person. there will also have to be some wine involved as well.

on to the second week

I am now starting my second week at the clinic and I am forever mystified by how easy we Americans have it in the states. I continue to watch the nurse and aides go about their daily activities and as they are pushing a wheelbarrow full of clean diapers back to be folded I am glad we are not required to do such things. On friday we had the sad task of saying goodbye to four of our fast friends as our group of 20 went down to 16. The two and three weekers had the option of going on a weekend excursion and as 10 of us rode the bus 5 hours to brasov we were transported back in time. We came to town and stayed in a hotel over looking a charming city square straight out of a story book. even the bells made cheery sounds. We toured the Black church-named that only after a fire destroyed the inside, but a very misleading name because the inside was not black at all. We then toured Brans Castle in Transylvania- very midevil and for only 73 million dollars it too can be yours! the next day we took a bus ride through more mountains and reached Sinaia where we visited Peles castle. it looked like a story book fairy tale. Each room we entered was decorated in a different country's style. We then took a cable car ride up 1400 meters above sea level to view the city from above. after that we took a harrowing 5 hour bus ride back with a busdriver who seemed hellbent on seeing how many people he could scare on the side of the road by honking his horn, and swerving from lane to lane down a two way road trying to avoid potholes. all of this after I managed to lose my carsickness patch!! Did I also mention we were driving through the mountains as well? It was good to go see more of the country however my heart was back at the clinic thinking about the babies knowing that they would not be carried as much as if we were there. Today we came back to the clinic and the aides welcomed us with smiles on their faces. Even with 4 less people we managed to give all the babies as much love as we could jam pack into a very quick 8 hour day. After clinic I actually had a dad moment and visited a grave yard!!! I have learned very fast that U.S. time is about 1/3 that of Romanian time. If our coordinator tells us it will take 10 minutes to walk somewhere we may as well triple that!! The food we have been receiving is a mix between Romanian traditional meals and american favorites. They do love to put dill on everything though. and the food is very much like the food I grew up on so I am not starving to death. I did fall in love with a turkish bread that I am going to have to find out how to make when I come back!! I am working with a great group of people who, like me can never seem to do enough! When we ask what they need at the clinic their number one priority is cloth diapers so we pooled our donations and managed to buy enough diapers to keep many bottoms covered! We love for them to have the convinence of disposible diapers however they have to pay for them to be disposed of as medical waste so it is not a very cheap option for them. I have had the pleasure of seeing my sheets and clothing put to good use and every day I look to see if one of the babies is wearing my donations. At the end of every day I leave the clinic very sad because I can hear the toddlers and babies crying as we puut them back in their cribs for the night. I do feel better knowing the aides give as much love as possible to the kids until we come back the next morning. And I never thought there could be so much pleasure in a carton of yougert but those kids go gaga fo it. as each day passes it will be harder and harder for me to leave but I am now trying to figure out how I can get back as soon as possible! I am very greatful for the family I grew up in and am thankful for being American!

tutova clinic day 3

I finally was able get to the internet but due to some difficulties I needed to start a new blog. I have to say it will be very difficult to leave this place!!! I am in love with at least 5 children. but i for sure would only be able to get two in my carry on bag. I have NEVER seen such tiny babies! there is a nine monthe old here that weigh only 7 lbs.- less than Riley when he was Born!! our days consist of getting the babies and toddlers out of their beds and feeding them bottles and then playing with them and stimulating them. I am so amazed by the nurses and aides- they are responsible for 26 babies every needs and they run the clinic like a well oiled machine. and there is only one nurse and 4 aides during the day and down to one andone during the night. not only do they take care of the babies but they also do all of the housekeeping, laundry, cooking as well as feeding us volunteers. and then they clean up after us as well. I am trying to take lots ofpictures so you all can see and want to come here as well. we did get to tour the rest ofthe hospital as well there are essentially three wards the peds, a room with about 10 bed in a men's room and 10 beds in a women's room. they do have a isolation room with 3 beds-mind you there are no privacycurtains anywhere to be seen! only one doctor overlooks all areas of the hospital. I did get somevery disheartening news there will be no international adoptions for at least 10 more years!!! So I guess I will need to move to Romania! We will havea busy night tomorrow and then we leave for a weekend excursion on friday so I will try to write more Sunday night. I am with a great group of people- only one male in the group of 20 all areas are represented here-4 people are from Canada. the rest from the US all over.