Tutova: Monday July 27, 2009

Today was our first full day with the babies and it was good to get back to them, even though a lot of last year's kids are gone. I think there are 14 left from last year. The twins are still here. So that makes me very happy! The first few days are always chaotic but it should settle down. We are doing something new this year because we are within walking distance to the Clinic. We have evening shifts. We start our day at the clinic at 8:30 am and put the babies in the crib for nap at 12pm we come back at 2:30 and play with them and feed them until 4pm and them some stay until 5:30 and then a new group goes at 5:30 until 6:30. We break and the last group goes over at 7:30 and stays for an hour. The walking babies are able to stay out of their cribs until the last group leaves but the non-mobiles are put back in the cribs for that hour. It makes for much less time in the cribs, which makes me much happier leaving them at the end of the night.

Me with the twins I fell in love with last year

Gabi on the left and Mihaela on the right

We have to wear face masks the first week we are here because the swine flu could be devastating to the children if we gave it to them. It is much cooler here this year compared to last so that is a better thing. However it is still warm and humid. I straightened my hair this morning and by noon any effort I put in was gone.

We are also at the remodeled clinic this year as opposed to last year when we were all crammed into the little children's hospital. Much more space but so much harder to keep track of all the babies moving around.