Nemias came home on Friday which was a pleasant surprise. We love having him back……unfortunately, for the both of us, the doctors decided that he still needs Gentamycin for 12 more days (I personally think they may be slightly crazy and would like a little proof on the matter…but I’m holding my tongue…just not my typing fingers). Since this can only be given two ways….IV (which he doesn’t have and we aren’t licensed to have) and IM (a shot)…..guess which way he gets it? That’s right. I am now Nemias’s greatest enemy and he screams whenever I go to pick him up. I would too if I was 2 and some mean lady gave me a shot in my leg twice a day (and it’s only been 2 days). The doces (sweets in portuguese) afterwards…..aren’t working…..neither are the bright, cute, charactered band-aids I give him to stick on the doi (ouchee in portuguese). What does work, is his brilliant set of lungs…..
We have a new girl….Martinha 3. Yes, that’s number 3…and with only 35 kids in the BH…that’s almost 9% of the population…..seems too many for me. But you gotta distinguish somehow and they are 3 and 4 years old so you can’t do big, little, baby. They know which one they are and respond to/call themselves it. Sad really! J or cute. On to Martinha’s story….
She’s three and tiny! Really. She’s only 19.5 lbs…..she’s 3!!!! She looks like an 18 month old. And adorable at that (promise a picture really soon). She didn’t speak to us all day the first day and now while she’s started playing a little, she’s still quite frightened and quiet. Couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that all the other kids think she’s a cute doll and wanna play with her constantly too….which is slightly overwhelming when you go to leaving practically alone to having 34 other kids attacking you (in the good way-new sister!!!!) She came to us last Monday night. She had been locked inside her house all weekend long without any supervision while her “grandmother” (I use this cause that’s what she says she is and that the mother ran off to South Africa, but sometimes…the aunt or gmom is really the mom…ditching responsibility.) went out for the weekend. Her older 10 year old sibling…was lucky to be locked outside of the house and went to the neighbors. The neighbors called the police, the police called social services, who called us and brought her over. We did a quick home visit and found the “grandmother” at the house….she went to jail overnight and then after neighbors gave statements to the police that this is not the first time it’s happen-it’s frequent, it looks like she could get 7 years in jail, and Martinha gets to live with us. We’re praying she grows strong quickly and settles in too. I can tell she has a very sweet, gentile personality and I can’t wait for her to blossom! She seems to be really healthy besides malnourished with a touch of a respiratory infection thrown in.
In other stories…..Dionisio got over malaria last weekend very quickly with the help of some good meds and is back to his normal cranky self…cutting in two new giant front top teeth does NOT help the eating issue. But, he’s feeling better and not giving the tias such a hard time with bottles, which is good news all around. I started the 3 youngest members of the BH (Lena, Enocue, and Alberto) on papino this week and boy did they LOVE it! mmmmm…wish they’d pass on that passion to my boy D. Almost 21 month old, Mindah, has learned to quasi say my name….and she thinks it’s cute (oh it is alright) and she loves to call me over whenever I’m in the BH and speak to me about very important matters in precious toddler Portuguese babble accentuated with exaggerated gesturing and super serious facial expressions…..if only I knew what she was saying. Oh and I’m planning a weekend away coming up in 5 days…..yeah!!! At an amazingly dirt cheap, brand new, and super close by resort. Hooray! They have a pool, and air-conditioning, and a flat screen tv with DSTV IN MY ROOM, and a mini fridge too….and a whirpool spa tub!!! And they have a SA chef who cooks meals all day with amazing coffee…oh yes, and there’s a spa with a giant massage chair, pedicures, and manicures…..and Alex and Ellie said I was dreaming of some place far far away perhaps found in the land of never never land way over the rainbow….well don’t pinch me till Monday! J
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