Catia is on the left and Edsan on the rigth
They will turn 3 years old in just one month. They are very malnourished and not looking so hot at the moment, but are walking and talking and loving some food. They are each only about 16 pounds. That's right. i said 3 years old. One of our healthy normal 10 month old weighs more than each of them. It appears that they have been malnourished all their lives, but it has escalated lately after their mother died. Their grandmother semi looked after them, but they were forced to look through the trash for thier own food. I am taking every precaution with them for malnutrition as they are showing signs of edema in their hands and feet which is a harder and more dangerous type of malnutrition to treat and we are trying out very bland foods with low protein and sodium for the next week or so...and i rehydrated them today. I'll get them HIV tested this week as well. They've started on deworming meds, antibiotics, they have multivitamins, and i've already given them vitimamin A which is really important for malnourished tots. They will also get an appointment at the malnourishment clinic hopefully this week so they can get a lovely thing called plumpy nut....which is just a ready to eat food they give malnourished kids here....500 calories in one small packet of super fortified peanut butter with extra multivitamins. Sadly for some of the kids, it might be the only food they are getting plus a piece of bread a day. At the moment, the twin girls wouldn't be able to handle all that protein, but in a week or two...they'll need it.
And now to introduce their Auntie Admira.....
Yup, that's what i said. Their Aunt just made 2 years old 2 days ago and is bigger and stronger and healthier than the two of them...guess she should be since it's their Aunt!!! He he. Admira's mother is the grandmother of the twins. I love Africa!!! Admira has been already to the malnourishment program and is already on Plumpy nut so she is doing lots better than her neices (he he). She is about 19 lbs and still malnourished but much much less so. She's not getting the full treatment from me. She looks to be the spunkier of the 3 as well. only time will tell on this one..... 
I wish you could see how tiny these girls are. they are really the size of one year olds....
Please pray for these 3 girls! They brought in an older boy from the same family and i'm not really sure much about him. I promise to post pictures in a day or two of these 3 if the internet allows me to. Pray they will remain healthy and strong. Pray for them to gain weight each and every day and that their bodies will heal from malnutrition. Pray for wisdom in how to treat them. Pray that their HIV tests are Negative!!! Pray that they settle quickly into the giant, noisy, and sometimes very scary baby house....especially when you are tiny and look like a doll baby.
(insert story here to drive home this point...alirio who just turned 2 in March loves the babies....and by babies i mean anyone he percieves is a baby...like Latifo who is almost 3 years old but is smaller than him. Latifo gives the evil eye to Alirio whenever he comes over to snuggle him, pinch his cheeks and coo at him. the other night i tried to explain to Alirio that Latifo was NOT a baby and was a whole year older than him even though he was a bit smaller. Alirio ignored me and my beautiful portuguese and kept cooing in his face. i believe Latifo then slapped him in his face and started to push away. they are hilarious! also he thinks Dionisio who is only 9 months younger than him and a whole inch taller than him is a "baby" still and does the exact same thing with him. Oh Alirio!) I love my babies!!! Ok, it's off to bed now. Admitting the new 3 wore me out today!!!
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