I am worn out tonight, but wanted to say that after my pouty potty post last night, I realized that the reason that they potty train so early is because the children would be getting potty trained at home at this age. When they are healthy enough to go home, they cannot be still in diapers because families will not be able to afford diapers. So, I gritted my teeth and sang some more in the bathroom, taking advantage of great acoustics. Below is the blog post I prepared for the Orphans Heart blog tonight. I am too tired to do more. And yes, Mary Silverman, this is the ministry of the Florida Baptist Children’s Home.
Because we know that all of you want to hear about “your” child or the group you worked with, we thought we would blog each day the rest of the week about the different age groups. Today, we will focus on the Canaries. Jan, one of our team members, was just here in March so she knows how much the babies have changed developmentally and physically. She is excited to see such a promise of life in the Canaries.
Here are updates on a few of the babies that show how much they are growing and what a difference the Malnutrician Center is making not only on the children, but on the country of Guatemala.
Francis Celeste was born January 29, 2013. She came in on March 8, 2013 and weighed four pounds. Today, she is up to nine pounds! She is laughing and interacting with people. She is catching up really quick and is already trying to lift up on all fours in preparation to crawl. She has a beautiful smile.
Angelica Paula Culajay who was born October 26, 2012 and came to the Center on December 6, 2012. She weighed four pounds and today, she weighs twelve pounds. She is trying to crawl and sit up with assistance. She is doing everything that new babies try to do.
Brian who in March was in the Canaries and showing signs of failure to thrive is now in the Bunnies. He is walking, smiling and playing with the other children. He has pretty much caught up to his age developmentally.
Marvin can walk with assistance now. He continues to do well. It is a thrill to have him hold a finger and walk for about ten minutes in the hall. His face has thinned out as he has grown and started exercising. Soon, he will move up to the Bunnies. He is the most joyful child you have seen in your life! He brightens your day.
The Canaries just came through the measles. All are doing well now. Some have colds and fevers, so please pray for them. Eight to ten children need breathing treatment right now because they are so congested.
Canaries got a new baby today who requires a lot of care. She is not a newborn as she looks around and holds up her head, but we do not know how old she is, but she weighs about four pounds. She was breastfeed so is having trouble adjusting to the bottle. It takes over an hour to feed her two ounces before she fell asleep.
The routine the nannies have should be scripted and put into a book for people to copy. They have close to thirty babies with only three nannies. And we complain when we have just one! They are doing so much to get the children healthy and ready to move up and be successful in life.
Come join us in the Canaries and see what an impact you can make on a child’s life!
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| Andy |
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| Maria |
How sad that they are in such bad shape when they come in! A 4 pound newborn would be in the NICU here. A 4 pound child who's been out for a few months is a shame. I'm glad they've got the Malnutrition Center to go to – and wonderful people like you who care to help them gain health and strength.