Evan and the Babies: More good-byes

I'm going to have to start coming up with a subject line for these postings that doesn't have to do with saying good-bye. We arrived at the clinic this morning to see Ramona hurrying down the path with a handful of papers. My immediate thought was that someone is leaving and sure enough the twins' parents were there and took them home. The father seemed very affectionate with the girls, the mother less so but then it is a strange and difficult process I'm sure. I am glad the girls have a relationship as that will help them to adjust I'm sure. Plus we sent the drum home with them. Hopefully they will be loved and cared for and continue to grow and develop. Still it was sad to see them go.

Cristi and Paula also left to go to the hospital in Barlad. We understand this is an interim placement until it is determined where they will go next. I was expecting they would go to the center for children with disabilities in Barlad but it may. be that it doesn't have room to take on these children right now. I don't quite understand why they can't be at the clinic until it closes - getting attention rather than laying in cribs and being ignored in the hospital. Both of them have made such progress - hope they don't lose it for too long. Their departure was a painful scene. Both of them crying, the toddlers crying. I escaped to the non-mobile room to cuddle the babies as it was just too hard to watch.

So every day we just need to be prepared for some change. We threw some of the routine out the window today.. The toddlers/mobiles now include Ion, Petre, Andreea, Daria, Alina, and Marius with Gaby kind of in between. So I spent more time in and out of all the rooms and the toddlers spent the morning before Malika came generally running around.

We couldn't find Gaby's pink ball until afternoon so she played with a bigger ball for part of the day.. We also found a frog that played music and had flashing lights that she and Ana Maria enjoyed for awhile. At one point, Ion was pitching a fit so I took him on my lap and let him play with my camera. Now I have to get the settings right again! (It's worth it to have him happy for awhile.) Marius started out the day happy and wanting to be picked up and tickled and then enjoyed being in the hallway. He was not happy when Petre hit him on the head with a toy. Cleo came into the playroom and enjoyed Cathy reaching under her and rubbing her back and other attention she got. And the "girls" (Ana Maria, Maria Alexandra and Andrada) all got in their exercise and practice sitting up. Andrada was babbling away looking at herself in the mirror again and Maria Alexandra was having quite the conversation with herself as well.

At one point we were in the entry area and a man was taping a notice to the front door. Petre said "uh oh" and I thought to myself, how true. Turns out it was a notice telling workers if they want to work at the new senior home they need to go to the Tutova municipal hall and apply for a new labor contract. Of course no one knows who these seniors are, why they will be in the home or where they are coming from. We also hear it is funded for 3 years only. Once again on the lunch time news there was a story about "patients abandoning hospitals" throughout the country.

Jane brought her can of whipped cream in (she uses it on her hot chocolate.) Petre, Ion and Ionut loved it. Andreea was afraid of it and Alina didn't seem to like it either.

Wonder what changes tomorrow will bring...