changes

November has been a month of change. We have said goodbye to 5 of our babies. The two girls I previously wrote about and then this last week three more. All three will grow up in Denmark. I was on night shift so I didn’t really get to meet the families. But what I hear they were very nice and excited for their children.

H had just moved up to creepies. As a grub she was everywhere. Always into everything. Once she moved to creepies I think she got intimidated because she didn't crawl as much. But just days before her family came she took her first solo steps across a room. We were all excited. I was able last week to take her and S to the Glen (Our mall) for a day out. It was a good last memory. H did such a great job. She even walked a bit holding Simone and My hands. She is a grabber though. You had to steer the shopping cart right in the middle or she would take everything off the shelf. She always smiled for the camera. She wasn’t a favorite on night shift because of her ear piercing scream/cry. But she was and is a beautiful girl who lucked out with parents and a big brother.

S also left. Her and H left on the same day. Their parents got to meet. S is a sweetheart with a bully side. If a grub was crying usually S was near by having pulled hair or taken a toy away or crawled over them. I was able to on many occasions to do her hair. She was one of very few with long enough hair to braid. She always looked so cute with it up. S is a dancer. When I first arrived at TLC and met her she would sway back and forth if you started to and sometimes even when you didn’t. She loved the Johnny Jump Up. Jumping as high as she could. I think she thought she was flying. Her face always had a huge grin on it. S was ready for a family. Needing a lot of attention. She too now has a older brother. Im excited for her. She is so clever and I know will adapt to her new life quickly.

After saying goodbye to the two girls a few days later M left. He was a nursery favorite. An easy baby. Also went to bed well and played nice with others. He was a looker too. I always called him an African Model. He always points his toes. So I think he will be a diver or gymnast. Just a guess. He always wore a smile unless he gave you the evil eyes. Both were equally cute. I did not meet his family but I know that he has two parents who love him and waited a long time for him. He will grow up loved. There is no way someone couldn’t love him.

Since we have lost so many babies we were in need of new ones. We have gotten two in the last week. The first to arrive is F. He is about 4 months and a cutie. He loves to cuddle. The second is G. She is 13 days old. She is 5 lbs. With long fingers and toes and a head of hair. I think she is the littlest baby I have held. She mostly sleeps. Once in a while she opens her eyes. We were all excited to get her because it meant that our nest would open back up. Now we are waiting for more babies to share the next with G.

Sorry for the delay

Wow I was doing so good with this blogging thing. I guess lately I have felt like everyday is the same. Well, this past week I worked nights. Those are always the same. So its hard to think of something interesting that I think you will want to read. But, maybe my everyday things are interesting enough.

Like knowing that I probably change 30 nappies/diapers a day. And that is just a guess. I will have to count one day. Then times that by a year. Im sure it will be a large number.

Or that the other night during night shift I caught and flushed 5 cockroaches in the nursery. You don’t want to kill them because that is when they lay their eggs. The toilet is the best.

The other day one of our mama goats died so now there is a bucket with teats for the kids to eat from. Its kind of a sad site to walk past everyday. The poor guys look all alone without mom.

How about the numerous walks we take with the creepies and lions. There are four destinations really. To the chickens. (Which is always a risk in the summer with the spitting cobras (they like the chicken eggs)) To the preschool playground. A change of pace from our nursery one. To the turtles, for a short walk. Or to the “new farm” This is where Pippa and her kids live. Its just a short walk away sometimes through a herd of cows. Walks are good they usually tire the kids out. Which is the goal for nap time. Once in a while we get creative and daring and go someplace new like when we visited the horse next door, thanks to our wall blowing down in a storm.

I could tell you about how I feel like a mom more and more everyday. Its moments when I call the kids the wrong name, or get upset about no changing table in the mall bathrooms. I was just sitting in the nest the other night, holding and looking at our newest baby. G came to us 10 days old and so little. I just cant imagine having one so little be mine. Like part of me. Im so use to holding and loving others babies. It will be foreign when its mine.

Then there is the turtle family who live in our memorial garden. The creepies are scared of them and half the lions. But, it makes really cute videos. Ask me when I get home and I will show you.

Then there are all the dishes to wash. The clothes to wash and fold and put away. The floors to be swept and mopped. The formula to mix and the snacks to prepare during nap time.

I remember when I first got here how there was so much to remember that I would never feel like I knew it all. But I do. And each time I am trained on something new ( like meds or the nest) I get excited.

Goodye sweet girls.

This weekend we said goodbye to two of our babies. Both of them will be staying here in South Africa with families that are local.  It’s nice to know that they will be keeping their South African culture. There is just something special about both local and international adoptions. But the two girls that left are best suited for a local adoption.

N is and always will be an adventurer. She would always be the first to break out of the Grubs room. She even made it outside by the pool a couple times. She was the reason I would wear a towel as an apron during bath time. She LOVES to splash. And nothing and no one could stop her. She always made a swimming pool on the floor of the bathroom. She has one of the cutest smiles and almost always showed it for a picture. She is a girl that needs attention. And Lucky her she got a mom, dad and a big sister. She will get all the attention she wants.

B is clever. She is also a bit of a trouble maker. Always the first to run away. We put shoes on her that squeeked when she walked. Not to track her down but because it was funny. Her first words were “stop it” I suppose because she heard them so much from the volunteers. She is a bit older. I am so happy that she was able to get a family. The older they are the harder it is. But her mom is perfect for her. Truly an African mama. B will grow up to be just like her. What a perfect match.

I know that both these girls are happy in their new homes with their new families starting their new lives. But TLC wont be the same without them. We have three more leaving next week.