The Downstairs Mini's

Bertho

Josef

Lineda

Schilintzsky

Gerald

Princess Conleigh

Isaiah

Jamesky

Daniel

Julie

Levi

Golson was really sick and on IV when I got back. He had been sick for 2 weeks and has lost a lot of weight. However he is now on the mend, which we can tell as his usual naughtiness is coming out in full swing!

Evan has joined the toddlers downstairs. He's become a very vocal little boy and is constantly babbling on about this or that...hard to believe he was such a tiny little preemie just a year ago!

Naseau, Heartburn, Indigestion, Upset Stomach, Diarrhea

The last 3 days were spent experiencing all of the above! Fun! Nasty!

The kids here have been really sick with some sort of illness brought on by the flooding, and on Thursday 5 of us North Americans woke up feeling sick...with the same symptoms as the kids. There was a revolving door on the bathroom for a few days but somehow there always managed to be a bathroom available for whoever needed it(thanks Dave and Kathy!)!! I ended up needing an IV on Friday night as I got dehydrated and it started affecting my breathing! It was really weird, and then amazing what a difference some fluids made in just 20 minutes. I spent Saturday and today just resting and taking it easy but I feel so much better now it's amazing! Most of the kids are better now, and that is a big blessing. Three of us ended up on IV's over the weekend, as well as two of our Haitian staff. Melinda had a regular hospital going on upstairs! We are so blessed to have her knowledgable and skillful hands here....I cannot imagine still being sick cuz there was no-one to put an IV in! Thanks so all of you who were praying! I am so thankful to be well on the mend...there is nothing like being really sick, away from home, in the heat with 40 children still crying for your attention! Please continue to pray for the children here and the people in our community who are being affected by this and other similiar illnesses.

Just Cuz we had nothing else to do!

Monday morning we realized that once again there was a back-up in the sewer system. The toilets wouldn't flush and the drains kept backing up. This has happened many many times and we thought it would simply be a matter of taking a plunger to things as we have done before. Alas this did not happen, and early Tuesday morning I was awakened by David knocking on my door to tell me there was water everywhere! Sure enough, sewer water had back up right out of the bathrooms and was making its way down the hallways. I went to wake the other girls up and we began the job of getting all the kids outside, along with everything they would need for the day and all the furniture that might be in way of the water. Cedieu, one of the Haitian guys around here began breaking up the cement covering the sewage draingage hole, and it was soon discovered why things had backed up. As soon as we got the lid off we could see hoards of clothing and diapers, shoes and empty toothpaste tubes and other such paraphenalia that had been thrown down the toilet and blocked off the drainage! We got the kids situated outside and fed breakfast, and then joined Melinda and her crew to begin cleaining things up! It was stinky work, but it was made much more bearable by the fact that we had water hoses running everywhere which really cooled things off. And the house has never been cleaner!Thankfully no damage was done and everything is in working order again!

Melinda trying to control the flow of sewer water

We had to break a hole under the door to access another place to sweep dirty water out of the house.

4 of these totes were filled with decomposing clothing and diapers and such that had been thrown down the toilet! It is now a royal crime to wash diapers in the house...thus the temptation to throw diapers that are just a little too dirty down the toilet is removed!
Melinda getting in there like a dirty shirt!
The Ark "floating" in the dirty sewage water in the playroom

Our cleaning crew: Many willing hands made the load light! Thanks everyone!

While I was gone

Check out this posting! I helped Pat start to catch up on her blog, and I was amazed at some of the things that they'd seen while I was gone. I had heard about some of the somewhat overwhelming cases that had come through the door, and this only gives me more appreciation for these ladies that I work with!

Upstairs Faces

It is so great to be back! I have a lot to write about, but I know a lot of people are wondering how the kids are doing, especially the ones who came to us recently in such poor shape! I had tears well up in my eyes a number of times when I first saw a number of the upstairs children. It is absolutely amazing how God has brought so many of them through so much hardship in their short lives and restored them. I am in awe of the miracles that have happened here at HCH and feel so priviledged to be a witness them. Thank you for all your prayers both for these children and for the staff here as we cared for them!

Can you believe this is Alyssa!?!?!?!?!
Samuel is such a happy healthy baby now!
Vince: just biding his time until he makes the treck downstairs

Rose Lisa: having some problems with skin/head infections, but is doing great and is kind of the surrogate mom in the baby room. She scoots herself over if someone's crying and plays with them or gives them their soother back. So cute!
Adam:let's just say this picture is very appropriate!
Steeven: smiling all the time now, and just 2 days ago held his own bottle and started to play with his feet. Amazing to see how far he's come!
Valentzaka, Paulentzska and Viventz. They will from this point on be referred to on my blog as Va, P and Vi...typing those ridiculous names is ridiculous! They are even considered ridiculous in Haiti!!
Yvenson(Even-son) our tiny tiny preemie. Apperently he is one of the tiniest HCH has ever had. He's doing alright, though is down to 2lbs at this point. That is a thing of baby wipes beside him for size comparison. Thanks for the preemie nasal cannullas everyone!

This is the new Richard. We are not yet sure if perhaps he is hydrocephalic due to the size of his head. However he is a happy little guy!
Jean Kendy was blessed to have an adoptive family almost from day one!!!
Ester has lost her ET look and is so cute!!
Carlos had gone home and was doing poorly and so finally his family agreed to bring him back. His skin is a mess, but he is now leveling out and is a very happy little guy. He has not needed any anti-seizure medication for a long time, and we are praying that the "shakes" that he experienced after his close call with life will not bother him again!