Hello Friends! We have news that we may be getting another baby Monday. Again, we don't know many details other than the social worker is removing the baby because the mother is involved in prostitution. Baby Lerato now has a real name (which is why I can continue to put "Lerato" on my blog). She is ten and a half months old and HIV negative for sure. Almost two weeks ago, we were able to place her in a hospice care site where she would receive tube feedings. She continues to have diarrhea but is officially gaining weight. We received her development chart from the social worker that indicated she was once 7.1kg (nearly 15 pounds)! This means she lost nearly 5 pounds with this sickness. Luckily, she is back up to 6.7kg and although we know that the tube cannot stay in forever, she is at least improving. Another twist to her story is that her auntie came into the picture. We found out that she has two siblings who were living with the aunt. When there is family in the picture, the baby will always go to family. She may come back for a week or so, but once the court changes custody, she will move in with them.

We celebrated Baby M's first birthday on Thursday and with that, she is beginning to stand and take steps. Hopefully, she will be able to show off for her follow-up OT appointment on the 1st of Sept. Yikes! Did I just say Sept??!? That means a month has gone by and I have to start thinking about school. : (

I have been enjoying my Friday and Saturday off. I was able to go to coffee with Caroline (she started the Havens with her husband David and 5 kids). Caroline is full of so much life and it was just a joy to be able to spend time with her. She gave me a tour of her home and invited me to come to dinner and watch a rugby game with her family. She tells me David isn't much into sports but that she is the sportswoman of the family, lol.

Last night, I was able to see James Blunt at Joburg's Coca Cola dome with a few of my fellow international volunteers. He was amazing even though I only knew 2 songs. This morning I'm headed to a Rhino/Lion park with a volunteer from Florida and a volunteer from Germany. It's like a mini safari that's fairly close to home.

I wish I was able to put up more pictures because I have tons but I forgot my USB cord to plug my camera in. Oops, always forgetting something. I hope everyone is enjoying the official start of summer at home. The end of August always pulls through. Maybe you can enjoy the river, or a waterfall hike, or just an outside BBQ with the fam. Blessings to everyone at home. I send my love and soon enough I will be back!

The good, the bad, and the super smelly!

For all of you faithful blog followers with strong stomachs, this post is for you. If you would like a list of today's events, all it takes is 3 letters: NVD. Luckily, none of these symptoms have effected me but I am in the minority in the household. Every single baby except one is sick with a terrible gastro bug (I'll spare you the details, but Abbey, you would be proud). Our flat has literally become a quarantined ward: healthy upstairs, ill downstairs. Please pray for a speedy recovery for these babies and for our protection against the bug as their caretakers. 

On a lighter note, we have some hope for baby Lerato. Her rapid test results for HIV remain inconclusive, but the bloodwork will give us more insight on Wednesday. However, we have found that she is tolerating a completely plain porridge and soy formula diet. And by tolerating, I mean via syringe feeding. Keep praying for her as we begin to finally move forward with her care.

Today I experienced my first South African storm complete with lightning, thunder, hailstones, wind, and pouring rain. This is the first time it's rained since I've been here. I wonder how much it's rained at home for the summer? My bet is probably more. I also could use prayer for my voice to return. I've been fighting a cold for a few days now and I woke up without a voice this morning. I sounded so different that Samuel (the 3 year old) asked me, "Where's the other Karlee?" because he didn't recognize me.

A tough reality

Mother Teresa was a very wise woman when she said:

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

There are times in which I truly believe she was speaking to the world of HIV. Tonight I heard the words, "She very well may be dying". Words spoken about our baby girl Lerato. It's quite possible that we are watching this baby girl die as we try everything we can to keep her comfortable. Nothing's confirmed because the hospital shoved her out without concluding the PCR (HIV test) results, but after speaking with a pediatrician tonight who works in an HIV clinic, we are quite certain she is positive. After all we've tried for her, it's hard to believe we made a difference at all but as I told Joanna tonight-- if all we did was provide her with a place of love on her way to hospice care, then we did something. The fact is, if her test tomorrow comes back by the end of the week as positive, we will not be able to keep her because the home is just not equipped for long term care. Heart breaking as it is, for many here is South Africa, it is a reality.

A few of my South African favorites include but are not limited to:

• The unlimited sunshine-- only Karlee get's sunburned in the winter time
• Fresh cream custard from Wooly's
• Caribbean Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Lays chips (hey, they came with my welcome basket so I had to eat them)
• Damascus nougats (another ironic gift I was given)
• Their secret love for hidden coffee shops
• The babies (should be at the top of the list)
• The diversity-- multiple times a day I get asked what my accent is. Somehow we never think of ourselves as having an accent. 

Please enjoy the short clip of Baby R doing her best impression of a horse. She thought of this trick on her own.

Continued introductions

I realized I have not introduced you to the other babies of the house, especially my precious boys: Baby J and Baby T. They are absolutely adorable. All you have to do is look and smile at Joshua and he is overcome with joy kicking and squealing with delight. He is one lucky boy. He has a family and we are just waiting for paperwork to be finished before his family can pick him up. Unfortunately, South Africa law forbids parents adopting from seeing the child before paperwork is completed which means they cannot come visit. I was told the law is an attempt to limit child trafficking but it's difficult for those genuine parents who just want to see their babies. But yes, Baby J is the youngest here. I am convinced he will be a basketball player because he's about twice the length/height as our 6 month old Baby T. All the local staff are putting bets on him as a soccer player instead because the sport's so big but I am convinced basketball will be his gift. Who would have thought the next Michael Jordan came from a baby haven? But Baby J was born to love.

Baby T, the other boy, is thriving here. He had a rough start and a near death experience because the hospital that I was referring to from my last blog wouldn't admit him until he was at death's doorstep. Both Joanna and Caroline told me they weren't sure if they were going to make it to the hospital the second time. Apparently, at the age of 4 months, your eyes have to sunken in and your skin ashen before the government hospital believes that you are sick. But enough of that. After 3 weeks of real progress, he's now working on his "chubba bubba" status and is gaining weight like a champ. He is the baby that has officially spit up multiple times on every item of clothing I own. He politely smiles everytime he gets me unexpected. We are working on him sitting up and growing a full head of hair. Right now, he kinda looks like an old man with a receding hair line. Gives new meaning to the phrase "reverting back to childhood" as you grow older.

From a nurses perspective

Lerato is our mystery girl found next to her dead mama. She is in the hospital at the moment. At this time, the hospital continues to withhold her test results for TB, HIV status,  ABG results, kidney function, etc. This picture was taken on a good day and as you can see, her skin literally is glowing. 

My place of residence. The square on the wall is my heat source at night. 

Me and Lerato. We think she is around 9-12 months.

We love BUMBO chairs! Baby T on the left and Baby J on the right. Baby T is actuually 1 month older than Baby J if you can believe it. 

Baby R has to be the smartest 14 month old I have ever met. Not to mention her beautiful smile that is so contagious! 

Baby J loves music so we sing baby beluga quite frequently. He has a family! yay! But we are waiting an extra long time for paperwork to go through. Everything's slower in SA

Baby races! Baby R on the left drags that walker all over the place. She looks like a determined mama with a shopping cart. She has started walking within the past 3 weeks and is the one who has been healed of AIDS. 

Here is Baby M working on her standing. One doctor would like to write a report for a special needs adoption because she is so behind on her development so we are using every waking moment to work with her and see if we can avoid the report. A report like this would drastically minimize her odds of adoption. 

And a picture I couldn't pass up from yesterday. One thing you will notice is that everyplace you go has a gate or wire of some sort. Everything here in SA is locked up. I find this picture ironic and very characteristic of my week. In the background you see the beauitful bird of paradise flower yet it is hidden behind a tall wall and barbed wire fencing. 

Much like this picture, my week has been quite lengthy. I just finished a 40 hour and very eventful shift. On Tuesday, Lerato began refusing to eat her food and spent the entire day vomiting everything including the Rehydrate we were trying without success. We knew she was sick when she came, but then again, so are most of the babies when they come. We just didn't know how sick. The only difference is: 8 days later she seems to be getting worse. Joanna (the house mom) was out most of the day but when she came home I told her the status. We contemplated going to the hospital for the next hour. You see, going to the hospital is never a pleasant experience, especially when you are dealing with the government system. Sure enough, I made the call because it was better to take her at a mildly dehydrated status than to wait and have her make a turn for the worse in the middle of the night. The drive to the hospital is not one you would want to make in the middle of the night. So at 7:00pm, Joanna and I loaded up the car and made the drive. Usually at a mildly dehydrated  status, the hospital would turn you away and send you home but because we knew nothing of her HIV and TB status, they actually admitted her to the ward. I was completely horrified at the lack of concern by the hospital staff. First of all, they don't know if she has HIV, let alone AIDS, and yet as they draw blood from her, it gets all over the doctor's hands and she proceeds to grab a kleenex to wipe it off and move to the next patient. I would like to know how the doctor's have not contracted HIV from their messy habits. Not only are they putting themselves at risk but they risk the integrity of the entire population in the room with their carelessness. I watched as they placed a young boy patient on a bloody sheet that nobody bothered to change between patients. Joanna claims she always thinks twice about taking them to the hospital because they are often more sick leaving than arriving. Anyways, Lerato was admitted overnight. The next morning, they called Joanna to tell her the Lerato was ready to be discharged. Joanna inquired about Lerato's HIV and TB status. They claimed that they wouldn't discuss the results over the phone so Joanna went to the hospital. When she arrived, the staff proceeded to claim they had "lost" her file but that she was still ready for discharge. Joanna says ok, so she's tolerating her bottles fine with no diarrhea? They say, oh no, we've tried everything and she just won't drink. Joanna says, so what do you expect us to do? We brought her here because we've done all we can and for 8 days things have been just getting worse. In the states, the staff would most likely proceed to find resources for the concerned parent but here, the doctor thought Joanna was challenging her authority. O, and that lost file, was found once they decided she wasn't ready to be discharged. At this point, Lerato continue to remain under the care of the hospital staff and the social workers are battling it out. I find it absolutely heart wrenching how the hospital is concerned over their reputation and status instead of the health of a baby. Patient advocacy? Please. Those are foreign words to the government hospital. What about patient rights you ask? What about the sign with the red letters with sentences that begin with "The patient has the right to...." -- completely disregarded. In this hospital, all the mediocre care you receive, you must battle for. It may come across rude but as Lerato's legal guardian we are simply looking out for the best interest of the child.

Anyways, I just wanted to give some insight to this system. The next morning, Samuel (Joanna's 3 year old son) swallowed a rand coin so she was back in the hospital so they could operate and remove it. That left me with 4 babies on my own, which I managed. They still are the joy of my life and I thank God everyday for the blessing He has given me to work with these children.

More to come as I have just bought a wireless internet device. Love and blessings to everyone!

A Saturday update

Ah, where to begin? Since I last wrote, I have moved in and settled at the Baby Haven. I have no internet there although I may be able to get some in the near future which will allow me to update you more often. If that is the case, I will be able to upload some pictures so that you can put some faces to the stories.
At the Haven, I am a part of a team taking care of 3 girls and 2 boys all under the age of 14 months. They are precious! I moved in the same day as Baby Lerato (meaning love).You can imagine a baby with absolutely no emotion, except fear in her eyes, that was Lerato. She was propped up against the couch with a couple of toys around her and would not move until someone else picked her up. I was told that she was found next to her dead mother (close to my age) who died of AIDs. We have absolutely no history on her. We don't know what she ate, what she drank, even her age is a mystery. Just think for a minute how important your birthday is. Now think of this baby girl. Can you imagine growing up, never knowing when your birthday really is?  next Thursday she will go into the clinic to be checked for HIV and TB (2 diseases we fear she has) and they will base her approximate age on her developmental skills and what she's capable of doing. My guess is that she is physically around 12 months and developmentally around 9 months. Despite all of this, there is some good news. After 24 hours of being at the Haven, she has found her voice and her dance as she is frequently found bobbing up and down singing a quiet "lalala" to any audience willing to listen. It's amazing what 24 hours of being loved will do to a soul. Her and I have our challenges as she has never seen a white woman as a face of trust. We have yet to conquer the bottle together but I see our relationship as something much bigger. It is a testimony to the issue of race in South Africa. Together, we are overcoming deeper tensions and crossing cultural boundaries that we would have never faced in our previous lives. To me, this story is worth a thousand words. Please pray for Baby Lerato. That she may continue to grow in her trust and that ultimately, TB and HIV results would come back negative.

I also want to introduce you to Baby M. She is a chubba bubba! The best way she has learned to crawl is sitting criss-cross applesauce and pulling herself around using her arms with one leg dragging behind. I just recently learned that she was born with syphilis from her parents and they are worried she is developmentally delayed. At this point, her time is crucial. If she does not show improvement soon, the doctors fear she may never catch up. Any chance I get, I am working with her on standing,picking herself up, and just generally beginning to use her legs more.

Since moving into the Havens, I have met so many wonderful people. Our house mom Joanna is from England and has adopted a son Samuel who is now 3. We connected over our love for an "English Christmas" as she calls it--which merely means having the holiday in the wintertime with lights, decorations, and hot chocolate to go around. Here, it is sunny and warm with cold turkey and swimming pools outside. This year, she will be able to return to England for Christmas, the first time in 3 years.

I have also met many house aunties from within South Africa. I love listening to them dance and sing as they mop the floors and change the babies. One lady laughs at me for always letting my tea and coffee go cold before I'm able to drink it. (I get easily distracted: ) She says I like cold coffee better than hot coffee lol. Speaking of coffee, the mall close to our place actually has a Seattle's Best coffee house. They make wonderful americanos for 19 rands (just over two dollars). It is easily one of my favorite places yet!

Well, since I'm being charged for my time, I am going to wrap this up. I hope all is well back at home! I love and miss everyone! Hopefully, next time I will be posting pictures and telling more stories.

I made it!

This message comes a little bit late but I arrived safely last night at 9:30 pm after 20 hours of travel! I almost didn't make it out of Seattle airport because I was competing against time and a hundred military personnel headed home from boot camp. My solution? The nice guy with the fro called my flight and I cut in line: ) But I made it to the back of the boarding line eventually and successfully boarded. When I arrived in Amsterdam I literally walked off one flight and right into another line to board my next flight. Not much time to think or open presents but it was okay. I sat next to a 10 year old boy from Zimbabwe who now lives in Ireland with his grandmother. They were flying to South Africa for a wedding. Could you imagine taking an almost 11 hour flight for a wedding!? That's dedication for sure. Now it's the morning of (well around noon) and I am waiting for a ride to go visit the Baby Haven. Unfortunately, I missed the warm water curfew by a couple of hours but I'm not complaining because at least it's a shower! That's all for now, but I will have more once I meet and greet the babies this afternoon.