Baby Ruth

I’m in love 100 times over. These babies steal my heart on a daily basis. I’ve already taken 500 pictures and we still have about four weeks left. I think, though, that I’ve (unintentionally) chosen a favorite: Ruth. As I mentioned in the last blog post, she is eight months old and one of the TB babies. She made a lot of improvement last week in feeding class. She isn’t leaking as much when she takes her bottle, is starting to lift her head up when she is on her tummy, and is beginning to put some weight on her legs when she stands. Ruthie loves to hear her name and to be told she’s beautiful; she smiles, laughs, and coos when I talk to her. She almost always cries when I put her down because, like all the children at the Havens, she craves the touch and attention. Today she sat by herself for a few seconds for the first time ever! She’s still not babbling, but we’re working on it. 

What breaks my heart the most about the babies at Haven 3 (the sick babies) is that many of them are suffering because of the mistakes of their parents: the babies, like Andrew, who painful skin conditions caused by syphilis; the babies who will struggle with HIV for the rest of their lives; the TB babies who have been so sick that they are developmentally delayed. That’s where we come in: we can help with development and, more importantly, give these sweet babies the love and attention they need. It’s so special when we walk in and little Andrew comes up to me, grabs my hand, leads me to the couch, indicates for me to sit, then curls up in my lap, and snuggles for as long as I will allow him. He cried all day today, though, and wouldn’t participate in language group because he wanted to be held the whole time, so Dr. Tullos had to put him in time out until he calmed down.

Three girls from Abilene came to Namwianga tonight and will be staying for seven weeks as interns at the Havens. I think they will be partnering some with us, as well. They seem sweet, and I’m excited to get to know them better in the next few weeks.

 Be sure to check CSD in Zambia daily for updates from all of us. We will take turns updating that blog.