Baby mine, don't you cry

Today was orientation and the team's first time to meet the babies. We entered a room lined with metal cribs. Little faces turned to look at us.  I picked up a baby girl who stared at me with the most intense look in her big brown eyes. Her breathing was labored and rattling, but she seemed to breathe easier when I held her up, facing me. There was a teeny tiny baby boy in a crib in the corner. I walked over to him as a nurse came up and said, "He has Down's Syndrome. He was abandoned and came to us from an orphanage because he is losing weight and has a heart defect." A feeding tube dangled from his nose, an IV port was inserted, and his hands were bound to keep him from pulling out the tubes. When I held him in my lap to feed him a bottle, his face lit up with the sweetest smile. He managed to drink a few ounces. He does not have a name, that we know of, so I just referred to him as Little Guy. There is a strong possibility he will not survive, but in the meantime, come what may, he will be loved.

On the third floor, we worked in a second room full of babies. I played with a boy who looked to be around 18 months old; it is difficult to know ages for sure because many of the children have been malnourished and are behind in their physical development. I gave him a cookie, which he promptly devoured. He then ate three more---a child after my own heart. When the nurses came in to administer medication, I was holding him. The nurse inserted meds through his IV port, and the poor little thing never made a sound. His eyes filled with tears and he had a death grip on my shirt, but he never uttered a cry. He has long curly hair (at first, I thought he was a girl!), light olive skin, and brownish-green eyes that seem to see right into your soul.

After playing with the babies, we handed out toys, diapers, hygiene supplies, and baby clothes on all the pediatric floors to the moms with children in the hospital. When a mother stays with her child at the hospital, she must sleep in a hard chair or curled up in a small crib. There are no extra rooms or even reasonably comfortable chairs for them. Many of them do not have the financial means necessary to purchase an extra set of clothes or hygiene supplies, so a few baby clothes and a bag containing soap, a toothbrush, and toothpaste are deeply appreciated.

After visiting all the floors, we returned to the babies to change their diapers and feed them. They are changed four times a day (on a schedule given by the hospital) during the week and three times a day on Saturday and Sunday. As you can imagine, severe diaper rashes are common. They were all crying and screaming when we returned, but soon quieted when they were dry and had full bellies. My baby did spit up, but thanks to over a year of dealing with vomiting preschoolers, I was ready and fully covered in a burp cloth. :)

The hospital has a strict no photography policy unless you are one of the team's supervisors. I will get pictures at a later date via one of my supervisors.


Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine

If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for

The right to hold you
From your head to your toes
You're so sweet, goodness knows
You are so precious to me
Sweet as can be, baby of mine