My Little BUNDLE of Joy

 Today was a good day. :)

A rainy day in Iasi is the perfect time to go to the orphanage!

All the children are bundled up like crazy in little stocking caps, fuzzy pants,

blankets, and have heaters in every room.

What a perfect day for cuddling with sweet little ones!

 This week we have gotten 4 new babes in my unit!

They've come from the hospital, other orphanages, and who knows where else!

Two days ago: 

One little boy that had just come in (he's 2) was shaking and hyperventilating he was SO

scared. How could you not be? 

You're all alone, in a new place, and will be there 24/7 with other orphans just like you until who knows when.

It reminded me of a quote from Mother Teresa: 

 “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”  

After a while he teetered over to me and I picked him up.

He clung to me so tightly his little hands turned white. 

Then he started to just sob. :(

I rocked him for a long time until he calmed down. 

Today he is SO much better.

Today was a repeat of that experience except with a new baby with Down Syndrome and a little 2 year old girl with a failing heart condition. They are such troopers. I can't imagine being all alone in the world...

But you know something? 

They are NOT alone.

They have their Heavenly Father,

They have the wonderful orphanage workers.

They have me.

:)

It is  my job right now to make sure they know they ARE SO loved.

 (P.S.--I am like a ROCK when I am in the orphanage--no tears from me or any emotion other than happy, happy, happy. But once I get home I think about how scared and lonely they must have felt/feel and it breaks my heart...)

That was my day...how was yours? :)

Since I have so many kiddos I will do a spotlight of one for each post:

SPOTLIGHT:  

Emily

One of the children, let's call her Emily, was the first one I picked up today.

She is darling! She can't speak, or walk, or even sit up by herself, and her eyes go everywhere.

 But once she finds your eyes it's like she can't stop staring at you!

She's about 3 years old but I don't know how much she actually understands.

I still haven't gotten her write-up so I don't even know what she has...

REGARDLESS of what she has I spend as much time as I can loving her to pieces!

I held her and sang Disney songs to her and danced around the room with her.

She loves when I sing the song from Enchanted "How Do You Know".

It's SO cute when she gets excited about that one!

Her little arms and legs are stiff and she jerks her little body pretty often.

Whenever I kiss her on her cheek she gets the BIGGEST smile on her face and makes happy little noises!

Holding her is like nothing else I've ever experienced!

The absolute LOVE that I feel for this little girl already is overwhelming.

When I look at her I can just tell how much our Heavenly Father adores her!

I feel that way whenever I am with any of the children actually.

These are the most precious little people I have every had the honor to meet.

Maybe I sound silly since these aren't my own children but you know what?

I feel like they are mine.

I've caught myself reading child development books, parenting guides on how to properly teach your children, looking up fun songs to sing, etc. 

 I'm concerned for them all the time and I miss them

 RIGHT NOW.

I am so grateful that I to get to care for this little angel. 

Even if it's just for a little while...

 No, this isn't her but this is a cute kiddo too. 

I feel like you need to see some sweet little faces even though they aren't my little ones!

Let me just end this post with a quote from President Boyd K. Packer:

"[The] next time you cradle a child in your arms, you can have an inner vision of the mysteries and purposes of life."

I love that quote. Love it SO much.

It is a perfect example of how special each and every one of these children is

and how much potential they have!

Well, I hope you all are doing fantastic wherever you are.

If you have kids, siblings, anyone you care about...

if they are close to you right now here is a challenge:

Kiss them, hug them, squeeze them, tell them how much you love them.

Those little things are the big things and they are so precious and yet often taken for granted.

Many of these children don't receive those little things and yet need them more than anything!

So on that note... 

Te iubesc!

I love you!

P.S.--I start working in the hospital on MONDAY!
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prep yourself for an extra dose of oohing and awing!