Again.. I'm Sorry!!

I know it has been way way too long since I have updated... I am truly sorry! We get so caught up working with the kids that we are exhausted by the time we have any downtime. I am going to try my best to get you guys caught up on everything that has happened so far... Ya'll ready? Here we go!!


Day 5
We started our morning out at the Placement Center again. The kids were quite rambunctious! We started things off with gymnastics!The kiddos loved it! They were flipping and twisting and backbending everywhere! LOL!
Mom and I had also gotten bananas for the kiddos, needless to say, they were a hit! Lindsay cut them up and they disappeared in less than 5 minutes! We also got these little things called "Poufolettes"(Poof-o-lets)--Yes that is probably spelled wrong--a.k.a. Cheesy Poofs in English. Anyway... We gave the kid some and MAN! They were crazy! I honestly don't see what is so exciting about them but hey.. whatever floats your boat!
Ok, cute story time!! ----Alexandra and Lindsay were walking down the hallway when suddenly a wild HumHum (dog) was outside of the door. Alex got so excited and said "hum hum!!" with her eyes open wide. Sadly, the kids can't play with the dogs so Lindsay had to take her away from the precious Hum Hum. Alex broke into tears... (Way to go Lindsay, make her cry :P)  Bless her little heart, she just loves hum hums so much!
After getting her calmed down, we realized it was time to leave... Jane, Mom, and I were leaving early to go on a weekend trip to Transylvania! Poor Lindsay had to go back to London! (Wish you could have come!) We didn't realize this would be the last time we saw these precious kiddos.. I already miss them and we are still in the same town! (More on that later...)

Weekend Trip
The 3 of us took a weekend trip to Transylvania with our driver Dorel. We drove for 5 long hours before we finally made it safe! Instead of sleeping in a hotel, we booked rooms with a little old lady who rents out a part of her house. This was such a cool experience and definitely one I am glad to have had! The first day we were there we went to the city of Brasov. Brasov has many many shops and little restaurants. We spent the morning walking around, sightseeing, and shopping. When it was about time for lunch, we found this amazing little cafe called Cafe 13. It was incredible! The food was to die for! Before our meals, we enjoyed the potato skins that I pointed out on the menu. Finally lunch came, I had a chicken burrito. Mom had spicy chili. And Jane had an omelette. It was very very nice!! When we finished up shopping and sight seeing, we drove to what you all have been waiting for.... Dracula's Castle! (Actually named Castle Bran, Dracula only stayed there one night) It was incredibly beautiful! I could imagine myself living in a castle ;)
The next day we drove to Sinia to see another castle. This one was even more amazing! It reminded me a lot of the Biltmore house close to home ;) Everything was furnished and elegant. It was "Formosa" (beautiful in Romanian) After the castle we stopped for lunch at Restaurant Snow. A quaint little place that was very homey. Oh and did I mention I got to see a famous Romanian Actress? So cool! After lunch we took the cable car up to 2000meters. This cable car made Gatlinburg's look like a baby! LOL. When we stopped at 1400meters, 2 men climbed on top of our car. We kinda got a little scared. Then we stopped at the support tower, and the guys jumped off!! CRAZY!! Finally we made it to the top of the mountain! Oh. My. Gosh! I could have stayed up there all day long!! There was a little place for food and drinks and a patio that over looked the mountains. Then you climb up an icy hill and BOOOOOMMMMM!! Heaven. Ice, snow, and mountains.. as far as you can see. It truly was outstanding and made me feel like I was in a movie! Oh, I loved every second of it! After enjoying a hot chocolate on the mountain, we rode back down. We met our driver Dorel and set off on our 5 hour journey back to Barlad.
******VERY IMPORTANT********
On our way back to Barlad, we got a phone call from Mihaela telling us that we will be working at the hospital this next week. YAY! Finally! We were so excited! And then, as if that weren't enough good news, she also told us we would be eating lunch at Coco's house! (Coco is an aid who has worked with "our" kids for many years. Mom met her the first time in 2008 and they have gotten better acquainted ever since)
Now back to the kids... What about the kids from the Center? Who will watch them? Will they come to the hospital?
The kids from the center will stay at the center unless they are sick. They will be watched by the adults who regularly take care of them. Now, don't get me wrong, I am very very excited to be at the hospital, but I just wish I could have said bye to those cuties at the Placement Center.



Day 6 - Hospital
Walking back in the hospital brought back so many memories! I was so excited to start working with these kiddos in a more familiar environment to me. We gladly met the kiddos we will take care of...

• Ionut- a little boy who has a metabolism problem-so skinny- whom we met in 2011. He seems much happier this time around though!
• Delia - The little girl with only partial limbs and one full leg. She is such a ham!! She will make you laugh until your sides hurt!
• Carmen - A little girl who had no disabilities until she was 4 years old. She drank rat poison and now has seizures. She is too cute. She is about 9 years old and likes to have her alone time. (I guess the teenage thing is hitting early,lol)
• Ema- A precious little girl who doesn't have feeling in one of her legs. She is about 14 months old, and loves to babble at you and have you repeat her.
• Miastra - A 9 year old with severe Autism - whom mom met in 2008 and I met in 2011. She is very very particular about where she sits and what toy she has. She also likes to be picked up and carried around, but as you can assume, it isn't easy carrying a 9 year old! Lol
• Andrei -  A little boy about 2 years old who is hydro-cephalic, meaning water on the brain. He can't move very much so Mom, Jane, Dan, or Mihaela and I will all take turns sitting with him and talking to him quietly. 
• Lavinia - Oh my precious girl! She has a cleft lip/palate issue and seems to be developmentally delayed, but that doesn't mean she can't cuddle! She is a little cuddle bug who also loves to be tickled!

We brought some of the donations we brought from the US to bring to the hospital. Jackets, booties, toys and books were floating around the room the whole day! At one point, Mihaela decided it would be a good idea to take of Delia's diaper. (She gets so hot so easily, and she loves wearing no pants) Well she LOVED it!! Delia rolled around and danced and laughed and just really enjoyed herself. She was enjoying herself so much, she peed. On me.... Lovely. Thanks Delia! 

Lunchtime came and we traveled to the village were mom first worked when she came to Romania, Tutova. We were so excited to have lunch with Coco! She didn't let us down either... There was so much food! And it kept coming and coming and coming. (I swear I am going to have gained 50lbs before I get home) The food was amazing, and so was the conversation. Sadly, it was time to leave Coco's house, but it was good also because we were returning to the kiddos.

The afternoon was very much similar to the morning, we sang, danced, laughed, cried (Well, mainly Delia) and just had a good ol' time!

Day 7 - New Years Eve

Apparently something was in the air, because the kiddos didn't seem too thrilled to have us there. Delia was screaming from her crib, Ionut didn't want anyone to hold him, and Ema cried anytime anyone came near...Then we realized, they hadn't been fed yet. We quickly got the bottles and got to feeding! The kids loved having full bellies and finally returned to their normal selves.

During the day we sang silly American (and Australian) songs for kids... Delia loves dancing around! She wiggles her little shoulders and smiles like crazy :)

When the day was done, we headed back to the hotel to rest before the festivities began....

At 8pm we arrived at Dan and Mihaela's apartment. Talk about fun!! We sang and danced to the Top 100 Hits of 2013-Romania Style.. and ate until our bellies were stuffed! A little before midnight we ran (yes, RAN!) to city hall to watch the fireworks and bring in the new year. It was spectacular!! There were paper lanterns floating throughout the sky and fireworks were booming in the distance. It is also Romanian tradition to break the champagne bottle when it is empty--Something about good luck-- So needless to say, there was a lot of broken glass everywhere. We walked back to the apartment for more dancing and fun. We ate cake at 3am and partied like it was 1999! (Sorry I stole that from mom! LOL) It was truly amazing to experience another holiday in another country! 

Day 8 - 2014

Today was overall a good day. We started things out a little later than usual due to being up so late last night.. We were all kinda dragging this morning at breakfast and during lunch, but anytime we were with the kids we were wide awake! We sang, laughed, and really just had a good time. Mom and I bought yogurt and bananas to give the kids, and boy did they enjoy it! We had yogurt in the morning and bananas in the afternoon. Ema likes the bananas and yogurt, which is really good since she doesn't normally eat her bottle..The others like it too, but since she doesn't eat much it was nice to see her enjoy it!

This afternoon we brought the rest of the toys and donations we brought... The toys were a hit! We had saved more of the "baby" toys for the hospital since the placement center had so many toys already.. and who knew that our "baby" toys would be a perfect fit for our kiddos. 

*****

Thank you so much for everything you have done for me and my mom to help us help these kids! These kiddos have a very special place in my heart and I am so glad to have so many people involved in my life who understand that and help me when I feel led to help them. All of your donations, monetary or toys or clothes, have all been greatly appreciated. I am so blessed to have people like you in my life!!

Oh and for anyone who was at my church's Christmas Play.... I have had my solo song "I am Blessed to be a Blessing" stuck in my head for days! I truly am blessed to be a blessing to these kids, because I know that they are probably helping me more than I could ever help them. Because of them, I have become selfless, more giving, and definitely less judgmental and more understanding.. Romania will always have a place in my mind! And more than one kiddo in Romania holds my heart!

Day 4

Wow, sorry it has been so long since I have posted. We are constantly doing something so by the time I get back to the room I am completely exhausted!

Here are some highlights from the past few days....

• Giving the children their individual Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.
• We used the donations from back home and picked which toys matched each child best
• When Ionica (one of the older boys with Down Syndrome that I haven't really told you about yet)  noticed the Christmas tree on the playground was light up...
• That was so precious! He pulled each of the volunteers over to the window one by one that way EVERYONE could see the lights. Man! He has a strong grip! ;)
• Andreea singing "Lalala" all the time has finally changed to "Beep Beep Beep" from the ipad singing the Wheels on the Bus.
• Andreea also played with play-dough for the first time today. 
• After watching everyone play with it for 4 days, she finally decided it wasn't yucky afterall!
• Alexandra makes an "OH" face every time she hears a dog bark. Then she says "hum hum!" (Which is what Romanians use for Bark Bark)

There have been so many amazing moments I couldn't possibly tell you all of them in just one blog! I hope to explain the other children in more detail later on in the post...


Anyway, back to Day 4!

Today has been amazing so far! We had a mixed group of ages again. (They used to divide the children by age on the first two days then they switched it up on us and gave us a mixed crew!) Andreea was very active today considering she used to just want her alone time. Alexandra has apparently gotten sick (Germs spread like wildfire!) so she wasn't her complete usual go lucky self. Georgiana loved the Ipad today and when my mom took her in the hallway to play it with just them two, she loved it! Except the fact that mom doesn't speak Romanian!! LOL! Ionuts was very content today just to play with the play tool set we  bought for the older kids. This is really good because these toys will help improve his motor skills! Alina was her spunky self as usual! She is fascinated with the bright blue hair piece I bought in the US specifically for her! She flips her hair and gives us a little fashion walk! :)

This is just the morning kiddos again. I'll try to post even more tonight.... But now I will try my best to explain the afternoon kids...The afternoon kids are a little more wild compared to the morning kids.

• Ion(Yawn)- *Same Ion from previous trips* Oh Lordy! This kiddos is wild and crazy. He probably has ADHD and we know he has a very very severe heart problem. He runs around like crazy, jumping, kicking, climbing, and hitting everything. He seems almost angry to me. He kicks and hits for no reason, then smiles about it... It is very sad. When he gets too excited it can harm his heart and that it really bad. His hands and lips turn blue and he breathes very heavily. Please keep this little guy in your prayers they didn't even expect him to make it this far...
• Ionica(Yawn-ika)- He is a boy who is probably one of the oldest we work with and has Down Syndrome. He is so super sweet and gives us hugs as soon as he comes in the door! His favorite pass time while we are with him is to play with the plastic animals that are very realistic, just smaller ;) Yesterday, he was pretending to be a horse. It was very funny!
• Marius - *Same Marius from previous trips* He definitely has a future in playing basketball! This kiddo can aim at anything and throw a ball and it will hit it right on the dot! He is very precious and I call him Little Heartbreaker because his chubby little cheeks will one day melt many girls' hearts!
• George(George-eh)-Another boy who is older than most who also has Down Syndrome. He is so funny and caring! When one of the volunteers, Lindsay, dances pop and lock or hiphopish, he dies laughing every time!!Those two also play toss the ball everyday. One time, Lindsay threw 3 balls all at once and the face George gave her was priceless!
• Andreea- She is so sweet, until you get in her bubble... Then she pinches kinda hard. (We have realized it is best not to get your face too close to her hands) She has made progress since we have been here though.. She didn't really want any attention the first few days, then suddenly, she blossomed! Today she was singing and dancing with all the other children and it was wonderful.

OH!!! And I forgot to tell you about the most precious, adorable, and loving little girl who we see in the mornings... Alexandra! She is around 2 or 3 and has the most innocent eyes. She loves to work puzzles and hang upside down by her feet. I am working with her right now on learning a backbend ;) She is just so lovable!

I hope I have described the children well enough for you to understand! If you have any questions at all, please ask me! I love telling everyone about Romania, but sometimes I leave out some little things because so much happens! 

Love you guys! <3 

First half of day 1 with the kids at the Placement Center

Today was actually the first day we got to see the kids here in Romania! We spend this morning at the Placement Center for Children with Disabilities. We thought we would be working in the hospital, so this was news for us when we got here. The placement center is a bunch of different buildings sorta like homes that the children live in. Think group home back in the US to get a better idea of it... 

When we first got to the center, we waited for the manager to get there with the appropriate papers for us to sign. We had to agree that no pictures would be taken in the center and that we understand that they are responsible for the children who are with them. We were really upset about the no pictures part, but Mihaela (our team leader) told us that we can take pictures at the hospital, where we will be in the afternoons. 

The manager showed us around the center. She explained the hydrotherapy room and how they don't have anyone who specializes in it anymore so the children don't get it as often as they should. We were told that we would be in the playroom with the children during the day. The play room has SO MANY toys it is crazy! I never thought they would have that many.. needless to say, the toys we brought were greatly appreciated also!

Finally, we met the kids!

• Luca - Luca doesn't really seem very active to me, but he is learning to walk with assistance. He loved the blocks we found in the room.
• Deliah - Deliah only has 1 full limb and the rest are sort of nubs. She loves to play with  balls and make funny faces.
• Luciana - Luciana is a little baby doll! She loves jumping with the volunteers and spinning in circles.
• Georgiana - Georgiana is so smart and seems to be the most advanced in the group we met this morning. She speaks just Romanian though so it is hard to communicate with her. She danced and sang to the songs one of the aids played on the computer. They seemed like nursery rhymes to me..
• Ionut - Ionut is kinda wild and all I can truly understand of what he says is "MaMa" {we are known as MaMa to the children} He seems like a very happy kiddo though!
• And finally a name you all should recognize... Alina - We met Alina in our previous trips (My mom in 2008 and me in 2001) She is just as spunky as ever! She still loves to play with hair, although now for some reason they are discouraging her to do it. (Something about it is too "Self" stimulating) Alina has an amazing memory! She remembered Jane's little bumblebee game from 2 years ago!! Crazy!

We are returning to the Placement Center in about 15 minutes to work with some of the older children this afternoon. I know for sure we will see Ion (whom some of you may remember from 2011) and hopefully Maiastra too! I will try to update and tell ya'll more tonight! Until then, La Revedere! (Bye)

 

Travel Stories...

Okay everyone we are here!!... Ready to hear about our adventures to Romania?
Well we started out in Knoxville, very pleasant and we ate at Ruby Tuesday's. Then we flew from Knoxville to Washington, D.C.,We knew the flight to DC was too easy..When we went to go board our plane to Germany, they basically said that I wasn't there. I never flew from Knoxville to DC or anything.. I didn't exist. Awkward huh? Considering I was standing RIGHT there... Anyway, we got that all fixed and ready to go. This was our big big flight. Almost 8 hours!! It was very nice. I watched World War Z, Fifty First Dates, and I started The Heat, Despicable Me 2, and Elf... but then I got bored because I had seen them too many times before. ;) We had chicken and rice with a roll and a brownie. And I even got apple juice! (For those of you who are my fellow classmates... ya'll know how much I love my apple juice!) After eating and watching movies we decided it was time to sleep.. Well that didn't last long because then they woke us up to give us breakfast. (I wouldn't consider it breakfast, it was a croissant and some fruit) When we finally landed in Germany we walked around the airport to kill time. We sat in that airport for 5 hours.(Yuck!) FINALLY, we got in line to board the plane to Romania, and my ticket said I wasn't "granted access"  to the plane. (REALLY? Again?!) So then we stood in line some more to get it all worked out.. On this last flight I ended up sitting in the wrong seat (Mom and I were separated) and had to move. Which was a hassle because I had the window seat and I already made people move once........ After all of that  chaos, we are in Romania! Oh wait. I forgot something... THEY LOST ONE OF OUR PIECES OF LUGGAGE!!! Yup, so now we have to wait to get our clothes tomorrow. Only one out of all 3 of our bags has our clothes in it..

Anyway, I may be a little dramatic and it could have been alot worse, but we did have some issues getting here. But now that we are here, everything is perfect. :) Tomorrow we plan to walk around the city and visit a place called the Christmas Market.

Ya'll be good back home! Love ya'll

Less than 24 hours!!

It is so hard to imagine that in less than 24 hours my mom and I will be on our way back. I can't even describe the feelings that are surging within me! I really am kinda having mixed feelings about being away from my family on Christmas, but I know that no matter what goes through my mind, I am doing something amazing for God. I can't wait... Today will be kinda hard when I get to my last class of the day when I finally get to say goodbye to my friends. Some people are acting like I am leaving forever. Guys, it is only 3 weeks... and I will be back! I am going to miss everyone, but I hope they realize how long I have waited for this moment and I will definitely take tons of pictures for everyone!
Love you guys!

I do believe some "Thank Yous" are in order....

Holy Cow!! Only 12 days until we leave!! I honestly don't know what words to use to show how ecstatic I am to return to Romania. I am already wanting to start packing up those suitcases! I have tried to find other blogs about the precious babies, just to see if any I  know are back at the hospital, but I am not having much luck. My mom and I have so many amazing toys and clothes to give to the children on Christmas thanks to all of your wonderful donations and support!

•  A HUGE thank you to Amanda Franklin for donating her son Sawyer's baby clothes that he out-grew. 
• A HUGE thank you to my principle Dr. Clabo, for donating many toys to my cause on my 17th birthday. 
• A HUGE thank you to all of those who donated money to support us. 
• A HUGE thank you to all of those who have donated items for our online auction. 
• A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped with the chili dinner, whether you worked, ate, performed, or donated, it is greatly appreciated... 
• But most of all a GIGANTIC, HUGE, MONSTER thank you to my granny and my mom. These two have helped in so so many tremendous ways. My granny has been my fundraising queen! And my mom has supported me in listening to God calling me to return and has been out there fighting for us to get a flight and more. You two have helped me in so many ways and I will forever be thankful... 

I can't wait to tell everyone all about Romania and my little sweethearts. Thank you for supporting me and my mom through this journey!
Love,
Emily

GOOD NEWS!!

We booked our flight to Romania yesterday! We are officially leaving on December 17! Only 17 days until I am back on my way to Romania. I can't even begin to explain how overjoyed I am that this is finally coming true. Yesterday my granny and I went out Black Friday shopping and ended up buying more for the children than for us! We purchased booties with non skid soles, long sleeve onesies, and zip up fleece jackets. I love buying stuff for the kids and can't wait to see their reactions to all of our gifts of toys and clothes. I have never been away from my family on Christmas, so this will be a new thing. But I am completely overjoyed to know that I will be making a difference in the lives of these children.
More updates to come! :)