The Yellow Room, Part 1

Health update: I'm back to normal.  And I've finished the entire of Jane Eyre.  Lovely, indeed.  It seems that a day in bed with a good book could cure all ills. :)


Today, Naomi woke us at quarter to 7 sounding desperate for our help with the babies.  Two of the nannies here Xiao Liu and Hui E are sisters, and their aunt's funeral required them to be away.  Thus, we got to be stand-in nannies in the Yellow Room, which is really two rooms: one with cribs, bouncers (like this minus the dangling toys), clothes closet; the other with a bathtub, sink, fridge, changing table, and shelves.  Oh, do I have a new respect for any mother of multiples!  Nine children live in the yellow room, but today I'll just tell you about four:

Meet Louis, or as the nannies call him, Loo-ee-suh.  How can you not smile when looking at that face?! Oh, and I should mention that each child at Starfish is here instead of at a Chinese-run orphanage because of some birth defect or disorder that requires surgery.  Louis was born without an anus, so his surgery (called a colostomy) formed an opening in his lower stomach where waste is excreted instead.  So he wears two diapers-- one in the normal place and one sideways around his stomach.  He also has had some sort of heart surgery, judging by the scar down the center of his chest.  He is extremely good-natured, quick to smile, and rarely fussy.  He entertains himself well and has the cutest little laugh that really sounds like "Ha ha ha."  Who really laughs like that? :)  He will be walking pretty soon, I think, as he likes to hold your fingers and toddle around.  He is bright, sociable, and happy.

It's no wonder that the nannies call this little one "Shuai Shuai" or Handsome.  :) His English name is Seth, and he and Louis are the best of buddies and similar in many ways.  Seth also has a colostomy, seems about the same age as Louis, and will be walking any day now.  The first thing I noticed about Seth was that he is very socially aware.  I was tickling and playing with another child, who was laughing, and Seth, looking on, started laughing, too.  When I hug him and pat his back, he pats mine, too. (Love that!)  Seth is attentive,  curious, and quick to learn. 

Although I don't have a more flattering picture of Noelle, this one is the most accurate.  Poor baby, she has terrible colic.  Translation: She's always crying.  Gill says she'll grow out of it in a month or so, but in the mean time, it's miserable for her and all the burp rags she spits up on.  I just wish I knew how to make her little tummy feel better.  Any suggestions?  But the colic isn't the reason Noelle is at Starfish.  She was born with a cleft palate, and you can see in the picture, she's recently had her surgery to correct it.  About 10 of the babies had their cleft palate surgeries a few days before Anna and I arrived here.  Noelle's stitches have almost all dissolved and her scar is healing very nicely.  It's possible that the colic originated with her cleft palate-- she is having to learn to suck her bottle with her new lip.  I haven't yet figured out how to make Noelle smile, although, the nannies can, and when Noelle is calm, she sits demurely and looks around.  I feel that she is sensitive, reserved, and observant.  Or maybe she's just tired herself out with crying.  Ah, I love her regardless.  Really.

I think I involuntarily gushed over Noah when I first saw him.  Cute beyond cute.  He is one of the youngest babies here, about 5 months is all, and he is still so tiny.  We're not sure what Noah has, but his distinct facial features (small head, sloping eyebrows, receding chin) and his little left ear indicate some sort of disorder.  Noah is very inquisitive and hates to be bored.  He always likes to have a toy in his hand or someone to talk to him.  He likes sitting in the little Bumbo, but not as much as he loves being held.  A sweet, sweet boy.  Oh, and today I heard several nannies call him "Hou zi," which, if my memory serves me, means "Monkey." :)


I'm getting a full-body workout holding a baby in each arm while pumping two baby bouncers with one foot? Yes, I'm in China.