I was at the clinic from 9/5/09 to 10/3/09 and worked with the mobiles. Here are some updates on them:
Celine:
While I was there, Celine had a doctor's appointment. Previously, she had to wear her leg brace most of the time (from what I understand). Now the doctor said she only has to wear the brace when is in her crib. I am unsure of her prognosis for walking. She is able to get around pretty well by crawling and can bring herself up to a standing position. She is friendly with Ionella and Mihaela and will sometimes give them a kiss on the cheek. Celine is becoming more vocal, though I don't know if she has made it to actual words yet. She loves it if you repeat her babbling though. While I was there her family came to visit her.
Ion:
Ion is very close to walking (but unfortunately did not take his first steps while I was there). He is a pro at the walker though! He loves solid foods (even more so than the bottle) and loves to climb all over you to get it! Ion and "Little" Andreea are such good friends. They love to "fight" over a toy, basically just playfully taking it away from one another. It is so precious! Their cribs are still right across from each other and its cute watching them talk to one another. I did not hear anything regarding his heart condition, so it appears things are going okay.
Alina:
In case you were not aware, Alina is now walking. She toddles along rather well and is not too bothered if she falls down. Alina can entertain herself and likes the wall toys in the mobile room. She loves to be held and blow you kisses. Alina does not have any interest in solid food and still takes a bottle. When the aide weighed her while I was there, she weighed 10.5 lbs. I did not hear any updates regarding Alina's medical issues or if/when she might leave the clinic.
Ionella:
Ionella loves to go into the non-mobile room and give all the babies kisses. Ionella loves her dolls and is very sweet to them as well. She can be pretty vocal and can form some words (though her cleft palate affects the pronunciation). Ionella is very social and loves to run around and be outside. One of her favorite things to do is play telephone with whatever she can find. If Ionella is outside, it is often a rock. While I was there, her mother came to visit. Ionella left the clinic on 10/3/09 to go to another town to have the second surgery needed to repair her cleft palate. It was not known if she would return to the clinic after her surgery to recover. Eventually, Ionella will return home to live with her family.
Andreea:
Andreea is very close to walking (but unfortunately did not take her first steps while I was there). She is very good at pulling herself up and has stood on her own for a few seconds at a time. She is very good friends with Ion. They love to "fight" over a toy, basically just playfully taking it away from one another. It is so precious! Their cribs are still right across from each other and its cute watching them talk to one another. Andreea loves to eat and usually has her bottle and her share of solid food. She usually takes a nap around 11:00 and it is quite precious when she falls asleep in your arms! One of Andreea's favorite things is the mirror in the mobile room. She will break into a big grin when she sees herself in it. Overall, she is a very happy child. When she is put in her crib, Andreea rarely cries. Instead, she will just stand there and smile and laugh. When you say her name, she will put a big smile and her face and crawl over to you. While I was there, her father came to visit. I did not hear anything about how long she would stay at clinic.
Mihaela:
Mihaela is a bright and curious 2 year old. She loves to be outside, whether it is running around the playground, going for a walk, or riding in a stroller. She is a pretty even tempered child, and only cries when she is tired. Mihaela loves to climb, especially the fence outside or the swing in the mobile room. She is also very good at climbing out of her crib, which can be a problem. Mihaela loves to be active is rarely sits still. She loves to babble, though I don't think she is up to actual words yet. Mihaela appears to be on tract for her developmental milestones. I am not sure how long she will be at the clinic. Her twin sister Gabriella is still here. Gabriella can now sit up on her own and crawl, but she is still behind in her development. I know that their parents have come to visit occasion.
Sammy:
Sammy is able to walk, though it usually takes some prodding for him to do so. I likes to play ball and grew attached to a super fuzzy stuffed llama. He also loved to explore and take walks outside. Unfortunately, Sammy loves to pull hair. I think he just has trouble expressing himself. While I was there, his mother came to visit. There is talk of him going home to live with her and his many brothers and sisters soon.
Alexandra:
When I first arrived in the clinic, Alex was in isolation from just having returned from a visit with her family. She loves to look at books and magazines. Alex spent a lot of her time sitting on the floor and when you tried to help her stand, she would not put her weight on one of her legs.
Maestra:
Maestra was only at the clinic for the 1st week I was there. She was taken to a facility in Barlad and works with children with disabilities. The staff at the clinic was unsure if this placement was permanent. She loved shiny things and would often become fixated on them. If you sang the song "Itsy Bitsy Spider" she would immediately start to laugh. Maestra could be quite friendly at times and would run across the room and plop right in my lap.
(Melissa DuBois)
