We have had a nasty little fever virus run through our family this past week. Once I got it, I knew the chances of keeping Jacob healthy were very small. Sure enough, last night at 9 pm the fever hit. It's been a miserable day. Partly because I am still not passed feeling crummy myself, partly because I have been up helping children and myself through the misery of the fever for almost 5 nights now, and partly because sweet Drew is the last one standing and is having a hard time understanding why no one else will play with him. A bored 3 year old makes for quite a bit of trouble.
But, despite my exhaustion and feeling a sense of dread last night when Jay awoke, it felt so good to know that this time he had a mama. This time someone came when he cried. This time someone stayed with him and rocked him for hours. This time he found comfort. This time he was not alone.
It is hard to imagine what happens in the orphanages. And we will never know for sure what the specifics were like for our little boy. But we do know for sure there were no night time caregivers. When the babies are put to bed, they stay in that bed until the next morning no matter what. We were told this is why the babies stay in the hospital until they are sleeping through the night. There is no accommodation for children who need night time care in the orphanage.
I imagine that when a baby is sick, they are isolated from the group to control exposure. You wouldn't want coughing, sneezing, or vomiting on the toys or in the common areas. So a sick baby is most likely left in their crib until they are well. There were 9 babies total in Jay's group and only one caregiver. So if one baby is sick, there is no time to cuddle or offer special attention to them. No one to wipe their nose. No one to rub them or comfort them.
Not anymore. Jacob has a mama! And he is soaking up his special snuggles, cuddles, nose wiping, and attention. This time, I am here.
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