Happy Day!

Right when we walked into the doors of the orphanage building, Teo told me not to change. At first I thought I had done something wrong but she said that she made arrangements for me to go to the apartments! In that moment everything was perfect! I was beyond excited! I was going to see Robert and Isa again!!!!!! I was so happy. I have missed these two cuties so much! Teo said we were waiting for someone before we could head out to the apartments. We left around 9:20ish. Mihai, the speech therapist, Teo, a lady who works at the orphanage, and a man who works at the orphanage all came in the car. I saw Robert first. He has gotten so big! When I walked in the door he was walking to the door. He was just so big! I couldn't believe it. Teo told me he was walking but still I couldn't believe it. He is such a cutie. I was so happy to see him!!! I can't express how I felt when I saw him and picked him up. He definitely remembered me! It broke my heart to tell him bye. I love that boy so much. It was sad to tell him bye but I am so glad I got to come and hold him and kiss him one more time. I am glad I got to tell him bye. Last time he left my room I wasn't there. I didn't know he was leaving. I just showed up the next day and he was gone. It was definitely better telling him bye instead of him just being gone...

I love Robert!

Next I saw Iza!!! This is the little girl who I taught to give pups "kisses." I have missed her so much. I was so sad when I came back from my trip and she was gone. She is one of my favorites! She is so cute and so beautiful!! She has the cutest personality ever! I didn't get to spend that much time with her. I was hoping I could get a kiss out of her but there wasn't much time. I pretty much held her and got a couple pictures. Well like before with Robert, I'm just glad I got to see her again! I got to hold her one more time and tell her bye this time. I kissed Isa and Robert so many times! And told them I loved them a bunch too. I just treasured every moment with them. I am so glad Teo found time to take me. It was so worth going and seeing these two!

Once I got back I changed and went to my room. Giovani was out of his bed. He has been sick and has been in his room all day for the past couple of days. I spent some time with Mihai and Catalina. Most of my time was with Denisa! I spent some good quality time with her today. I'm going to miss this girl oh so much! Te iubesc foarte mult Denisa! I colored with Teo. We wrote names and drew together. I held the pencil and she would move my hand. I teared up a little today when I was putting the kids in their cribs after masa (lunch). I love these kids so much! I was just holding them and hugging them before I put them in their cribs. I could of been in that moment forever. I love these kids and I don't want to leave them. These moments I have had with them are so special.

Luminita was so nice to me today. She was the worker in my room today. She knows I am leaving soon and my last day is tomorrow. Before I left today she gave me a hug and a kiss. She even was trying to get Denisa to say my name. I have realized since being here in Romania how important names are. The workers say my name when they are talking to me. I didn't know any differently. Katelyn and Sarahy both have said they like that the workers call me by name. They said they don't do that in isolation. Names are so important! I love love love when the kids say Megan. Mama is great too but something about "Megan" is just different. It means everything! It makes me feel important too when the workers acknowledge me by my name.

At the hospital I met a nine year old girl on one of the floors. She was a happy girl! I enjoyed chatting with her. We left her with some stickers, coloring pages, crayons, and even shared a little snack, goldfish and chocolate chips! Then we saw Alexandra and a new little boy. This new little boy has a cleft palate. After that we went across to the other side and saw Florin and the little boy who has the prettiest eyes. Then we went up to the 7th floor. We saw Mundra first and then went to Eliana and Florentina! Katelyn and I fed Eliana and Florentina goldfish, chocolate chips, oranges, and some apa (water). Today was a good day!

Crazzzy Dayy

Marion LOVED my hair! He told me over and over how much he like it. He kept saying it was beautiful. He took my hair out of a pony and played with it. He just couldn't get enough of it. He even told the worker to look at my hair. That boy is too cute! Marion had another melt down today. This time I kind of felt like I triggered it because we were playing. Earlier when he was playing with my hair he put it in front of my face. He thought that was really funny. So later when we were playing, I put my hair in front of my face and was pretending to come after him. He loved this and started laughing. He was just playing with me and grabbed my hair. He let go when I told him too and I knew he was just playing. The worker saw him and thought he was really pulling my hair. The worker kept asking him to apologize but he wouldn't. After they insisted many times to say I'm sorry, he had a melt down. Just like yesterday many workers came into the room. None of them could calm him down. Mihai ended up coming in and picking him up and carrying him into the back bedroom. Mihai stayed with Marion for almost the remaining of the morning. I think the way Marion was handled today was better than yesterday. Marion came out later and was in a much better mood. I played with the kids for the remainder of my time there. On my way out of the orphanage with Katelyn, Mihai stopped to talk to us. He asked me what I thought about Marion. He told me Marion doesn't have anyone to trust here. The workers and people in his life are always changing. What Mihai was basically saying was Marion has attachment disorder. When Marion has a meltdown, there is no adult that he can trust. His emotions take over his mind and he loses control. When he is in control he can deal with his emotions but when he isn't in control and thinking, he becomes aggressive. He also gets really jealous. Today was bad. He was being really aggressive to the kids. He was pushing tables over, throwing toys at the kids, and even pushing the kids off the chairs. I hope things get a little easier for Marion and that he can trust some adult. Mihai told us that Marion isn't the only child with this problem. All kids in orphanages growing up can have an attachment disorder. These kids are in a place where the adults are constantly changing. Mihai is a very knowledgeable person. It was very good talking to him. I really like him and I know I can learn a lot from him.

Today at the hospital, Katelyn and I played with Florentina and Eliana for awhile. We played hide and seek, played in the bathroom, in the hallway, our "pa pa" game, and even went for a little walk down the hallway out to the couch. In the hallway, Eliana wanted to walk. She does this frequently. She can't walk but she loves to try. When she was walking with Katelyn she kept saying "poti, poti" (I can, I can). What a sweet tender moment this was. She believed in herself that she could walk. What an inspiring little girl!

Yesterday we left crayons for Florentina. When we arrived today, Florentina was so eager to show us her drawing. She was so proud of it! Her smile was from ear to ear and she pointed to her masterpiece on the wall. It was cute how excited she was to show us. She was so proud of her picture! I'm sure the nurses weren't as excited about her masterpiece on the wall.

These two are perfect for each other!

Florentina discovered the camera on my iPod.

I love my family! My mom sent this to me. It made me smile to see how excited my family is to see me. I have missed them. I am really happy I will see them soon! After the hospital I started packing. I am sad to be leaving the children I have been working with and have grown to love. It is a bittersweet feeling leaving. I want to see my family but at the same time I don't want to leave Romania. I got a good portion of my packing done. I'm glad I started early so I don't have to save it all for the day before I leave.

Red Hair!

Today at the orphanage Marion got really angry and aggressive. He kind of exploded. The worker wanted him to sit down at the table and do an activity with the other girls but he didn't want to. The worker was Luminita. She tried for a little bit to get him to but he didn't want to. He ended up getting really angry and aggressive. He was throwing toys and screaming and just misbehaving! So many people came in to try and help, workers, Teo, nurses, doctors, physical trainer. He didn't want to listen to any of them. I think one of the nurses ended up getting him out of the room. Katelyn said at some point after his explosion he came into isolation. Katelyn didn't know what had happened before and was just normal with him. She was giving flowers to the baby girls in isolation. He wanted one too. Katelyn tried to explain to him that flowers are for girls and go in their hair. He wasn't convinced. Katelyn let him keep a blower flower clip. Katelyn said it was so cute. He asked her for one for Teo too. He got her a pink flower on a blue headband. Marion then came into my room with the flowers. He then walked up to Teo and put the headband on her head. So cute! They looked so cute I had to go get Katelyn so she could see.

Here are some of the children from Katelyn's room with their flowers on

 She made one for Ala too since she has been in her room almost the whole time

 Levina

There was a new person at orphanage. Her name is Miheala and she is doing her practicum there. While Marion was out of the room with the nurses trying to calm down, the rest of the room was normal like any other day. Mirela helped Mihai walk with me. She held one of his hands and I held the other, too cute. Mirela has never done that before. I was so proud for her helping me. Ala is a newer baby in my room. She came from isolation. She does a jumping thing. I hold under her armpits and she jumps. She has the biggest smile! She loves it! She could do it all day. Catalina is so cute. She is also a newer baby. She is such a happy baby. Stelian is almost walking! I am so proud of this little boy. He has came so far since the beginning of my time here. Mihai, I just want to take him home! Mom you can have Mihai, I will take Iza, and Alicia and John can take Madalina! That's my plan! Too bad I can't actually take them.

Florentina is just adorable!!! This little girl is so stinkin cute! She is always so happy. With Eliana today, Katelyn and I played hide and go seek. She was holding her and would go outside the room. Then I would hide somewhere in the room. She would come in and say "unde este Megan?" (Where is Megan). They would then look for me. She loved this game! She would just laugh everytime she found me.

This is Mundra! She is so cute! She is on the 7th floor with Eliana and Florentina.

Here is a picture of Alexandra. She is the baby girl whose mom we met at the beginning and then the mom left. She is back in the hospital. She has grown a ton! She always has her hands curled in fist. Its hard for her to straighten her fingers but today she did! She straightened her fingers.

This is the girl in the box! She is the one in ICU that I really like. I see her almost every time I go into ICU. Today she was even smiling! 

There is a new baby in with Florin. Katelyn calls the new baby the magical baby because this baby has wonderful, beautiful, magical eyes! This little boy has the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. The eyes are like a mix of purple, blue, and brown. This picture of Katelyn and Florin is adorable!

The four of us decided to do something a little crazy, put a strip of red into our hair!

Before

Sarahy and I dyed our hair blonde first and then put the red on. Here is me with blonde Hair!

Red Hair!

I dyed Katelyn's hair

Katelyn dying my hair. She was nervous!

Katelyn's Hair

My hair!

The four of us after!