When I arrived, Istvan was still asleep and he hadn't seen my face or heard my voice yet. He's still trying to wake up and figure out if he wants to be there or not.
Then I turned him around so he could see who was holding him. Every morning when I arrive, this is the face I get. 
He loves being tickled. Actually, he loves pretty much anything. Now that he's feeling better and no longer has to concentrate on just breathing, he wants to be up and doing things. 
Here I am with Sergiu (3 months old, but he was born two months premature) and Vera holding our resident twins, Darius and David (1 month). The twins both have a problem in their noses and throats which makes eating difficult. Their mother gave them up a few weeks after they were born, I guess it was just to much for her. They are in the hospital because of a cough that compounds the breathing issues.
This is our newest arrival, Sergiu. Well, as you can see from the pictures, Istvan is doing much better! Although that means that he'll be leaving us soon (I can guarantee tears on that day) it means that he's able to show off more of his little personality. He almost four months now and whew, has he put on weight! That kid is getting down right hefty!
David and Darius are 1 month old and are just newly abandoned. You can tell because they still turn their head sideways when they're hungry (babies who are breast fed will turn their heads toward your body, but babies who are used to being fed from a bottle will just look up while opening and closing their mouths). Also, they are uncomfortable with being held by strangers or moved when they are sleeping. Again, babies in hospitals and orphanages are used to strangers picking them up and slinging them from place to place. Poor David gets so stressed out his little spine arches back. Apparently this is a common symptom of stress in young infants. What seems to help the most is just wrapping him in a blanket and walking around with him until he calms down and the muscles start to relax. Darius is just naturally more compliant, I think.
Sergiu's mother disappeared from the maternity hospital, leaving him behind. The poor thing has a terrible rash on him bottom that bleeds whenever we have to change his diaper or give him a bath. Poor thing. But pick him up, and he's happy as a little clam. So long as he's being held, life is good. But if you dare put him down, he'll loudly inform you just how much he doesn't like the idea. Kathy put in well: when she came in I was holing Sergiu and she said his eyes were just saying, "I'm perfectly content to stay right like this forever. Don't you change anything!" He was born two months premature and I think he must have suffered from malnourishment as well, because the poor thing is just so skinny. Not for long of course, Vera is very determinedly getting him fattened up again.
On another note, I received two blatant marriage proposals and one hint that marriage could be a definite option. Apparently, it's quite common for young women to come from Canada to find a husband in Romania. Say 'wa? And I mean obviously, volunteering in the hospital for six hours everyday is just a cover story... I'm actually desperately searching for a husband.
But never fear, the only Romanian man in my life is Grieshka the cat. He's good looking, intelligent, has very good personal hygiene, and to top it all off: he's wonderful with children.
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