SECOND VISIT WITH ANTONINA

BABY HOUSE VISIT #2

We visited Antonina for a second time today. We were supposed to be observed by the inspector, but she was still in court, so they told us that we will visit her for a little while, but just us and our translator Olga. Well, they brought her down with one of the outfits we bought for her, she looked adorable!!!! This time it went a little smoother, without so many interruptions. We got to play with her. We discover that she is really taken with sounds. She was a little more comfortable around us too. We asked for medical assistance and we got to talk to the neurologist and the child psychologist. The neurologist went over her medical history with us and everything seemed within reason. When we got to talk to the Psychologist I started asking questions. At first she was a little apprehensive and on the defensive side, but as our interpreter started translating what some of our concerns were, she became more at ease (thank God). She admitted that at the beginning when she started working with Antonina she thought that she was not going to progress developmentally. One of the reasons is because she has been institutionalized from birth. Her mom left abandoned her at the hospital three days after she was born, and the only “home” she has ever known is the baby house. After we talked she started playing with her to see how she reacted to some (developmental) exercises. Let me tell you, I am no expert, but those people are not up to standard :o(
Don’t take me wrong, I am nobody to criticize them, I am only stating my opinion. This visit it was kind of short, it was the end of the day and all the workers were going home. So her caretaker came to get her because it was meal time. They asked us to buy diapers and wipes for her. We will go tomorrow to buy them. We have so much to think about to tonight. We have to weigh the pros and cons to see if we can provide Antonina with whatever care she needs. We know that we are in God’s hands and he will guide us in the right direction. We thank you for continue to keep us in your prayers. We will post more tomorrow when we go for the third visit.