La revedere Romania

As I sit here in the airport in Bucharest, waiting for my first flight. I am reflecting back on all that has happened these past four months. It's crazy to think I have been actually been living in Europe; I have always had the dream but I never thought it would happen. I have learned so much from this experience, I have learned how to and how not to travel. My kids have taught how to love without limits, for some reason it took a bit for it to sink in that these kids were really orphans. Once reality set in I just gave myself over to them; it was so rewarding to walk into my room every morning and watch them get excited the second they saw me. While on vactions I would really miss my kids, and it was nice to tell myself that I would see them on Monday. It was really hard for me to except that it might be a while before I could see them again. Another thing I loved was when I traveled and I would get back to Iasi and my first thought would be " I'm home". I fell in love with the city and it really felt like home. The people are so great and it was so fun meeting people who were willing to speak english. It was also fun to try speaking Romanian with them, I know we looked extremely confused the whole time. At least I know I did. I am so greatful for the great group of girls I was with, we had good and bad experiences with each other. I am just so happy we were all there for each other when each of us needed it. I just can't believe it is coming to an end, I will forever hold a special place in my heart for Romania and all of the people there. I hope I will be able to return!

Pa Pa, Romania til we meet again

(bye, bye)

I am so happy that it snowed before we left, I also love how Romania does Christmas. There were lights and decorations everywhere!

I have to say I was in a pretty great group! I am so glad we were able to have this experience together and create the friends we did. I will never forget them and I hope they will never forget me. 

My Kiddos!!

K I'm sure you all have been wondering. Does Katie even work in an orphanage? Why is she traveling so much? Why haven't we heard anything about why she went? Well today your questions are being answered.

Every week Moday thru Friday, I walk to the orphanage. The walk takes about 15 minutes, I try get there before 9:00am to change into scrubs. At 9 my partner Leah and I walk into our room called Isolation. This room has all of the babies and a few disabled children. Currently we have 10 children, we usually have around 16 children. Three are currently in the hospital and three were placed into foster homes recently. So I know we aren't allowed to pick favorites but I have one and I will start with him. Unfortunatly we are not allowed to take or post pictues of the kids for their safety. Now that I think about it that may be a good thing. I believe you would get more pictures than words.

                                                          Traditional romanian dish

        

Oh little Andy, where do I begin with him. Let me be the first to say he is THE cutest child in the entire world! He has pale skin and blonde hair and the most beautiful dark brown eyes. Oh and he LOVES to cuddle, each morning I pick him up and he will just snuggle right into me. It melts my heart everytime. Andy also likes to grab at anythang he can. He will also wave to you and his little smile will brighten anyones day. Sometimes when he laughs he does this little scream/shreik thing and it freaks me out everytime. Although when he isn't happy he does the same scream/shriek thing. It is so funny though.  If I could bring him home I definatly would. I'm sure people would think it's normal, right? He is such a chill kid, I absolutely love it!

                                            The best doughnuts I've ever had! Got them at a festival in Iasi

                                             

        Steven, this kid though. Alright haha lets just say he is obsessed with food! When he was first brought to the orphanage he was very skinny. Well that has changed a lot, he is one BIG boy. He has this big belly and he loves when people rub it. If you put your hand on his belly he will grab your hand and move it up and down his belly. When you ask if he wants food, he will nod and say "ahuh" and if you ask if he wants water he will shake his head and say "no" it is the cutest thing. This little boy will melt your heart with his huge brown eyes and his overbite. I love when he stares up at me with his giant eyes and his front teeth over his bottom lip. It makes for a funny but adorable smile. 

       Oh goodness I think I'll tell you about little Marvin next. I swear this baby had absolutely no emotion. He will just stare up at you blankly with his mouth hanging open. You can make faces at him and try to be funny but nothing will happen. The only way to make him smile is if you tickle his belly or pinch his cheeks. Oh boy let me tell you, it took a long time to get him to crack even a smirk with doing those two things. We are working on a laugh but nothing has happened yet. My goal is to make little Marvin laugh before I leave. Even though he can't laugh yet his cute smile makes my day. You  should have seen my reaction the day I first got him to smile. There was a lot of jumping around, definatly a proud mommy moment.

      Alright cute Adam, is the exact oppisite of little Marvin. This kid is a little giggle monster, I'm not sure if Adam could ever stop laughing. Anything you do will make him laugh, I absolutely love it! Oh and his laugh and smile with melt you to the core. The first time I heard him laugh I was instantly addicted. I want to recored his laugh so when I feel sad I can play it and be instantly happy. One day I was tired and missing home and I walked in the room and heard his laugh and my day completely changed. I love Adam so much!

      Ok Ally... Is the craziest little girl ever! She is SO spastic!! This girl does not stay still. She frustrates me to no end but I love her to peices. Ally sure does make me laugh, she absolutely loves when you hold here up in the air and when you sit her on your lap and rock her back and forth. When she smiles she scrunches up her whole face and shuts her eyes tight. We found out the other day that she doesn't like to lay straight. She either has to be sitting up or laying flat on her back with her feet by her face. Yes, she literally has be bent in half in some way. Sometimes we will find her bent in half and asleep in her crib. I don't get it but it's what she likes, she makes me smile everyday with her craziness. 

      Now for Beth. I don't know Beth to well because she was in the hospital for a while when I first got here. All I know is that she is in her bed all the time and she is a little spastic. She has the cutest smile and loves to hold your finger. Beth also likes it when you rub her back so I will go in her room once and a while and rub he back and sing to her. She sleeps a lot so I don't do it to often because I'm sure she is most comfortable when she sleeps.

      My Gosh where to I start with Dani. I think I will be the first to say she is a little sass! This little girl is sure  cute and she uses it for her own good. Dani has ringlet curly hair and dark blue eyes. She can get herself into a lot of trouble, but when she looks up at you with her big brown eyes. They seem to almost put you in a trance and want to just hug her and tell her it's ok. We are trying to teach that she doesn't always get what she wants. Sweet Dani doesn't like us being stern with her but she is slowly learning. Dani is the favorite amongst all of the workers in our room and they all spoil her. So it is a little hard to teach her to be good. I sure do love Dani a lot and I know she loves me. Especially when we walk through the door in the morning and she comes running at us. I absolutely love it, I always pick her up and squeeze her tight. It makes my day everyday.

      Taylor, I have to say is the most handsome baby ever! He has dark skin, dark brown hair and dark eyes. Taylor has one heck of a unibrow though, I'm absolutely in love with it! Every morning when we walk in and say " Buna Dimineata! " (good morning). Taylor gets this big smile on his face and runs toward us in his wheeled car thing with his arms stretched out towards you. I swear it is the cutest thing! I look forward to it every morning, oh and his laugh I could listen to it all day. We are currently teaching him how to walk. He is getting better but hasn't quite learned how to pick up his feet yet. His feet mostly just drag on the ground, we think it's because his core isn't strong enough to help him stand up all the way. When we stand him up he likes to lean forward, so we are working on strengthening his core and legs. Hopefully we will get little Taylor walking soon! Unfortunatly he was moved to another room the other day. Taylor is still one of my kids though!

     Oh Alex, this kid is huge for his age! He isn't even one year old and he could easily pass for a two and a half year old. It maybe that he is one of the healthiest but he is so big and heavy too. Alex is the other baby who is learning to walk, he is a little better at it that Taylor. It's probably because he can support him self a little more and he is really learning fast. I really hope he will be able to walk by the time we leave. Oh and I could never forget his smile and how his eyes light up every time. I would definitely take him home with no hesitation if I could. Alex was also moved into another room the other day. He  will always hold a special place in my heart. 

     Aww little Hunter, he is one of my favorites. Hunter has Down Syndrome, he is also confined to his bed for other reasons. I just can't get over how much I love this kid, he sleeps all of the time so I don't get to hold him much. Sadly he is in the hospital more than I care to say. I do love his smile, we only see it when he is awake which is rare. When I go in the room and he is awake I sit next to his crib and he grabs my finger and smiles. My heart melts every time! 

    Ok I love Becca, She is also confined to her bed. This is because of health reasons, it's sad because she is in pain all of the time and so she cries. Although there are the moments when we hold her and she gets this huge smile on her face. You have no idea how rewarding that smile is, when Becca has been crying and she starts smiling it is the best feeling ever. She is also ticklish under her chin and on her cheeks and it is an extra treat when you get her to laugh. I just love her to peices! 

     Niki is new and I dont quite know her yet. She is confined to her bed but is still the sweetest thing. I love holding her because she will just lay there no wiggling she's just so still. I try to get  her to look at me but she is always staring at the wall. Niki will grab your finger and she has a death grip it's crazy how strong she is. Like I said I dont know much about her so I look forward to getting to know her. 

    Annie and Annabelle are the two newborns. It is so fun having newborns back in the room, My favorite this is holding them and they look up into your eyes. Annie has these beautiful steel grey eyes and I am mesmorized by them everytime. Annabelle is asleep most of the time so when I hold her I just stare at her thinking about how tiny she is and she doesn't even know what is going on. It breaks my heart to think about it. I love them with all of my heart and I wish they knew that. 

   Alright Derek, Now this kid is a handful but has the cutest smile. When you walk into his room his whole face scrunches up and he shows all of his teeth for his smile. I laugh everytime, I know I have said I love many of my kids laughs but his cracks me up everytime. Derek is so fun to play with especially with his laugh. Sadly he is in the hospital a lot and when he is at the orphanage we have to wear a mask around him. The reason I say he is a handful is because after you play with him and decided to play with a different kid he crys. Derek is in his bed most of the time so Leah and I have to run out of his room when he isn't looking. I know it sounds terrible, but it is the only way to get out without him crying. I still love Derek and I will miss seeing his smile every morning. 

    Last but not least Livi! This little girl is the sweetest and goes through so much. She has butterfly disease and it just breaks my heart. Even though she goes through this every day she still smiles which is the cutest thing in this world! When she smiles her little nose scrunches up and a couple of her little teeth show. My partner Leah and I always try to make her dance and when she does we just laugh and  she smiles at us. Unfortunately Livi is in the hospital a lot of the time, we do get to visit her. It is just even better when she's at the orphanage because she just seems so much happier. We are still a little scared to touch her because we know it hurts. I wish I could help her but I don't know what to do. There isn't a cure for her disease so she has to live with it the rest of her life. I guess all I can do is love her and I do so much.

   Well those are my kiddos! I hope you enjoyed reading about them just as much as I enjoyed writing about them. All of my kids and the kids I work with at the hospital and apartments inspire me everyday to be a better person. They all go through so much and still have a smile on their faces. They have tought me so much about unconditional love. They continue to teach me new things everday. These things are unconditional love to what it is going to be like when I become a mom. Children are very special and these kids here are extra special. I just can not put words to how much I love them!  

   I apologize for this post taking so long, There were just so many kids moving in and out of my room so fast I just didn't get enough time to get to know them. Anyways multumesc to everyone who reads my blogs. See ya next time!

Pa Pa 

( Bye, Bye )

Childhood dream fulfilled!

For most of my life I have always wanted to travel Europe. Italy in particular, it didn't matter where just Italy. Well that dream finally came true! I was able to cover a lot of Rome. I do have to tell you now, if you are planning visiting Rome in the future. Do give yourself more than three days. Three days was definatly not enough time to explore this beautiful city. Although I am very satisfied with what we were able to accomplish. I will start at the beginning. We arrived on a Thursday and took a bus to the main train station where we were able to hop on the metro to the area our hostel was in. The minute we walked out of the metro I fell in love. After a bit we found our hostel and we decided to look around by now it was dark we got a bite to eat and of course I have to get a cannoli! The next day (Friday). We jumped on the metro and went to the main train station and looked around the city around it. There we found the Basilica of Santa Marina. The inside was absolutely beautiful! I just loved the old architecture that is all around the city. In the afternoon we set off to the Vatican City. Before we saw the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel we found this little hole in the wall pizza place. The pizza place was called Pizzeria Rustica. I swear it was the best pizza I have ever had. The pizzas are baked in rectangles and cut the pizza with scissors, you just tell them how much you want and they cut it up for you. The then weigh it and warm it in the oven. They then pull it out of the oven and fold it and wrap it up. So it's like a pizza sandwich. We then visited the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. I do apologize for the lack of the pitures of the museums. I was just in awe of the inside I do have a few of the outside area of the museums and a few of just some of the amazing ceilings. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures of the Sistine Chapel, because it is a holy place. My goodness though the Sistine Chapel was just draw dropping. The detail was incredible and the symbolism was so interesting. Each painting had some kind of symbolism behind it. The more I stared at each painting I would notice new things everytime. Iadmire  Michelangelo for his incredible talent and hard work. After the museums and Sistine Chapel we walked over to St. Peter's Basilica and wow that was incredible. We only saw the outside, but it was fun to just look at it and soak up all of the history. Saturday we were able to visit the Colosseum and boy was that a heart stopper for me. I just couldn't wrap my head out the fact that I was, standing in or more like surronded by a peice of history. It was so interesting to imagine the whole Colosseum and all of the people in it. I was just midblown by how actual gladiators fought in there and how thousands apon thousands of people sat and watched. after spending a couple our in the Coloseum we ate at this cute   resturatnt. I promise the pasta i got there changed my life. We literaly had a veiw of the Coloseum as we were eating it was perfect! Oh and of course we had to get gelato from Italy and eat it in front of the Coloseum!! That night we took the metro to the Pantheon. As we were walking there the area was lit up and the was a violinist. My heart melted, to be honest when I think of Europe that is the literal picture that pops up in my head. I have a video but my blog wont let put it up.  Facebook message me if you want to see it. We then decided to walk around after the Pantheon. We ended up in the Imperial Forum and boy was that beautiful. Rome lit up at lit confirmed my love for it even more so. The funny thing was that the Pantheon was about a five minute walk from the Imperial Forum and as we were walking around trying to find a metro stop we saw the Coloseum in the distance. Turns out the Pantheon was about a ten minute walk from the Coloseum and we ended going an even longer way on the metro and had to walk five minutes from the nearest stop. Long story short it would have teken less time to walk to the Pantheon from the Coloseum than it did to take the metro. Sadly Sunday was our last day, that did not stop us from seeing things. We woke up early and with our back packs full of clothes. We ventured to the Trevi fountain. I have always wanted to see it ever sense I watched the Lizzie Mcguire movie. I know cheezey but true. I even threw a coin in. With the little time we had left we walked over to the Spanish Steps. Although it was packed with people they were beautiful! I even sat down and tried to eat. Sadly I was kicked off because apperently eating on the steps is not allowed. Oh well haha I still got a picture! Alrighty that is all of Rome! see ya'll next time!  

Got to have a cannoli in Itallia!

The door to our room in the hostel we stayed at.

The Vatican City 

The roof tops of the Vatican City from the Vatican Museums 

Literally the best pizza I have EVER had!

 

 Oh yes of course gelato in front of the Closeum

I will never look at any other pasta the same. 

We of course had to see the Colosseum at night

     The beautiful Pantheon

St. Peters Basilica

  This was a garden inside the Basilica of Santa Maria.

Outside of the Basilica of Santa Marina

St. Peter's Basilica with the cutest girls in Rome

We were so excited to be in the Colusseum, our inner gladiator came out

Trevi Fountain with these cuteies

The Spanish Steps

Eating lunch on the steps. This was snapped right before I was kicked off for eating on them.