yesterday's email...

nothing's changed, i'm still a lazy so-and-so and am just posting yesterday's group email here for those who aren't on the email list...

I'm coming to the end of my third week at Amecet now, and feel like i've been doing this job forever! the kids are all so used to having new faces come and go that they take no time at all in adjusting to a new "auntie" and it's kinda fun having the toddlers zoom along on their hands and knees in the bid to climb on my lap...most of the time everything goes so well that i forget the kids are here because they're all sick. the biggest reminder is the skin complaints that a few of them have, but this week there's been a worse than usual cold going through everyone - all the staff have had it, and a lot of the babies have been coughing and crying more than usual. the tiniest baby, margaret, who isn't from an hiv family but has down's syndrome, has been the worst-affected. right now, she's in the hospital room on an oxygen machine as she's been gasping for breath all afternoon. her heart is pumping like crazy and the doctor wasn't very optimistic...please pray if you can. i hate to admit that i''m still not much of a baby fan - these weeks of bottle-feeding and nappy-changing have only proved what i've always said, babies aren't cute, they're hard work - but little margaret is just so tiny, i hate to see her struggling for life. in general, i'm just tired! i have a day off tomorrow, which should help - we work in shifts with an average of one day off per week, although it's only been 5 days since my last day off and then i have another 4 before katy and i go back to jinja for our friends' graduation and a break! The shifts run 7am-3pm, 1pm-9pm and 6pm-8am, so we always have some time off in the day. It's only 8 hours at a time but it feels like forever!! the work is incredibly monotonous, which i think is what makes time pass so slowly - i miss the variety of the work i used to do! however, it is a slight improvement on making necklaces and visiting people i can't make conversation with...2 of the toddlers here, Emma and David, have a fun debate of "da?" "da." "da!" which i can at least join in with : ) not long til i'm back to pester you all!! 4 1/2 weeks and counting...trying not to, but it can't be helped...