Hospitals, New arrivals, and Rainy Season!

What a week we have had here in Kisoro!

Last weekend, we were all rushed off our feet with lots of babies in isolation. Baby J was dangerously dehydrated after catching a bug and had to be fed through a tube. Baby A was rushed to hospital with pneumonia, he catches it so easily after been diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease. Other Baby J and Baby B both had unexplained fevers. We were rushed off out feet trying to sort out medication, determine which thermometers were reliable and make new rotas, whilst not forgetting all the other children here at P.V. Thankfully they are all better and back with the other babies and now we only have Baby G in isolation.

On Wednesday, Ezra received a call saying that a father was going to bring in 2 day old twin boys. Their mother had died the previous day, not due to a difficult child birth just because the doctor forgot the deliver the placenta and she had bled to death later on in the day. The father of the family works in the city of Kampala (10 hours away) but his family lives here in the hills of Kisoro. He has 5 other children all under the age of 10. It made me so angry to hear how the mother had died, and if more attention had been paid 7 children would have a mumma still. The family were so sad to part with their babies, but it is the best place for them to be at this moment in time.

I have spent the past few days up at Jenny's house, looking after the twins and premature Baby E . The twins, who we call Squeak (the eldest but smallest) and Grunt (the youngest but biggest) are now 5 days old. Squeak was only 1.5kg when he was born but now he is 1.7kg. Looking after 3 very hungry babies on my own is pretty hard work (if you have triplets or twins, you have my respect!) but we are now getting into a routine which has made things easier. I actually love these 2 boys, and want to keep them forever and ever! Baby E however, is a monster.

Thanks to the beginning of the rainy season, the electicity has been very unreliable. Thank goodness for a laptop with long battery life! Yesterday we didn't have power for over 24 hours. My candle lit dinner would have been very romantic if i was with a handsome young man, but it was with Ruth so it didn't have the same affect...! Not complaining though, the rain and thunder storms are amazing, sometimes even bigger and louder than the ones in  Italy last year.

Today, I have spent the morning hand washing all my clothes, towels and bed sheets and scrubbing the kitchen floor (i have blisters to prove it!) As a reward, Ruth and I had lunch at the Coffee Pot Cafe, where i had an amazing tuna sandwich and a pot of English tea. Altogether this cost me 6000 shillings (just over 1 pound!)

Cadburys chocolate costs 2000 shillings (about 50p) but with 2000 shillings you could buy a bunch of carrots, a bag of tomatoes, a pineapple, a huge bag of potatoes and 5 green peppers!

Hopefully this coming week will be less manic, but i am looking forward to looking after Squeak and Grunt again :)

Grunt!