Canaries!!

Canaries!!
Loving on my Canaries (Fall 2013)

Friday, October 4, 2013

Los Canarios...a day in the life

Hello friends and family! So, I've decided that I want to give you all an introduction to each child here at the center so you can know and love them all the way I do. So, here goes...

The Canaries...the bed babies: 
Anyone who knows me knows that I love little babies, so it comes as no surprise that this would be my favorite room in the center. A day with the Canaries starts with breakfast at 8:00 am. After they've all eaten it's time for their baths..not a very enjoyable part of the day for many of the babies. The teams typically arrive at the center around 9:00, just in time to help bathe the children. Once everyone is bathed and dressed it's playtime! All the babies, big and small, are in a play area together where there are toys everywhere. A few are in exersaucers or bumbo seats while the others play on the floor. With about 20 babies scattered around the play area, you can imagine it gets pretty crowded and there is seldom a place to sit down without having to pick one up...ok, so I usually pick up at least two or three at once. :) During playtime we incorporate a lot of developmental play. This includes tummy time, practicing sitting, crawling, standing, and walking, singing and dancing, reading, etc. At 10:30 bottles are brought into the play area for each child's snack. When they finish, we continue playing until lunch at 12:30 pm. A few of the children are too young for solids and instead have a bottle for lunch while the older children are fed solid food. (I say "solid food" but I really mean various foods--fruits, vegetables, etc.-- that are pureed beyond recognition, occasionally including rice and chunks of meat and vegetables for the older children.) Currently only one child in the Canaries is able to feed herself, so lunch is an extremely time-consuming task, particularly when there is no team here. After each child is fed, they are changed and put in bed for their naps. Even though the children are sleeping, the work never stops! During nap time, the nannies are usually folding laundry, putting away toys, cleaning the room, etc. At 3:00 pm it is time for another snack and the babies again receive bottles. After this snack, playtime resumes until dinner at 4:30. If there is a team, they typically leave at 4:30 leaving the nannies (and interns) to feed the children dinner. Bed time for the babies is at 6:00 pm, so once they've all eaten they are changed into their pajamas and put to bed. Since they are all so young, they receive another bottle (or two depending on the age) during the night. The days can be quite long, but they are never without much enjoyment on my part. I love being in my "Canary Cave" so much and I wouldn't trade spending the day with my babies for anything!

Now that you know how my days with the Canaries are typically spent, take a look at these pictures of all of my sweet Canaries:

Francis is 9 months old and one of the happiest little girls around! She is extremely ticklish, so much so that even being picked up causes her to laugh and show off her adorable dimples.

Marvin is 10 months old and always causing trouble, but his adorable face and sweet temperament make up for it :) 

6 month old Estefani is very sweet and quiet. She's always happy sitting in the bumbo seat just looking around.

Paola is 11 months old and loves to stand up, but isn't able to do it on her own yet. She never wants to sit still and if you aren't continuously helping her stand she gets very upset. She also gets extremely jealous if you give attention to anyone but her.

Yessica is always, always, always smiling. She is 1 year and 3 months old and just so happy all the time. She still does not crawl or walk, so we are constantly working on her leg muscles.

Doris is 8 months old and very quiet. When she's on the floor she likes to lay on her belly, but she is also very snugly and is very happy just being held!

3 month old Lidia was only here for my first few days and was always very content to lay in a baby carrier and watch the other children. She has now gone back home with her family!

Leslie is 8 months old and always rolling around on the floor. She loves to lay on her tummy and play with whatever toy she can reach.

 
My sweet Irma is 2 and a half years old and was one of my Canaries during my internship last summer. She has a syndrome that has prevented her being able to sit up, crawl, or walk, but that doesn't stop her from getting anywhere! If Irma wants to get something, she will roll and scoot around until she has reached it. She loves to have help sitting up so she can look around and play, and if you give her any attention whatsoever the biggest smile with come across her face! She is very quiet and has the teeniest little laugh, but if you have the privilege of hearing it you'll soon find out it is certainly one of the most adorable sounds in the world!

Here's a picture of her laughing...you can almost hear the adorableness!

Griselda just turned one year old on October 1st! She is a very sweet girl and almost always happy...and apparently doesn't like to have her feet inside her footie pajamas :)

Josue Daniel is 11 months old and one of the happiest kids you'll ever meet! He always has the biggest smile on his face and loves to have his picture taken!

Marianita is a smiley little 5 month old who just loves to be looked at. Whenever I look over at her and smile she gets the biggest grin and often just starts laughing for no reason at all, other than someone looked at her. She is very observant and loves to sit in her seat and watch the other kids playing.

Brenda is always the life of the party! She is 1 year and 3 months old and is such a ham! She loves to be laughed at and have her picture taken. Her favorite activity is dancing and if there is any music playing at all you can count on seeing her moving to the beat! She is almost able to stand on her own and hopefully before I leave she will be starting to walk!

Abraham is one year and four months old and has a very sweet temper. He is always happy playing in a walker or "el caballito" --the horse bouncer he is pictured in-- and, like many other Canaries, loves to have his picture taken.

Merlin and Marlen are 6 month old twins. They are the cutest little girls and so precious! They love to lay near each other and are constantly holding hands :)

Ana is almost 5 months old and so sweet! She loves to be rocked and snuggled :)

Elizabeth will be 1 year old next week! She is definitely part of the "ham club" as you can tell by her lovely pose :) She's always laughing at something and is happy just about anywhere you put her.


Pamela, at just 10 days old and only 4 lbs 6 oz, is our youngest and smallest Canary. She is always quiet and typically sleeping in the stroller or being held or fed by her mother.

Karen, the newest addition to the Canaries, is one year and eight months old. She has only been here since Monday (9/30) and is still adjusting to life at the center. She is able to walk and talk and will always tell me what she wants to do, which is usually just to walk around the hallways or sit outside.

Each of the Canaries has a very unique and distinct personality and it is such a joy to get to know them! After only a few days spent with them, I feel as though they are my kids and I love them all so much! Working in the Canaries is not always the most pleasant thing...I've definitely had my fair share of drool, snot, spit up, vomit, explosive diapers, and any other gross thing you can think of that goes along with caring for children. But, I do not mind any of it as long as I get to spend time with my babies. (Whenever I'm not here...sometimes I even miss the gross things.)

Enjoying time with a few of my babies <3

Thank you all so much for all your prayers, love, and support!
Love Always,
~Rachel~

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