"The Impossible Will Take A Little While"

Yesterday was Billie Holiday's birthday. And the crazy thing is, I was listening to her "Greatest Hits" on my iPod Nano all day before I even knew it was her birthday!

"Crazy he calls me, Sure, I'm crazy...."

Anyhoo, the title of the post comes from one of Billie's classics, and it reminds me of the picture at right, which is my favorite of all the images from my visit to Pumwani Maternity Hospital Monday morning. It's me feeding my precious, abandoned little Baby ANC--or at least it's me giving her a milk bath while she inadvertently swallows a few drops. Like I mentioned the other day, the hospital can't afford baby bottles, so every 3 hours, nurses come into the Abandoned Babies' Room and cradle their little heads while trying to pour milk down their teeny little gullets using spouted little cups.

I love this image because you can see that Baby ANC is balling up her fist like she's ready to punch me dead in the snout. If she could speak, it would be, like, "Dammit, Lady, what part of "I AM A 1-MONTH OLD INFANT WITH A SUCKLING INSTINCT THAT CANNOT BE SATISFIED USING A CUP" do you NOT understand??? In case you are blind, most of this milk is running down my neck and back! Could you at least slow down a bit and let me try and swallow the 1 out of 5 drops you're trying to strangle me with????"

Like I said, at least I was there for her, in that one moment. I hope to get back to Pumwani and check on Baby ANC really soon. But the experience reminded me that I owe some of you readers an update about PCEA Muniu Primary School, near the Maai Mahiu Internally Placed Persons camp near Nairobi. Several of you have been committed supporters of my drive to start a school lunch program, in honor of my late sister Julie Newell, and for the last term of 2009, your generous donations literally kept it up and running.

You may be wondering how things are going. I'm embarrassed to say that so am I. You see, a combination of burnout, compassion fatigue, a suddenly crazy work schedule has made me detach a bit from that project. You don't have to tell me that the Archangel Julie is probably greatly disappointed. Trust me, I watch my back every time there's a thunderstorm.

But somehow or the other, I've got to get myself in gear. I'm going to try and get back to the school really soon. I'll send you an update when I do. And I'll also let you know if Baby ANC has forgiven me for my inept feeding attempt next time I get to Pumwani. I just hope she's still there....or then again, maybe I hope hospital officials will have found a loving home to send her to.

It's just a shame it can't be mine.

Can it??