Well, we once again had some setbacks. Tiffany's health took a turn for the worst just before Madeline was born four weeks early in February. Tiffany's blood pressure was through the roof and she was ultimately diagnosed with preeclampsia. Because of this, the doctors recommended inducing her early. With Madeline being premature and then immediately being diagnosed with RSV, I was unable to travel in mid March to Ukraine to begin the final stage of the adoption process.
Life has been a whirlwind of activity and hard work for the last two months, but we are finally ready to submit a letter for new court/travel dates for our SDA appointment. After speaking to our agent, the earliest I could travel would be around three weeks. I feel like we have a pretty good handle on Madeline's schedule at this point. I am not thrilled about leaving my co-workers during the busiest time of the year, but they are all very proficient in their duties. I'm sure they will miss me as much as I will miss them. Tiffany, on the other hand, is gong to need a lot of love and support from friends and family. After having one newborn and splitting the load with my wife, I don't know how on earth single parents do it. Props to all you single moms and dads.
We still have some details to work out once Roman gets here; like schooling, counseling, keeping up with his traditions and culture and lots of logistical issues. We have the best family and friends though and we trust in the Lord and know he will guide us through this journey. I am sure there are going to be tough times ahead, as I've read many of the other families blogs and face book posts about their adventures in Ukraine and troubles once getting home, but like they said in the Marines "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." We should be a strong family after all this is over and if nothing else, our children will have character, which in my opinion is more important than any material possessions.
If you've made it all the way to the end of this post, you're either really bored or you genuinely care about our family and this mission. One thing we are still in need of is money and frequent flyer miles for the commute. If you can help or can pass our mission on through face book or other forms of multimedia, it would be greatly appreciated. And we'd like to once again thank everyone that has donated anything or helped in any way, we love all of you.
-Ken
