DAP it up,we are going to see our Girl

New Picture from DAP file

Well after a restful night on our cinder block bed we woke up anxious to get going.  We had a DAP appointment at 11:00 am and the next couple of hours would tell us a lot.  There was nothing routine about today.  Our boys did not wake us up, there was no coffee brewing in the pot, and Debbie tried to eat cereal slathered in buttermilk.  When you don't read Ukrainian you just never know what you might pick up at the store.  Eating out and shopping can offer many surprises when you finally get a taste of what you purchased.  After her buttermilk surprise, Debbie had the choice of wearing yesterdays clothes or today's clothes that she wore yesterday.  Her luggage was still lost and so far we had no word on where it was.  I think she still looked great and adding pink shoes instead of her black ones was a nice touch.  One thing we were told before coming to the Ukraine was to pack umbrellas.  Of course, with everything we had going on the last few days we forgot.  It is no wonder that when we stepped outside to head to the Department for Adoption, it was raining. Buttermilk on your cereal? No umbrellas in the rain?  No problem.  For those of you that know us you know that this is how we roll.  So we walked in the rain to our destination as anxious as we were wet.  Some things that we have not shared is that there was a chance we may not be able to adopt Georgina.  In all adoptions, there are never any guarantees and we were told that some of her paperwork may have changed and she may no longer be available for us.  In order to know for sure, we had to fly over and sit down before a DFC representative to find out.  When we finally sat down we determined that there was still medical paperwork that the DAP needed in order to proceed with the adoption. For those of you not

What a little doll- Another new picture

familiar with Ukrainian adoptions, there is a policy that does not allow foreign families to adopt Ukrainian children out of orphanages until they are 5 years old.  Due to a declining population, the government gives first dibs to Citizens of Ukraine before opening it up to international couples.  In our situation, Georgina fit certain criteria that made her an exception to this policy; meaning she had special needs that exempted her.  What we did not know is if any of these medical concerns still existed or had been rectified.  This was the crux that made this situation very tough for us.  As a parent, you would never wish harm on your child, so what do you wish for?  We basically waited for
paperwork that said she still had medical issues so we could receive the referral for adoption, but at the same time wished that she no longer had the medical issues so she could be healthy. We also knew that even if she is healthy, there is no guarantee she will ever be adopted. I quietly prayed and the left
the decision in God's hands.  I knew that no matter what information we received it was his plan and we would not question it.  She turns 5 in December and Debbie and I had already talked about returning to get her when she was of age. After an hour of waiting we finally received news that her updated 6 month medical report listed her as still available for special needs adoption.  Our emotions were mixed, but we now know we can go meet her, bring her home, and get her the medical attention she needs.  Tomorrow we will return to the same office and pick our adoption referral and hopefully be on our way to see her soon.