A hello from Kremenchuk

Hello, everyone. A few more days have passed and we are just enjoying our time with Ziva... and waiting and waiting. This trip has been a true test of patience!

Our doctor's appointment on Sunday went very well. The doctor was warm and friendly and we all liked her immediately. She gave Ziva a "once over" physically and also did a developmental assessment with her. Because of the language barrier, it is difficult for us to know how much Ziva understands and what she is able to do, so having the doctor perform the assessment was invaluable to us. She filled in some of the gaps and answered a lot of our questions. Dr. Anna could tell right away that Ziva is full of spunk and vinegar and always "looking" for something to get into (that she should not)- and she said how great that was to see in a child from an orphanage. She said that most children from an orphanage are more timid and afraid to try new things or to be curious (they have been told "no" too often). As Dr. Anna said, "Those kinds of people make the worst kids, but they make the best adults. Who wants a mushy watermelon for a child?" Ziva's determination is a good thing!! Oh, and just as we had already suspected, Ziva has bronchitis. So we are pumping her full of fluids from her new sippy cup (which she carries around under her arm like a football, by the way, because she doesn't want to put it down!). One more funny thing Dr. Anna said: when we told her how long we have been in Ukraine, she asked, "So you are applying for Ukrainian citizenship, then?" Ha! Ha! At least she could appreciate how long we have been here.

Today was an absolutely beautiful day here in Kremenchuk- the nicest day yet. It was sunny, no wind, and the temperature was just above 0C. We were excited to take Ziva out on such a nice day...only to be told by her caregivers that we were not allowed! When we questioned why, we were simply told, "Doctor". We do not always understand their decisions for Ziva's care. Ziva has had a cold/bronchitis since we got here 2 weeks ago and we have never been denied going outside before. When we pick Ziva up, they always insist that she put an extra sweater (she sweats so much as it is because she is always running!) and one day, they even wanted us to put a toque on her...and this was for indoors! Maybe they think all the extra clothes will make her bronchitis go away... Anyway, we suspect that the orphanage doctor is on a power trip because we brought in a private doctor on Sunday. Hopefully we will be able to go outside tomorrow...

That is all the news for now. I will try and post some more photos tomorrow.