monkinetic weblog | redmonk.net

Jodi celebrates Ukraine’s Independence Day, complete with pictures from our 2005 day on the Maidan Nezalezhnosti with the crowds.

How appropriate that we’re headed to Russia for our first trip (of two) for a new adoption 2 years after we were last overseas for Addy’s adoption. Here’s hoping that Vladivostok will occupy a similar place in our hearts as Kiev does.

Well, Jodi broke the news. Not that it was a secret. In fact you, dear Reader, may be the last person to know that Jodi and I have begun another adoption. This time around we’re working with a large well-connected agency, WACAP, and we’re planning on going to Russia.

As 99% of you know, Adelina is deaf. Learning what that means for her and for us has been a challenging road for Jodi and I, and it’s been an exciting road. We’ve learned more about ourselves in the last months and year than we probably did in the previous 5 years. And we have this bright, blond explosion in our home, teaching us about life in new ways every day! So it’s with joy, excitement, anticipation, and not a small amount of terror, that we’re setting out to adopt another deaf child.

Yep - we’re going looking this time. It’s not something we’ve taken to lightly. For us as hearing parents, Adelina has not required massive changes in our lifestyle - she is very verbal, and communicated quite clearly to us that she wanted to hear and speak. We do sign with Adelina, though in general sign is used in a supporting role. In seeking out another deaf child, we have no idea if s/he will be as auditory/verbal as Adelina, or more visual/sign-oriented. We’re completely open to either, which is why (as Jodi also mentions) we’re enrolled in a local community college ASL class and are working hard on wrapping some proper grammar around our moderate vocabulary. I also finally pulled the tv out from the wall and braved the morass of a/v and network cables behind it to re-connect our VP, so we’re once again able to connect with our deaf friends (sorry for the down-time guys, blame it on the network idiot who forgot how to connect the thing…). (waves to Sasha)

Well, more later. Back to work!

Hi all, from our flat in Kiev, Ukraine! Our flat is right about the middle of this map, on Zhytomers’ka. We’re about a 15 min. walk to the main Independence Square downtown.

But I’m not here to chit-chat about our flat. To ge the real scoop on progress on the adoption, check out |Jodi|’s blog. She has been faithfully posting for the 50 weeks of preparation for this trip, as well as the journey itself.

It has been an incredible journey so far. We have not yet “found” our children (read up on the process to understand what that really means) but we are going tomorrow for our third appointment and are hopeful and trusting that God is in control.

Go on now, check out Speaks Her Mind, and get the skinny!

Well, I’ve been pretty quiet lately, especially given the momentous process |Jodi| and I are in the middle of. It’s now T-2 days until Jodi and I get on a plane bound for London, then to Kiev, Ukraine, to find and adopt our first child! Remarkably, I’m not stressed too much. If you’ve not been following along, have a browse through Jodi’s Adoption Week-by-week posts to catch up. This has been a crazy year, but we have been surrounded by friends and family who have been simply amazing - the level of emotional, spiritual, and financial support has blown us away. Our child will be brought into an environment that is primed and ready for him/her! God is so good!

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting us in every way. We love you guys.

/This is to inform you that you have been registered as prospective adoptive parents with the National Adoption Center under the following number and date/: [...]

/As appointments in the National Adoption Center are planned for the first half of this year, according to the current appointment procedure please contact us (in writing) about the desired appoinment date with Center in [sic]/ /starting from the second half of 2005 and in 2006 year./

Wooooooooooooooooooo!!

This past weekend and week, |Jodi| and I spent a lot of time working to finally finish LT’s room. Following are the results…

The crib and new bedding we found. Note the 5-color checkerboard pattern we painted on the walls. Cool, eh?

The room and antique dresser we stripped and repainted:

As |Jodi| says in her own wonderful way:

Hoop-jumping at its most spectacular.