If you want to read more about the circumstances of this birth see the newsletter about that below.

 

Hi friends and family,

 

Sorry I didn’t blind copy your addresses last time.  Yikes.  I was so excited to get the word out about Yulia.  For those of you who love details of regular and not so regular life here it is, for those who don’t, you got the news already, Leeza Pankov arrived a week early and mother and child are doing fine.

 

We got a call from Misha Friday afternoon around 4pm.  Amanda picked up and said he sounded nervous.  The plan was if Misha was in the city at work when Yulia went into labor, we were the back up, meaning Kevin was the back up!  HA  Kevin was at the church painting and didn’t have the car, so I was the next in line.  Yikes

I jump in the car and head to Yulia’s, only to realize to my horror that my gas tank is on empty.  I’m praying like mad for protection from crazy drivers and turn the wrong way.  Then I decide to go to the gas station before picking Yulia up.  I go get her and she seemed great.  Misha had neglected to tell me that her water had broken but contractions hadn’t started.  I was so relieved.  She is all packed and wearing her bathrobe!!!! HA!  She decided why not wear her hospital clothes.  The funny thing is it sounded like a good idea to me as here people wear their robes a lot in unusual places, and since she was going to a public hospital the chances of her nice clothes getting stolen was high.  So, off we went.  Then we hit a traffic jam.  It is rush hour, of course!  We debate whether to go on a slower bumpy dirt road or wait out the traffic and go on the nice new road a mile down the road.  We get to the last chance turn off and I leave the decision up to Yulia.  She says stay in the traffic jam, “I’m fine...now.” she said.  Ahhhh  But, after about 10 min we are moving again and have smooth sailing until we get to the part of the city I’m not sure where to go.  Yulia knows, well, not exactly.  Misha has called on his cell phone about 10 times by now, Kevin once. HA!  We get to this strange part of the road where it swerves around and I end up going towards the mountains, which we know is wrong,  well we think so.  So we ask a passer by.  Usually they are the worst at directions, but we ask this guy and he knew the big street’s name at least, and I knew where we went wrong.  We get back on the road and it turned out to be a blessing because there was a huge traffic jam for left turners, and I had gone straight, U-turned and made an easy right turn!  We get almost to the hospital and Yulia stops talking so much.  Yes, contractions had started.  But, Misha was in sight, he was waiting on the corner for us.  We pick him up and 2 blocks later we are at the hospital.  There are cars everywhere.  Thankfully, I could just drop them off as they don’t allow anybody into the maternity ward except the expectant Mom’s. 

 

I get in crazy traffic but make it home by 7pm.  Kevin is on the computer but the kids aren’t home.  Right when I had to leave to get Yulia was when we were suppose to take our puppy to the vet!  The poor thing has PLAGUE!  UGh!  I didn’t even know that disease was around any more.  Well, it is (for dogs) here.  They took the puppy on the bus for a 5pm apt.  I get a little frantic and decide to go look for them.  Kevin is sure they are fine.  I head out and see bare legs in the lights of my car

on the street.  Noah is the only person in KZ who wears shorts, especially this time of year!  They were home and the puppy was in a bag.  I thought he had died, but they had carried him that way! HA!  They had gone to the Vet, but she was stuck in traffic because of an accident ahead of her.  She didn’t get there until 6:45. 

 

Sunday we found out more about the birth from Misha.  He tells us once they got to the hospital and the assistant checked Yulia they said she was in labor and the doctor should come.  The doctor asks Misha to pick her up!!!! Because of traffic it took him 3 hours to get there and back.  Thankfully it was their first child or it would have been born I think without them.  Since Misha isn’t allowed in the birthing unit, he decides to go teach his 9pm class of English, since it is only 5 blocks away! ah He is telling this with a straight face.  WE are in disbelief.  That was it.  He didn’t know anything else since he wasn’t there at the birth and Yulia was probably too tired to tell him.  The baby is small (6.3 lbs), but healthy and full-term.  They are suppose to be discharged some time today.  They didn’t find time this summer to have a septic system put in, so poor Yulia has to use an outhouse!  Now that I think is the toughest part of this whole ordeal.  

 

The reason they went to the hospital so far away, was that it had a special plan where you can pay the doctor of your choice instead of using the free service. They were suppose to have a pay as you go unit with private rooms too but they didn’t get that done in time for Yulia.  It was due to be done the end of Sept.  We are so happy this paying way opened up because if you go the “free” care way you have to pay bribes to everyone, ie. the nurses and doctors, for good care.  We have friends who the doctor didn’t give her numbing medicine before he started sewing her up because she didn’t pay him a bribe.  Another family, the wife had a stroke from a blood clot from her afterbirth not being carefully delivered.  It’s unbelievable, but true.  And these are the small sphere of people we know!

 

We thank God for protecting Misha, Yulia, and Liza.  He deserves all of our praise forever!  Amen.