Calif. couple barely escape Ukraine with days-old newborn
Minutes after Jessie Boeckmann started her trek with her 4-day-old infant toward the Ukrainian-Polish border in 30-degree weather, she questioned whether she'd made the right choice.
The 39-year-old Costa Mesa, California, resident held Vivian in a baby carrier, underneath her down jacket, a swaddle and a blanket to block the brutal wind chill. She worried it wouldn't be enough and Vivian would freeze to death. Her husband, Jacob Boeckmann, carried their two suitcases.
Every 10 to 20 minutes, the couple checked to make sure that Vivian was warm enough and still breathing. Several elderly women who were part of the westward exodus of panicked refugees fleeing the Russian advance shook their heads or shared a disapproving look.
"What have I done to my sweet angel?" Jessie, an ophthalmologist, thought to herself. "This could be the worst decision I've ever made."
The couple were 26 hours into an ordeal that had begun early Thursday, when artillery explosions and woke them
