Sunday am update

Talked with Ted again last night. Thank goodness I have some AT and T phone cards. First off he didn't get to post anything because Asia Mountain updated their computer to Windows XP-thus losing all the pictures he had downloaded. He still have the pictures on the card, just not on the computer. They have the passports and visas by the grace of God. Apparently they went to the embassy again and they still weren't ready! The facilitator was speaking to someone outside and an offical came walking by their little group. This offical found out that the young children were being adopted and needed their visas so they could go home. Whoever he was welds some power becasue I guess he marched inside and MADE the embassy personnel stay late and finish those visas--and I understand that took 2 hours! So please everyone say a prayer of gratitude to this unknown person.
Ted also has some concerns with Alihan. I swear I wish he would give himself some credit. Anyone who has meet Ted knows he has the patience of a saint--after all he deals with me on a daily basis! He is also exceptionally good with children--their are quite a few parents who can attest to that--he coaches soccer and hockey and the kids LOVE him. Anyways, Alihan is affectionate with everyone, has taken to screaming when they go into buildings, and doesn't really want hugs. However, he does make eye contact (I checked this went we met him and then again when I talked with Ted last night), the screaming resolves fairly quickly, he willingly takes Ted's hand when they walk and he does appear to be more affectionate with one person (a grandmotherly type person who cooks at Asia Mountain). Once I got talking with Ted about this, I actually felt relief. If Alihan WASN'T doing some of these things I would be very concerned! He isn't doing any acting for Ted's benefit and this is all normal post orphanage behavior, plus I'm sure the language barrier doesn't help. Rauan had some of those things and look at him now. I remember him screaming part of the way home--in particular from Detroit to Madison. Although the children are usually happy to have a family, they have never learned to act like they are part of a family and I'm sure that affection was inconsistent. I remember reading that it really takes a child the same amount of time they were in an orphanage to readjust to a family type world and catch up to their apprpriate age level. Thinking back with Rauan that is about right. He was 26 months when we brought him home. It was a good 6 months until there was that comfort level among all of us, a year for everything to appear "normal" and really 2 years for everything to be normal! While Rauan is exceptionally smart, emotionally it took him a while to reach his age--emotionally. I expect that to be the very minimum for Alihan.
Anyways, they are leaving for Almaty on Monday am as planned. SOON--soon my husband will be home. YEAH!!!! The hour countdown is almost here--instead of the nasty and way too many days countdown.