Another meeting with the director

We were interested and confused about this eyeglasses thing. We asked our interpreter ask her mother (who used to be the doctor at Shelekov) to help us with this. In looking at the prescription, it was from May 2005. The director and medical assistant we spoke to today were also a little unclear about the glasses this, as Anya does not display any characteristics of a child who cannot see…and the prescription she has is for a child who can not see. Basically this glasses thing is a mystery to everyone. There is nothing in Anya’s medical record about it – there is one note about a vision exam, however the notes are very unclear. Anya’s bio mother did wear glasses, and there is information in Anya’s medical record that says her bio mother did not have any medical problems.

We asked for a second opinion on the eyeglasses issue. IN talking to the director and so on, they agree that we need another exam for her. So, another doctor will come to examine Anya either tomorrow or Friday to see about this eye thing. I guess this doctor is a specialist…we’ll see how that goes.

When she was transferred to Shelekov in March, she was given a full battery of medical tests again. She was tested for everything you can think of from AIDS to lung and kidney issues. All of her test came back saying she is a very healthy girl.

The director told us the Anya is one of the best-behaved children at the home.

The only thing that the director said negative was that she did not like the way Anya did not talk to us when we first start our visits. Of course that is all I heard, and Marty didn’t even notice she said it (glass half full or half empty?). She followed that comment with she thinks we play together well and that there have been so many changes in the past few months with her she is still adapting. Now that Anya is getting older, she isn’t so into hugs and being held like she was on our Trip #1. The director told us that this is very typical of children at this age. She just doesn’t know how to take it as she has never had someone hug her – she doesn’t understand what that’s all about.

The director was asking our interpreter a lot of questions about is that she couldn’t answer. She is just that, an interpreter not our adoption representative. They (the people at the orphanage) are preparing the paperwork for a court hearing and are asking a lot of questions about us for that. I think there is some confusion about all that. We have been asked to meet with the head of the guardianship department in Shelekov tomorrow. Apparently she is a very nice person, and just wants to meet us. This is pretty unusual. Also, we’ve been asked to spend some time with the director, and tell her about us – about what we do for a living, why we are choosing adoption, why Anya, what our plans are after we get her home and so on. At first I thought this was very strange, however, we called our friend in town who works with adoptions and he said that she is doing this because in court she will be asked to tell everything she knows about us. The more she knows, the better. It might look odd if the records show that we’ve spent so much time with Anya and the director know nothing about us.