Shamian Island

Today it was a no appointment day for us!  Yea!  The only agenda was to go to Shamian Island.  This island is where adoptive families used to stay since the US Consulate and the Medical Clinic used to be located on this island.  However it has since moved out, and now what is left on the island are the shops tailoring to adoptive families. 

Once again at breakfast Lauren was fussy, so I went back up and wore her in the ergo.  This seems to keep her calmer.  I think she feels safer when she is in the ergo.  She certainly will tell us when she likes something or not.  The first bowl of congee I tried to feed her was the plain one and I added eggs to it, but she made a protest.  When I tasted it, I realized it was very bland, so Dad went and got her another bowl of the flavored one and she had no problem eating that.  She also discovered bacon and loved it!

 Shamian Island is very beautiful.  It looks like you have stepped back into colonial times. There is a park atmosphere throughout the island.  We bought Lauren shoes as the shoes I brought with me are still too big for her.  She also got some chinese dresses to wear when we get home.  My favorite was a t-shirt that said "Made in China".  After a stop at Starbucks we headed back to the hotel.

Dinner was at a small noodle and dumpling place.  It is a place that one of the other families had been the first night they arrived.  Our guide had written on a piece of paper what to order, so with that three families headed to the noodle shop and ordered.  They set up chairs and tables for us to sit on the sidewalk.  The noodle man makes the noodle fresh in the window as the orders are placed.  Lauren LOVES noodles.  She can eat a whole order of soft noodles.  And if I do not feed her fast enough then she will make stretching noises for me to feed her faster.  Feeding a baby noodles on chopsticks is not easy!  I was eating dumpling and she decided that she wanted it, so on top of the noodles, she also ate two dumplings. This place was good, and cheap.  Seven adults and 3 children ate for $16 dollars!

Lauren is learning new things everyday.  She is not speaking yet, but is making chinese baby babbling sounds.  I will ask the guide to see if any of it are words that she can make out.  She is also getting more confident in playing with her toys.  If I tell her to push the button on her toy, she will do it so that the music can play.  She is also having more fun with the stacking cups and her baby doll.  She has  learned how to kiss the baby doll and it is so sweet.  Will have to take a picture of that.  This is her first exposure to toys as she did not play with toys in the orphanage.  The toys that I sent via the care package was returned to us by the orphanage unused when we got her at Gotcha Day.  Now she can entertain herself with the toys allowing me time to shower.  She is still refusing to sit on the high chair or the stroller.  We tried the stroller yesterday, but she screamed bloody murder until I took her out.  She is also having a hard time with bath time.  Although with this one, I am not surprised remembering how she was bathed in the orphanage.  So for now I have to get into the bathtub with her.  I think she is also getting more comfortable in her sleep.  The first night, although she slept for a long time, she did not move, and was stiff as a board.  Now she moves around, and turns herself around.  She does wake up a few times and feels for me, but goes back to sleep.

P.S.  We now have success in the poo poo department so all is well!  She was the last  baby in the group to go!