Medical Exam Day

We ALL slept really well last night!  I think it was because the room wasn't so stinkin' hot!  The bellman turned on the AC when we got here.  We actually had to turn it off!  Le An woke up for a few minutes again around midnight (or at least I THINK he woke up) and I thought Tony got up and checked on him but he doesn't remember anything.

We went down to breakfast--another HUGE buffet.  We saw the CCAI families we were with in Zhengzhou and we saw more families, some with Holt.

We had to be ready to go in the lobby by 9:30.  We all got on a big bus (there's like 50 people total in our group including new children and traveling companions.  That's a big group!  I think we got spoiled in Zhengzhou being the only family and not having to wait for a group.  We saw Phoebe who we know from last time.  Then we saw Joyce who also recognized us.  They were excited to see a picture of Meighan.

The bus dropped us off at the place on Shamian Island where we got the visa photos taken.  We were done first (with one shot I might add!) so we waited for a few other families and they followed us to Michael's Place.  Michael was there and he actually remembered us.  He remembered Meighan had a cleft lip!  He told us he and his wife have another son who is 13 months old now!  I got some wipes because we are nearly out already (the poop is becoming more solid than it was the first couple of days!  Yippee!) and we ordered a chop for Le An.  We got chops for us last time.

We went back to the group to wait to leave for the medical exam.  On Saturdays the medical exam is only open till noon.  We finally got going and walked the short distance.  The place was CROWDED with adoptive families!  We filled out a short form (4 questions) and them we were told to get in the shortest lines we could and make sure we got to all 3 rooms.  It was hot in there!  First, we had the medical exam where they remove his diaper and check him over.  The doctor asked about his cough and how long he's had it.  We said 5 days but he's on medicine and it's getting better.  Next was the height, weight and temperature room.  He is 29" tall and weighs 23 lbs!  He has no temperature.  Next was the ENT room.  They checked his eyes, hearing and looked in his ears and in his mouth.  Very quick!  Then we were done.  He didn't cry at all!  Meighan cried in all 3 rooms!  Tony held Le An like he held Meighan and I took pictures.

We got ourselves put back together and we had about 50 minutes and we had to be back to the medical exam place to go to the bus.  We walked to Jordon and actually saw Jordon on the way so he wasn't in the main store but we looked around the other part of the store and found some Chinese Checkers sets that looked pretty nice.  (Back in Zhengzhou we asked Echo where we could get a set and first she suggested Walmart.  No, we want a nicer set.  Mr. Liu said he could get a set at the market so we gave him some money.  He ended up getting a cheap one so we still want a nicer one.). We also stopped in a store and got Le An a Chinese outfit.  Then we went to LUCY'S!

We ordered milk shakes (I was so hungry for a chocolate shake!) and cheeseburgers and fries.  It was taking a while to come so we asked for boxes.  We paid and got our food into boxes and they brought us some ketchup in a little container.  We walked back to the exam place and the Holt group was waiting for instructions.  We finally started walking and ended up just catching the bus on a regular street.  The streets on the island are pretty narrow.  Joyce told me that the medical exam place is supposed to be moving but hasn't gotten their license to move yet.  They will be moving off of Shamian Island maybe by the end of the month.

We got back to the hotel.  Le An had fallen asleep in the chunei before we got on the bus.  I carried him up to the room, laid him on the bed and he didn't wake up until 2 hours later!  At 3 pm I went down to the lobby for a paperwork meeting.  Catherine was there to help us with paperwork.  She recognized me and I showed her a picture of Meighan.  Everyone loves to see this picture.

After we finally got through the form we had to fill out, they told us about activities we could participate in--shopping, safari park, etc.  We will go to Shamian Island tomorrow on our own and take our laundry to Michael's Place like we did last time.  We'll do some shopping and then come back in time to go to the wholesale market pearl and jade market with the group.  We were there last time but I want to get another jade ring to put on my chain.  Maybe we'll find other things, too.

Monday, people will be going to the safari park but Le An is too young (and impatient) for a 1-hour bus ride each way and several hours in the park.  We will go back to Shamian to pick up our laundry, maybe do more shopping and there's also a park right near the hotel we may walk over to.

Our entire group (I think) went to a Chinese restaurant within walking distance of the hotel for supper.  Le An had had a bottle but was still hungry so he had some rice that I also liked.  I wasn't just plain rice.  There were orange wedges for dessert and they were GOOD oranges!  We walked back to the hotel and stopped at McDonald's for hot fudge sundaes.  Yum!  Our diet has gotten considerably worse since coming to Guangzhou!

Tonight after I changed Le An's diaper, we let him roll around and play on the bed.  We got video and pictures of Tony teasing him and tickling him and making him laugh.  He's so funny!  And after we got his pjs on, he was showing some interest in walking so we sat on the floor pretty close together and sent him back and forth between us.  He's already getting better at balance and actually takes 1-2 steps sometimes.  Leg strength is also an issue we're working on.

Tony is working on putting him to sleep while I write this.