Today was a really fun day. Peng Peng seemed to feel much better, so we decided to go on some adventures. We have really missed having other families to connect with, but with him being so sick, it really was a blessing. We can go at our own pace and our guide is great.
This morning we slept in, ate a feast, I mean breakfast, and then went to the Pearl Market. This is a big shopping mall filled with expensive jewels and pearls. Kathy brought us to the place she thought was best priced and we bought a necklace/ earring set for Abby (real ones, just not great quality) and Adam bought me my first pair of pearls (necklace and earrings). We bought Christian a blue gem that we will have my mom help us make into a necklace for one of his gotcha year's celebrations. We then went to Shaolmin Island. It is beautiful there. It was an Island controlled by the British until after world war two (even the local Chinese were refused access there). The buildings look European and even the ground is covered in cobblestones. We shopped for a few hours and bought several gifts for Christian and a gift each for AJ and Abby. There were several professional photographers and models walking around - our guide shared that magazines often go there for photo shoots. We were approached by three teenagers who needed to practice their Engish for a five minute conversation - it was fun talking with them!
We came home and rested for a while and then at night we got to go on the Pearl River Cruise. We ate dinner (buffet China-style where we were pushed and shoved to get food). The food was good and we enjoyed a clown for entertainment. Christian even got to spin a ball on his fingertip as part of the show. I couldn't help but shed a tear - I can't get over that it has only been one week that we have been together. Just over that he had only left the confines of his orphanage for one field trip and otherwise had known nothing else. I can see how overwhelming things are for him at times, but he just soaks it in like a sponge.
While on the cruise we got to go outside and look at the sites. There was a beautiful tower that lights up in all kinds of colors, and we looked at the moon. Today is a big holiday in China. It is called the Mid-Autumn Festival and it celebrates family and being together. Moon cakes are a common dessert (made with beans and fruit) and people look at the moon and release lanterns into the sky symbolizing we all look at the same moon and are all connected. I thought about my kids back home, who I miss so incredibly much right now, about our friends and family who have supported and encouraged us throughout this journey, and about our son's birth mom, who is most likely looking up at the same moon wondering where he is and what his life will become.
When we came home, we were tired, but needed to give Peng Peng his three medicines. We spaced them out as best as we could and he played like a crazy child (in a good way) in between. Once snuggles were happening in bed with his bedtime bottle he ended up all of a sudden throwing everything up. I feel so bad giving him all this medicine, but I must say he is starting to feel better - Praise the Lord! I am optimistic that come our big travels home he will feel up to it all :)
Peng Peng is now consistently signing "more" "help" "fish/ water (he uses the same sign for both things) and is now learning "shoes" "up" and "all done". We learned, "Mayola" which means "no more" and Ienee (rhymes with Heini) which means "I love you". We use those two phrases a lot :)
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