Switching Cities

Yesterday was a long day. We started out by doing most of our packing in preparation for our flight at 6:30. We then took a taxi to the Bazaar to do some souvenir shopping. Sitting in front of a taxi in Shanghai is like a ride at Disney World......you think your going to crash or run into a pedestrian about every three seconds only to swerve at the last moment. Very thrilling.
As soon as we got to the Bazaar we ran into a couple from Washington DC who were adopting their second daughter. We discovered they they actually know one of the couples we traveled with to adopt our daughter 3 years ago that live in the DC area. Amazingly small world sometimes.
We picked up our final paperwork and headed for the airport. Due to the timing Sprout skipped her nap. On the plane ride she was very good. Toward the end the lack of a nap kicked in and she got slap happy. Much better than the potential opposite reaction. We got a very pleasant surprise on our way to GZ. We found out our guide this week is the same one we had last year when we adopted Pudding. It is certainly nice having somebody you already know and trust during this adventure.
We also met three of the other families we'll be spending time with this week. Its always fun comparing stories and meeting the other kids.
This morning we all slept until after 8:00! Of course, it is also the morning that we have to meet our guide promptly at 9:00 so we made a mad dash through breakfast. Sprout was not too pleased that we didn't have the usual hour to make our way through the entire breakfast buffet, especially when she discovered they had shrimp dumplings.
We met up with the rest of our group and made our way to Shamian Island for the standard medical exam for the children. We stayed on the island last year so it was nice to go back for a visit. It is so relaxed and laid back (not to mention a great place to shop). When we arrived, the waiting room was empty so we were quickly escorted back to each of the areas (general checkup, ENT, cardiology). It's a good thing too because soon after we got there the waiting room filled with more thirty other families. It was a madhouse full of newly adopted children and their families. One funny tidbit: The doctor doing Sprout's checkup kept looking at her and looking at her chart. He even asked for the Chinese version of her medical files we have. He took them and made copies and studies them intently. I was beginning to worry when our translator came to the room and he quickly asked her a question. He was concerned because her lips were so blue and she doesn't have a heart condition that would do that. Ummm, guess who gave her a blue sucker right before we walked into the appointment?!?! Thank goodness he found that to be funny and we were quickly on our way.
The rest of the day was open so Stu and Sawyer went to the pool while I stayed in the room with Sprout who took a great nap! After that we went exploring in the area around our hotel and bought a new stroller. Sprout does NOT like the baby carrier I brought for her and loves, loves, loves to be in a stroller. I think she would sit in their all day if we let her. Stu is a master bargainer and was able to get a pretty good deal on a nice stroller so we have one happy little girl.
It's amazing how much Sprout is continuing to come out of her shell. We have had a few more brief spells of grief but for the most part she is a very happy little girl. She laughs constantly and finds the most random things absolutely hysterical. She is really starting to mimic words we say and is using "mama" and "papa" regularly. We've started using sign language with her and she has already picked up the signs for "more" and "all finished". I'm quite sure that "food" and "drink" aren't too far behind. We are seeing a lot of typical 2-year-old behavior and a few temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way, but this is reassuring as she feels comfortable enough with to show us her true colors.