Medical Appointment

We had another easy day today. This morning we ate a quick breakfast, then went to the Medical Exam. It is a short cursory exam, but we did learn a few things. He is up to date on his vaccinations, so we do not even have to think about those. He is now 24 lbs, and almost 32", so he has grown since his last update we received in July. His hearing seems fine and his ears are clear. One of the doctors who checked him (there were 3) checked his special need and did not have much to say about it. He asked us what we had observed, which boils down to: we aren't sure. Elijah handled it very well. He only fussed a little and settled down quickly with a few banana toddler bite puffs. He loves those.

We spent quite a bit of time wandering around the island, poking around shops and talking with people. We also let Elijah play at the playground. His gross motor skills are on target, as are his fine motor skills. He seems to have been well taken care of. He knows what to do to have his nose wiped and his teeth brushed.

We finally got pizza for dinner last night. It was disappointingly bland. What I would do for a LaRosa's... To avoid the problem we had had the night before, we called at 4 pm to order delivery at 6 pm. To get the price over the amount needed for free delivery, we also ordered a half dozen bagels to eat for lunches. We were able to find some Skippy Peanut Butter in the store, so that made for a good lunch. Figuring out smooth from crunchy was a little tricky when the words are all in Chinese, but I managed.

For dinner tonight we returned to the Rose Garden on the river. That is where Greg ate chicken knuckles. He chose Cashew Chicken tonight, that I think tastes great, but is way too spicy to eat more than a bite or two. Elijah had Chicken Congee and a jar of baby veggies. I had beef stir fried with noodles again. It is so funny to go to one of these restaurants. You see things on the menu (that is pages and pages long, to the point of being overwelming) that just make you cringe or laugh. We have seen Pickled Plasma, Roast Duck Chest, Duck Chin, Chicken Feet in a sauce, Pig Lung Soup, Shark Fin Soup, and, of course, Chicken Soft Bones. Studying a menu that is in Chinese with enough English that you know should be taken with a grain of salt makes it very difficult to make a good choice for dinner. The Chinese do not use articles and frequently mix up their prepositions, in addition to these complications, they flat out misuse or misspell words. Once I find something on the menu that sounds edible, I tend to keep ordering that same dish. It is just easier that way. Fewer surprises. When I am handed one of these 8 page overwelming menus, I just remind myself that I only have to find one dish to eat.