We headed out after breakfast to a shopping plaza like none I've ever seen! First of all, it was raining. I forgot to change from my flip-flops to my shoes and let's just say the flip-flops were smooth on the bottom. I was slipping every few steps. The walkway was a super smooth stone. I was glad to get indoors.
The mall was covered walkways and laid out very differently than in the United States. It was six stories tall! We tried to borrow a stroller from the hotel but they were all out. So, with our baby and her terrible heat rash, we had to carry her. She does walk, but is a very new "walker". With the combination of crowds, a new walker, and just dirt.....we had to carry her.
Here was a different section of the shopping area. Notice how wet the sidewalks are. Not good for flip-flops!
Then to our rescue was Annette. She is in our Lifeline group and is here without her husband. He is home with their other children. Annette had a hotel stroller but was on a mission to find one while shopping that she could take home with her. So, she gave us her stroller and she bought one of her own.
I found out that Annette's little one at home took the liberty to re-pack some of their things. In doing so, Annette had no toys for her baby girl. So, we purchased a toy for her to have. We actually bought one for Mariah as well. When we got dropped of at the hotel at 2 in the morning here in Guangzhou, we left Mariah's purple backpack on that van. Guess what was in that backpack.......all of Mariah's toys! After chewing on a few things that she should not, we bought her a new toy. She is getting a few teeth and wants to chew.
We put Mariah in the stroller and she was fine until we had to take her down on an escalator. She was petrified! We are pretty sure it was her first time in a stroller and that did it for her.
We were able to find a cute pair of sandals for her. This was a great store and had quality shoes at great prices. Shoe sizing is all over the place here. There
is no standard for shoe sizes. She may be a size 14 in one style but a size 3 in another. The best way to shop is try them on! Here are her new shoes!!
We bought a few other small things.....Pleasant Goat being one. It is a DVD of an extremely popular cartoon here in China. Mariah lights up when she sees this character. So, we had to get her a DVD of her favorite cartoon.
We came back to the hotel and decided to get some pictures of this beautiful place. There was a wedding happening and the bride was beautiful!!! She was standing outside of the banquet room greeting her guests.
We took some more pictures of this beautiful place and decided to share here what our "home" away from home is like. The mural pictured below is behind the front desk. Jeremy read up on it and apparently it took 7 months to complete.
This is a picture above the second set of glass doors as you walk into the lobby.
One of my favorite parts of this lobby is the woodwork and the spiral wooden staircase.
This is a picture of the beautiful flowers greeting you as you walk into the lobby.
Then a super sweet friend I met on our Facebook group saw our sweet Mariah and knew she was miserable. She knocked on my door and rescued me by giving us some of her very own Benadryl for her baby. She just brought one of the hotel glasses with plenty of Benadryl. Christy, thank you so very much! This rash on Mariah is awful.
I discovered something very sweet about Mariah. To get her to sleep, I can sing to her. How lovely is that? She was fighting sleep then screamed with me holding her and walking trying to get her to sleep. Then I just started singing to her. She settled right down. I refuse to just lay her down in her crib to sleep. After walking the halls of her orphanage, I am certain that is how she was put to sleep every day for 18 long months. I want her to know that her life is vastly different now. So if singing does it, then sing to her I will.
We went shopping to find water and Pepsi for my dad. We found the Trust Mart which must be owned by Walmart. The brands there were Great Value. I have never experienced a city or cities that were as difficult to maneuver as it is here. There are very few ramps. There are stairs everywhere! They do not have handicap accessible anything here. I cannot imagine anyone in a wheelchair. We were frustrated with a stroller but a wheelchair?
Anyhow the groceries were in the basement floor of that store. Since there was only an escalator and Mariah was in the stroller, I stayed upstairs. Jeremy decided it was too much of a madhouse down there. Instead we went to a 7Eleven (yes that is actually the name of them here just like the States.)
Tonight was a lazy night in the hotel until bedtime and Skyping with the family. We spoke with Tammy and our kids in Columbus. Poor kids still have so much congestion and coughing. They cannot wait to get their hands on Mariah. We cannot wait to have their arms around our necks and hugs and kisses all around! Our trip is winding down now. I cannot wait to get back and see my kiddos there. My sister Skyped me this afternoon at 1:30pm for me but 1:30am for her and my Ben woke her up with his coughing. He slept through it. I had her wake him and use his inhaler. She will likely have him to his pulmonologist later today. At the least she is making a phone call. I'm glad they are in Columbus close to Ben's doctors.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a trip to the zoo but I think we have decided that Mariah needs a low key day here at the hotel. Too much stimlation is not quite what she needs.
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