Feeding Oneself on Shamian Island

---

Greetings!

Julia's super-accelerated developmental progress continues as she suddenly started feeding herself yesterday (hand to mouth). She lacked the fine and gross motor abilities to do this up until now. Babies in the States developing at a normal pace are usually expected to start feeding themselves around 9 months so this represented a typical adoption-associated motor delay for her. But as with most of these delays, intense love, attention, nutrition, hygiene, and frequent active physical play are initially the best form of therapy, resulting usually in the surprisingly accelerated developmental catch-up we're seeing in Julia's progress.

Shannon, Emma, and the Grandparents went to the Guangzhou Pearl Market yesterday. (More on that later as Emma wants to do her very first blog post to you all later today! She even shot her own pictures!)

Joshua and baby Julia and I had a good walk around Shamian Island. It is a beautiful island with a fascinating history. (More on that later too!)

GI distress has affected several people in our group but our family is hoping to avoid tummy troubles before the end of the trip. The CDC now suggests using pro-biotics and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol) as prophylactics against traveler's diarrhea for adults. For kids we avoid the aspirin-containing pepto and just use the pro-biotic which can even be given to the babies.

Hopefully later today we'll have 2 new posts from each of the kids as they venture on their first trip into the Blogosphere!

Shannon and I want to thank you all again for your heartfelt wishes, comments, and prayers that have supported us so well during this entire process. Thanks so very much!

JC

---