3 months with Ava

                                Ava 10/21/2012                                 Ava 3 months later

Our scared, shy little girl has the biggest smile and the biggest personality I've ever seen. She's such a happy little girl, you'd think she has lived with us all of her life! She's confident and spunky, certainly not shy and timid. She's smart and doesn't forget anything! We love her to pieces and we are so happy that God sent us halfway around to world to get her. We can't even imagine life without our sweet little Ava Michelle LeHai!!

About Ava:

*Ava loves to be the center of attention.
*She is not shy about meeting new people, even doctors.
*She can be very stubborn at times--she definitely has her own opinion about things.
*She is slowly learning English, but she seems to understand EVERYTHING that we say.
*I think she really understands that she is loved!
*We truly have not experienced much grieving. There have been no signs of it in anything she does.
*She has gained about 4 lbs since we got her.
* She is so much stronger and can run and walk and climb without falling.
*She is an excellent sleeper, and sleeps in her big bed by herself. Sleeps about 11 hours at night and most days takes an hour nap.
*She loves to be touched, and rocked and hugged and held.
*She loves her doggies.
*She loves to play with her baby dolls and take care of them. She has obviously watched her caretakers take care of infants. She's so gentle.
*She calls me mommy, and all other women and even her sisters mama. She can say Laura and Christine, but she still calls them mama too.
*She loves to run around the house naked and take a bath.
*Ava loves music and loves to sing.
* Sometimes she doesn't eat very well, but she will always eat yogurt, and fried rice! Her favorite foods are Stoneyfield yo-toddler yogurt, fried eggs, maple brown sugar oatmeal, chicken fried rice, chick fil a, chicken wings, wonton soup, hot and sour soup, peaches, watermelons and milk. Not a very good vegetable eater.
*She loves to go bye-bye.
*She loves to brush her teeth.
*She has wonderful fine motor skills and coordination with her hands. Ex. writing, threading beads, etc.
*She's a good helper and follows me around all the time. Helping fold laundry, clean the dishes, take out the dogs...
*If you give her a cell phone, she will babble and babble. I'm sure she's saying something, we just don't know what.
*From all the tests that we have had, the doctors that we have seen, and from what we see; we totally believe that Ava does not have any special needs at all. She is healthy, smart, and she is learning so quickly. She has the normal delays from living in an orphanage and not being stimulated or having the proper nourishment, but other than that, she is perfect.