Ava's third day with us

We started the morning with playtime on Mommy and Daddy's bed















Do you notice anything different about Ava? I won't make you strain too hard...look at her earlobes. Yes, we finally removed the red strings from her earlobes and replaced them with jade earrings we purchased yesterday at the Tax Market (dept. store). We also got her some saphire earrings because saphire is her birth stone. I had the earring posts on the jade earrings shortened so they wouldn't poke her behind the ears. The sapphire ones will be for later. We bought rubbing alchohol to soak the earrings but it took me 24 hours to get the courage to put the earrings in.

It wasn't fun removing the red strings from her earlobes because the skin had grown around the strings and I could see I pulled some skin off when the strings were finally removed. I don't know if you noticed in her previous pictures the red strings in her ears. She's had those red strings ever since she left the hospital going to the orphanage. I don't think she was screaming on top of her lungs because I pulled the strings but because we had to lay her down and restrain her arms so I wouldn't tear her earlobes. There were sweat beads literally rolling down my neck. I think those earrings will stay on her until she's five!!

Oh yeah, in the middle of the jade earring is a gold symbol which represents "Happiness". I thought that was so appropriate for our daughter because she is just that! ;-) After about 20 seconds of installing the earrings, she was looking around as if nothing ever happened. But as you can see, she fell asleep in the hotel lobby as we were getting ready to go shopping at the big outdoor market. Already a full morning for my little Ava!