As I start to wrap up this time of Ella's last 3 years, including the rough beginning of her life, I'm reminded about how blessed I am to be Ella's mother. She's mine. She looks like me. She laughs at my jokes. She loves me...and I don't need her to speak the words for me to know it. 
(Thank you Katherine Kramer for this picture)
This past weekend we had some great friends in town (more on this later) but they have two daughters (and one on the way). Kaylee will be 7 in July and Reese will be 3 in August (3 months younger than Ella). In some ways it was so difficult to see two healthy and active girls running circles around E, but they were SO sweet to her. Most kids just ignore Ella. She doesn't play with them or do any of the things that they do. I was explaining Ella's gait trainer to Kaylee and how we are teaching her to walk...she asked "Can I take her on a walk tomorrow?" as if it was so easy for her to just walk with Ella around the block, and it made my heart smile. She knew Ella was different and couldn't do the same things, but she didn't put any limitations on her either, I so tend to do that. Reese would hold Ella's hand and play with her, and Ella never protested, I think Reese liked someone who would just LET her play with her, no complaints! Kaylee asked "Why doesn't she play with her Barbie doll?" (Ella has a lot of dolls and toys still in their boxes in her room). I tried to explain to her that Ella doesn't have the same imagination that she does, and when she asked "why?", because all kids do, I tried to explain that when she was born her brain got hurt. She promptly told Ella "I'm sorry your brain hurts". They never left her out. They would always make sure that she was right there. My heart was healed a little this weekend by two little girls.
(Picture is of Reese and Ella talking and holding hands after swimming this weekend)
(Picture is of Reese and Ella talking and holding hands after swimming this weekend)