I first saw Ella's face during the final minutes of her birth. The catch in my throat was instant: she was so still, and so quiet, and absolutely perfect. I was stunned by her beauty, and by the fact that, in that moment, she was not yet her own person. Instead, she was still a part of her mom, caught between nine months of miracles and an entire life of them, waiting for her life to begin.
It is hard, in one way, to believe that Ella is a year old, and yet at the same time, it's difficult to believe that she has been in our lives for such a short time. I have so many memories of her that it seems that she must have been here longer than that. For example, as an infant, Ella was snuggly, burrowing down into her orange fleece pocket for a nap, warm and cozy and tucked into safety.
I also remember that, at first, she looked exactly like Kelly, and then one day, her face broke into a smile that precisely mirrored Zach's, wide and easy and natural, and now she looks like both her parents. She has spent the last year loving Dewey, knowing that he is as much a part of her family as anyone, and loves to share (kisses, lunch, secret plans, etc.) with him. And this weekend, she spent her days giggling, dancing, singing, playing, and talking, as happy a baby as I have ever seen.
Ella, to me, is simply love personified.
I remember last December 18th and the moment after I first saw her face, Ella took her first breath. And in that instant, in a darkened hosptial room high above the chilly city lights, the entire world changed. It has been a little better ever since. 
Happy, Happy Birthday, sweet Ella.
No comments:
Post a Comment