Moments and Milestones

Summer has not failed to fly by and Ella is now two and a half months old. And a full two months they have been. Ella continues to amaze us with her progress and everyday she grows more beautiful. We have had many moments and many milestones. Here are just a few...

Calaway Park- Ella slept the whole day, but Jakob had a good time.



Ella’s first trip to the beach...sorta (it was just buffalo jump park but hey that’s as close as we get here in Alberta)



At the end of July Ella took her first plane ride to BC. There she was able to meet all of her admirers, go swimming for the first time, play with second cousins and experience the Sun Festival Parade, Granville island, Stanley park and all the other reasons we love Vancouver.



Just days after we arrived back home we dedicated Ella to the Lord. Despite the unknown, which is the root of all of my fears I can say confidently that I KNOW God has a special plan for my little girl – the same way that I know he will use Jakob in amazing ways. In front of family and friends we committed to raising Ella in the knowledge and love of our Saviour who created and sustains all life... and lives. We gave her willingly and with the knowledge that no matter what God has planned for her life, whether it be short or long, her life is His.

The statistics are staggering – In 2002 it was found that 91-93% of pregnancies diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the United States were aborted. Look at my little girl and tell me she doesn’t deserve to live. Parents of children with Down Syndrome know the value of every life and what a blessing it is to know that we will be surrounded by these people.

At 2 months Ella is weighing in at 11 pounds 23 inches which puts her in the 95^th percentile for little girls with Down Syndrome (the growth charts are different as children with down syndrome tend to grow slower and once full grown are often shorter than the average adult. For example the average height for an adult female with Down syndrome is 4 feet 9 inches.)

Ella has mastered smiling and chooses to do so often.  She continues to grow stronger and has rolled herself over from tummy to back a number of times.

On Monday, we went to our first Ups and Downs coffee morning (the Calgary Down Syndrome Society) and are looking forward to meeting more parents and kids who have been given this special gift of one extra chromosome...it kinda makes you wonder what went through God’s head when he orchestrated that. There is a whole new community to discover and get involved in and perhaps that is just one more reason God gave us Ella.