One Determined Baby Girl

So it is clear by now...
That my angel..
My baby girl...
Had a will of steel...
And a heart of gold...
And definitely...
More than one trick...
Up her short little sleeves...

And so it should not come...
As a shock to any...
That even after...
Surprising everyone...
At Canuck Place last night...
That she had still...
One more mischief...
In store for all of us...

It turns out that there was...
Indeed a nenuphar...
And a lantern last night...
That both bore Ella's name...

A waterlilly for Ella...
And a lantern for Ella Jacqueline...

The waterlilly...
Came home with me...
But the lantern...
Stayed at Canuck Place...

Simply because...
There was a tenee tiny...
Little doubt in my mind...

And more so...
Because I needed to make sure...
Another parent would not be looking...
For "their" Ella's lantern...

So when I came home last night...
I emailed Laura at Canuck Place...
And told her if after verification...
They confirmed that Ella...
And Ella Jacqueline...
Were indeed one and the same...
I would not mind taking home...
The lantern for my family to enjoy...

I did not expect...
The answer I received...

That last night after the event...
All lanterns were dismantled...
Cleaned...
And packed up...

Including Ella Jacqueline's...
For yet another event...
To happen a year from now...

But upon a last walk through...
In the gardens this am...
Laura came across..
This one, sole...
Un-named...
Lantern...

I picture it...
Still hanging...
As though waiting...

And I can swear in that moment...
Of reading Laura's email ...
I could hear Ella giggle...
Loud and clear...

And say...
"Maman I made sure...
You did get to take the lantern home...
As you so wished to do...
For grand-maman to enjoy..."

It was even more comforting...
To have Laura tell me...
She had kept...
Ella Jacqueline's name tag...

Just as I know in my heart...
That Ella continues...
To illuminate my day...
Every day...

I love how...
Determined and driven...
She was...
And still is...

And how...
She goes out of her way...
To make sure...
I never forget it...

ELLA - Everyone Loves Little Angels

Lettre a ma fille

7 aout 2009

Ma tres chere petite Ella,

Aujourd'hui, a exactement 5h47am, il y aura un an que tu es nee. C'est avec le coeur gros et plein d'emotions que je t'ecris pour te souhaiter bonne fete. J'espere que le ballon auquel cette note est attache montera jusqu'au Paradis, a la Grande Table pour t'amener mes voeux et la photo de toi, papa et moi pour que tu ne oublies pas.

Saches ma petite cherie que tu es et resteras toujours ma petite fille et ma grande fille.

Maman est si fiere de ton courage et de ta determination. Tu t'es battue a la vie, a la mort comme je n'ai jamais cru possible et tu as defie toutes les attentes de l'quipe medicale.

Ton sourire moqueur, tes petits pieds dansants, tes poses lounges et relaxes et ton odeur, ta douce peau et ta rippe sur Papa resteront a jamais graves dans ma memoire.

Tu as touche un si grand nombre de gens Ella - Sainte Ella - bien des gens sont changes a jamais grace a ton courage!

Permets-moi maintenant de te chanter " Ma chere Ella c'est a ton tour de te laisser parler d'amour'"

Je t'aime,
Maman