6 YEARS OLD

Ella Nancy Dennison born July 16, 2004! Before Ella was born I had very little contact with children or babies. But when she arrived I learned lessons I didn't know I needed to learn. Ella showed me how much I could love someone else, she showed me how my heart could just keep growing with each new life. I remember wondering how I could love her so much.

I was lucky enough to be at the hospital when she was born and be one of the first people to touch her sweet hand.

Ella turned one the day I arrived how from a month long visit to Germany to see Shawn. She walked to me for the first time that day and sat in my lap for most of her presents.

When she turned 2 we where living in Virginia , but she still remembered me. Some where around here or before I was dubbed "Nenni" since the "J" was hard. But I was so touch that she always recognized me that I didn't care what she called me. Now it has stuck and all of my Sammi and Wyatt will call me Nenni too. It is worth noting that this is the birthday where Shawn organized a pepper eating contest and long story short made himself very sick...but it was very funny and I was given future boycotting rights on all food related contests :)

Her third birthday at Chuckie Cheese, I had just moved home from Kansas just a few weeks pregnant with John Robert. It was wonderful to have her across the street as my belly grew. I remember talking to everyone about his name, that we would call him "Johnny" and Grams and Pops would call him "Jack" and Uncle Tommy liked "Ace." But Ella stood in front of all of us and very confidently said...."How bout we all call him John Robert, that is his name."

It appears that after Johnny was born I didn't want to be in any more pictures :) Ella has always been an amazying big cousin, she has been there every step of the way for Johnny and now Lily ( not to mention Wyatt and Samantha, she takes care of them all.
For Ella's fourth birthday we where living in Kansas and couldn't come back. It broke my heart that this would be the first birthday I would miss. I felt like I was missing her growing up, but the truth is, if you blink you will miss it.

When she turned 5 we where more then lucky to be living 30 minutes away, as we do now. I made her this special bunny, with an embroidered "5" on it's foot. There was a point when I called her "rodent." But she released that a rodent is a rat and asked me very politely to not call her that any more. Since then I have tried to convince her that a bunny is a rodent, but she hasn't taken the bait yet.

6 Years ago Ella was the only baby in my life, now I can't take a step without one connected to my leg. But some how some time in the last year she left baby life and toddler life behind and jumped head first into being a real kid. Picking out her own cloths, getting into fads (silly bracelets) and defendantly having a mind of her own. I can't ever imagine or remember what life was like before her, she has just always been here!

I love you Ella girl, Happy SIXTH birthday!