Our Family

Like her big brother Ben, Elan came into this world several weeks early with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Nurses leaped into action with oxygen, a warming bed and a quick visit to the Neonatal ICU with Elan’s Daddy right at her side. She arrived fast that day and continued to be fast as she grew into a delightful little girl. Maybe she knew she only had three years to pack it all in.

As a little girl all grown up she pushed her toy stroller around the kitchen with her babies – potatoes – tucked in with a blanket. She helped Mommy put the detergent in the washing machine. She played Barney games on the computer with her Daddy, a treasured bedtime ritual. And she taught us to make animal sounds according to the picture in her animal book. Even butterflies had a sound – whoosh, whoosh, whoosh . . . . it sounded exactly like hearing your baby’s heartbeat on an ultrasound. 

Elan adored her big brother Ben who was four years older. He let her call him Benny, but that was only for her. They made up games, built couch-cushion forts and played with play dough. While stories were read in their own beds, we usually woke to find Elan in Ben’s upper bunk. They both loved Stompin’ Tom Connors and the dance parties which ensued. They were the best of friends.