Being with Ella is exciting now because she is doing so much more than ever before. New things are happening every day – like holding her little bottles by the handles. Her command over the pacifier is much greater and she is much more interested in all her toys. She can operate her musical Mozart cube and has figured out how to let the cow out of the barn in her little ranch house! We had the long-awaited BBQ last weekend with the families of Haley and Will, two other toddlers who’ve had hemispherectomies at Children’s by Dr. Black within the recent past. I felt encouraged to meet them. Both kids are doing very well – walking and talking now. Each family has traveled their own road, yet there were so many similar junctions. We had so much to talk about. I’m becoming convinced now of what I have heard before: these are happy kids with sweet dispositions. I don’t know why and I have no idea how such a generalization can be made. Maybe, they have no brain left to spare for negative behaviors.