Written November 4, 2012 6:09am

People ask us all the time how are we doing. I love that question. It means people care. It is such a great feeling to know that people care. I usually answer with “Given the circumstances, I’m doing pretty well.” This is either followed up by a few deep breaths to swallow up the tears or a quick and pithy explanation on how she is doing and how fortunate we are.

I think a better response to this question is that there are moments when I am doing okay and there are moments when I am not doing okay. Yesterday there were more moments where I was not okay than usual. It was a hard day. Everything is absolutely fine with Ellen – she even gained weight! –  but Mike and I would really like to have our daughter home.

So instead of talking about the monotony of the NICU or giving the daily stats on Ellen (which haven’t changed), I’m going to start a list of things that I already love about Ellen.

1. I can already she her dad in her.

This is special. Now I know that she is crazy little and not fully developed (hence the NICU) but there are times when I see her personality come through. Nature can be powerful. Every now and then she has the exact same sleep positions as her dad. It’s fun to look down at her and see that similarity. This picture is just one example of how she stretches and repositions herself into something more comfortable. It is not uncommon for me to wake up next Mike and see him in the exact same position.

I love that.