I'm very excited to leave and get baby Zoie, but the thought of being away from Ella for 10 days makes my heart hurt. I hope she is happy and stays busy while I'm gone. It will be very helpful for us to talk on Skype while I'm there and I'm leaving her a note and small present (playdoh, bath toy, chocolate, etc.) for each day that I'm gone. I leave her notes in the mornings a lot when I have to go to work, but these days she gets a present, too.

I definitely think it was a great decision for Mark to travel to ET early and then stay home with Ella while I go. If I had to leave her knowing that both of her parents were gone, I would be a mess. I know she will be doing fun things with her Daddy and I will not worry one bit about her safety. I will just miss her.