Ari is turning 3!

I freakin' love birthdays.  There's nothing better than cake, goody bags, presents, friends, and parties. And most importantly, there's nothing that compares to the annual celebration of life. 

I can't help but feel a little weepy and a lot giddy about Ari's upcoming 3rd birthday.  In three years, he has experienced a whole lot of happy, of sad, of scary, of funny, and of fun.  I've never admitted this, but multiple times over the last year and a half, I've worried that Ari wouldn't celebrate a 3rd birthday.  Every drug Ari has received and every procedure he's undergone and every time he is put to sleep under general anesthesia I sign a waiver that always notes that a possible side effect is... (I can't even type it without sobbing...) death.  But I've signed it with hope and with courage and with belief in our medical team.  And those drugs and procedures have kept him alive.

He's alive!  More than alive.  Have you seen him lately? 

He can jump on a trampoline for an hour.  He knows every Wiggles song by heart.  He tells jokes.  He gives hugs and kisses to his sister.  He tells me he loves me.  He loves to learn.  He happily goes to school.  He has a ton of friends.  He even has a girlfriend. 

He has always been special and unique.  He remains the coolest kid I could ever imagine.  He is my hero.

So on Tuesday, we will celebrate his life.  And yes, he will have to go to the clinic to receive chemo on his birthday, but rather than be sad, I will remain hopeful that this cocktail of drugs will enable him to celebrate a 4th birthday and a 5th and on and on.  The chemo is the best gift he can receive.

On Tuesday, we are also going to celebrate Ari's life by giving gifts to the kids who are currently on the Oncology floor in the hospital.  Many of our friends and family have ordered through the hospital's wish list, and others have dropped gifts off at our house.  Every day is a celebration of life.  (Feel free to party with us by ordering something small on the Amazon registry.)

Two more days...