C E L E B R A T I O N (s)

N E D

These three letters represent the phrase our oncologist uttered to us over the phone last evening.

"NO EVIDENCE of DISEASE"

In other words, Ari's MRI yesterday morning looked "beautiful" according to Dr. Becca!  We originally were supposed to find out the results next Wednesday when we travel to clinic to meet with the whole team; however, Dr. Becca didn't want for us to have to wait (yeah, she's amazing).  So, we celebrate!  We cry.  We smile.  We are thankful for such good doctors and nurses.  We are thankful for God who continues to teach us how to be good stewards of the story we've been given.  And, we are thankful for you.

We are still awaiting the results of his CSF that should be completed on Monday, but it is a good sign that his MRI is clear.

Our friends in Chicago who we've spoken of many times call it moment by moment grace.  We are simply thankful for this moment because that is all we have, all we can truly experience.  We work to not project into the unknown for fear it would remove us from this moment, or any moment, for that matter.  So, we sit here in Portland at the Ronald McDonald House overlooking downtown, and we try to rest in this moment.  We are thankful God granted us peace during the MRI process and being away from Ari for so long, so much longer than usual.  We are thankful for Ari and how God knit
him together.  We are thankful he continues to be strong in the midst of persistent vomiting and
frustration with an inability to physically accomplish what he desires but what his body won't yet
allow.

Almost time to go back

Ari licking Momma's shoulder right before sedation.

Still a little groggy, but he always wakes up so happy from sedation.  Nurse Jan was so nice to have him snuggled up with some warm blankets!

While we're at it, why don't we just celebrate something else...

No, that's not a food baby.  Surprise to all of us, we have a new peanut joining our family in July!

We are definitely excited that our family is growing.  Obviously, there are fears that come along with it, but we, again, are trying to live into this moment and no other ones in the future.  We're not always successful at it, though!

Thanks for joining with us in our C E L E B R A T I O N (s)!

While We Wait

 It has been an interesting season of waiting.  While we wait for the next MRI, we have been trying to find a new "normal" for our family.  Ari's counts continue to recover.  We are down to once a week office visits for transfusions.  It is nice to only make the long trip once a week now.  While at home, we spend a lot of time playing and working on physical therapy.  Ari is still stuck at home for the most part while his body continues to recover.  Protecting him from germs is still a big priority for us. We definitely try to get out for walks when it is nice.  We are grateful for those sunny days.

Ari continues to regain strength lost while being sick in the hospital for a month.  He has been sitting up with us more and really loves to read books.  Unfortunately, sitting up still makes him throw up often.  Although his vomiting has decreased overall, he continues to battle with it.  We've noticed he is much more nauseous being on TPN.  Some of his best hours are the 9 hours he is not hooked up during the day.  We're thankful for those hours.  He has also become quite adept at rolling all over the floor, flirting with every blunt corner or furniture piece he can get to.  It keeps us on our toes!

As we sat around as a family the other day, I (Colby) was kissing Ari's cheek when, to my surprise, he giggled.  He giggled!  He hasn't giggled since before that February 25th night when Dr. Romanoski told us we were being directly admitted to Riverbend Hospital for an MRI the next day.  So, what do you think I did?  I kept kissing his cheek to hear him giggle more, of course.  Enjoy!

We celebrate all of these things.  We also yearn for further restoration and healing for our little man.  We pray, specifically, that Ari will regain the strength and coordination to sit on his own, to crawl, and to eventually walk and run around.  We pray he regains the ability to use his stomach for nutrition and for his ability to re-learn how to eat and drink.  We pray he and all his fellow fighters are healed of their diseases.  We pray that through Ari's story, people will become more aware of children being diagnosed with cancer everyday.  We also pray that through Ari's story, all will be affected on a soul level, driving them deeper into wonder and hope.  We pray all of these things today, on the first day of his MRI week, but, we don't reserve these prayers just for times like these.  We pray these things daily as we wait for each next step.

For now, we continue to discover what our new "normal" is for our family.  Our days may be filled with central line flushes and TPN, but we celebrate that there is more time spent playing with toys and enjoying one another at home.  We will try to be better about updating all of you following Ari's story.  Thanks, as always, for continuing to walk with us.  

We've had some awesome weather here recently.  So, it's meant more outside time!

The kid just loves his tongue!

Playing with Momma's hair.

We are thankful for friends who take a day to go with Jenny up to Portland to help relieve some burden of a long day.