Oliver's 10th Birthday!

Monday, July 11, 2011 - "HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, OLIVER!!!"

Today was Oliver's 10th birthday! I honestly didn't think we would make it to this day. It is so hard to think and plan for the future because you just don't know if and when the tumor will start growing again. However, you still need to plan and hope for the best. Hope that the tumor that is just sitting inside of his brain won't grow, that it will shrink and be gone forever. Unfortunately this doesn't happen with DIPG. Maybe it has and I just haven't heard about it. Most of the parents I talk to are either on the same road battling or are speaking as grieving parents. Speaking of their sweet babies in the past tense. It's hard not to think about them, about how this same disease took their lives. I have to keep following these stories because their lives still need to be talked about, their stories still kept alive through other people. Their faces still burn in my memory. We just keep moving forward... there is no other choice.

Oliver had planned most of his party on his own. I may have a budding party planner on my hands! He wanted an Incredible Hulk party, but I couldn't find anything around here, so he decided on having a baseball themed party! We went to the party store together and found lots of baseball themed stuff. He wanted to grill hot dogs, have popcorn and baseball decorated cupcakes. A sweet friend dropped off some baseball sugar cookies as well while I was out getting last minute birthday items before his party.

So, we went to Ollie's grandparents (Ed's parents) to grill out and let the kids play in the sprinkler. As I watched his friends running around their back yard chasing each other through the sprinkler with their toned little 10 year old bodies, I glanced over at Oliver just sitting in the yard watching them. My heart completely sank. He used to be so active. He played baseball, ran and jumped and used to spin on his head. He was once like these little boys, and this tumor has taken that all away. His body has changed so much, which I realized before, but not in such stark contrast with his 'healthy' friends. It just made me so sad to see him sitting there not being able to play and wondering what thoughts were running through his mind. He eventually got up and tried playing, but I noticed that he was stumbling around the yard and would have to stop and rest. It was seriously like a punch in the gut. He's been doing well in the DIPG world -- it's been nearly 19 months since his diagnosis which is wonderful. In the real world -- he is not doing well at all. It was a real eye opener for me and Ed.

Oliver's brother - Jaren, age 4

This picture of Finny reminded me so much of Oliver at his age!

Oliver and Uncle Bryan

Opening presents

Finny getting crazy with the bubble wand. Watch out boys!!

Grandma trying to give Finny some loves.

Ollie

Jaren sneaking into Ollie's gifts!

Just playing

Ollie's cousin, Carson

They played for a while and after dinner Oliver opened presents. It was certainly a superhero birthday! He got a Thor hammer and Captain America mask and shield, along with nun chucks and an Indiana Jones bullwhip. Well, I suppose no one is gonna mess with Ollie now. He's got all his bases covered! I actually got the bullwhip and hat when we went to the party store and he can crack that whip like nobody's business! He actually googled different ways to crack the whip! After presents we loaded the kiddos in the van and drove home. The boys then wanted to play Rock Band on the Wii. I thought it would be hilarious to root through the Halloween basket downstairs for some wigs they could wear and look like real rockers! They wore them for a while and then were like "Is real hair THIS itchy!" and ripped the wigs off! Oh man... it was a riot!

Rocker Ollie

The newest rock group... I think they have all shades of hair color covered! ;o)

Later we sang to Oliver and they ate some cupcakes and popped a movie in. "Master of Disguise", a Dana Carvey comedy is one of Oliver's favorite movies which he quotes all the time and never ceases to make me laugh. The boys were all laughing as well, which I loved to hear!

Although it was hard to see him with his friends, it was nice to see him interacting and having fun with them later. I kept wondering if this would be his last birthday party with his buddies. I hope not. I hope for many more crazy sleepovers with his friends in our home. :O)

Atlanta Braves tableware (Oliver's little league team was the Braves) and of course some Big League Chew bubble gum! Oliver even helped me make his cupcakes from scratch.

I love Oliver's mid laugh pictures!