“Two, two, two…GO!”

When Aliya utters these words, watch out. Whether she’s standing on top of something, hanging on to an edge, or just standing still on flat ground, when she says, “Two, two, two…GO!” she is going. Of course this comes from “1,2,3…Go!” but she has her own interpretation, as she does with just about everything. Unique in every way, from the very beginning, our Aliya just turned two.

Our kids’ birthdays are always emotional for us, but Aliya’s, so far, have been especially so. As her birthday approached this year—and as it did last year—I thought back to how scary, difficult, heart-breaking, and in the end how awe-inspiring her birth was. On her birthday this year it wasn’t hard at all to be instantly transported back to the sudden change of events during labor two years ago, the 911 call, transporting to the hospital, waiting, trying to breathe, crying, holding, sending her off to the air transport to UCSF, leaving, driving, talking with doctors on the phone in transit, arriving, waiting, crying, trying to breathe, over and over, and all the while trying to also stay connected to and support Keana and Maia as well, 180 miles away from home. Aliya’s birth was tough and the outcome of her health was uncertain, but here we are, two years later, blessed with another perfect girl.

It’s hard not to overdo any birthday but we kept it all in check this year, enjoying the fact that this was probably the last year we could keep things simple and low key. But Aliya loves singing Happy Birthday and knew exactly what to do when we brought her her bowl of ice cream with candles on top. Thankfully the grandparents provided gifts because we didn’t (and I think that was just fine). It was a celebration, the five of us, just enjoying being together. Aliya’s birth may have momentarily torn the five of us apart, but it brought so many people together, rallying to support our family. I’m pretty sure every birthday we enjoy with her will serve as a reminder of how precious, fragile, and unpredictable life is, and how fortunate we are every day we spend together.

Aliya: you are our third little light and we can’t imagine a world without you. Happy Birthday Booshki!