…2025…

I find myself with just enough brain power and motivation to write a blog post. I am fully aware that we are more than halfway through 2025 and it has been well over a year since my last post. Just a few minor updates that have taken place to cause the delay, most notably the birth of our third baby, Mr. Matthew James Rabold.

Matthew came a month early, just weeks after Elliott started Kindergarten & Nathan started a new job. It was full blown survival mode, only made possible by our incredible support system. Matthew was a tiny little guy weighing in at less than 6lbs and was instantly smothered by kisses and love from his big brother and big sister. The enormity of their love has only grown and Matty is absolutely smitten with both of them. He tries his best to keep up and is crawling (soon to be walking) all over the house. Time is flying by as we quickly approach his first birthday in August.

Our second born, Harper, completed pre-school this year. We made the decision in the spring to keep her where she was for an additional year. She will start Kindergarten in the Fall, 2026. Harper keeps up with all the boys in our life and is absolutely rocking the gymnastics and dance world. We are constantly in awe of her humor, confidence, natural athletic ability & compassion for others. She is my mini me & I couldn’t be more proud.

Finally, Elliott. He has officially finished his first year of Elementary school and absolutely thrived in Kindergarten. When Elliott was 5 and eligible to go into Kinder, we decided that because of some of his delays, it would be in his best interest to start him as a 6 year old. I don’t think Nathan or I realized just HOW much of a difference it would make to hold him back one year. He went into the year confident, made new friends right away, handled the transition of a new baby amazingly, loved his teachers, excelled at learning how to read and write AND was tested for advanced Math.

We love the school and community we picked for him, especially the teachers and therapists. The lead up, to get him ready for Kinder, was quite exhaustive. He required an IEP “Individualized Education Plan.” Children have to qualify for an IEP & every plan is very different and unique to each child. For Elliott, he had to go through a series of testing for fine motor, gross motor & speech. They then came up with the best course of action that would work for his needs & get him the right amount of help throughout the year.

From the beginning there has been a team of therapists, social workers and teachers that have worked collaboratively with us to come up with goals for Elliott. During one of our first meetings in the spring of 2024, I ended the call in absolute hysterics because I felt like this group of strangers already knew my kid and his needs, SO WELL. I was beyond impressed and totally overcome with emotions. I will also blame the amount of tears to the third trimester pregnancy at the time, but I digress…

The way this school system is set up included a mix of therapy both in and outside of the classroom. OT & Speech were the two main focuses for the year & the therapists that saw him most often. There was a clear plan in place leading up to the first day. We knew who he would be meeting with, what days, for how many hours/week & what all the goals were. The therapists & school team checked in at the end of each semester, half way through and at the years end.

By in large, the takeaway from Nathan and I at the end of the year was basically us picking our jaw up off the floor in amazement. Elliott met all of his goals, he excelled in every capacity, he LOVED everyone he worked with & the communication between the teams, teachers & parents was next level good. We feel very blessed that we are in such a strong school district where this is the case for the kids who need the help. It was a joy and privilege to watch him thrive.

For the rest of the year, in regards to CP, we are in a pattern with bracing, casting and additional therapies, that it is all starting to feel pretty normal to us. Typically around September we get fitted for a new brace and then in November/December Elliott gets Serial Casting. The casting process stretches the muscles in his ankle to improve his tone to an optimal position. This casting process can take anywhere from 1-2 months. After casting, it is followed up with a Physical Therapy intensive that is basically a crossfit workout for kids. This intensive builds muscle back up in his leg and keeps eyes on his tone. We check how the brace is working with his everyday life during this process and adjust as needed.

In the spring the therapies start to slow and the sports start to kick into high gear. This year Nathan ended up coaching Elliott’s soccer team and both of them loved it so much they are signed up to do it again this fall. Summer was spent enjoying our first vacation together as a family of 5. We went to Mexico and it was beautiful. But, I was also reminded just what it is like to travel with a baby, let alone two more kids. As a bonus, Harper got very sick and required a doctor and some antibiotics. I can safely say the trip was not in the least bit relaxing for me, but it was still worth it 100% for the memories. The kids had an absolute blast (especially after those antibiotics kicked in 😉 and they loved swimming 10+ hours a day.

We have also taken a couple of different weekend trips to the mountains around Colorado this summer, including the bike race that Nathan participates in for the Children’s Hospital. He and our good friend, Colin, rode 80 miles together in one day; a personal record for both. When they crossed the finish line, there were a lot of tears and this time I am not going to blame any pregnancy hormones. We were so proud of them and it was a beautiful celebration for all, especially for a good cause.

Summer is quickly coming to an end and we are getting ready to embark on another school year with a 7, 5 & 1 year. I am really starting to grasp what people say when they tell you not to blink. It is all going by too fast.

As for whats next, we have some new doctors appointments on the horizon and feel like we are constantly dealing with something. I am trying to remember that the only constant in life is change. When we have updates, I am hopeful to have a little more sleep under my belt and a bit more of a consistent schedule, to keep this blog up on a more regular basis.

We are always grateful for the insurmountable amount of love, support, prayers, laughs & strength sent our way. We are happy, healthy, a bit tired, but overall really good. I hope that whatever season you find yourself in you are also well. Below are random smattering of pics from the last 12 months. Enjoy.