05/27/2026
From NICU grad to Kindergarten grad 🎓
When Elijah finished VPK, we were in a completely different season of life. A season filled with doctors appointments, therapies, hard days, unknowns, and a feeding tube. We never got those “perfect” graduation pictures from that chapter because honestly, we were just focused on helping our boy heal, grow, and thrive.
So this year… this one feels extra special🥹
Academics will always matter in our home and we are so proud of everything Elijah has learned educationally this year, but some of the biggest victories didn’t happen on paper.
This year we learned how to work through really hard sensory processing moments. We learned how to communicate better with teachers and friends. We learned patience, confidence, kindness, and how to navigate big emotions in a big world. We learned that growth doesn’t always look the same for every child, but that doesn’t make the victories any less important.
Watching how far he has come since VPK has been emotional in the very best way. There were moments we once prayed for that now seem so simple to others, but to us they are miracles in motion.
Elijah Lee, you have overcome obstacle after obstacle with so much strength and determination. We could not be prouder of the little boy you are becoming.
And before anyone asks… no, his school did not do a kindergarten graduation 😂 his mom is just extra proud and making up for the graduation season we missed back then🎓🎉🙏🏼💙 Brandon Bierman Alona Strader Jennifer Thomas
