Hello, New York Times! We made the Sunday paper which is titled: “Not just abled or disabled, but interabled for life”! We couldn’t have been more excited to pick up the paper today and are glad we finally found one after discovering it was sold out most everywhere.
📝: Robbie Spencer
Image Description #accessibility: Cole and Charisma are sitting in a vehicle. Charisma is wearing a green sweater, smiling and pointing to the New York Times newspaper. Cole is wearing a blue vest and shirt, while holding the paper and looking down towards it. The paper says “Not Just Abled or Disabled but ‘Interabled’ for Life”!
Alexa+ has been a game changer for me as a content creator. The more I use Alexa+, the more personalized it becomes, and now it feels like I have an extra teammate handling all those pesky little things. Like remembering the details of a contract I signed way back when. If you’re looking for a way to boost your passion, check out Alexa+! #AmazonAlexaPartner @amazonalexa #AlexaSmartHome #AlexaPlus
Happy birthday to @happilycharisma , the most amazing woman and wife a guy could ask for! Here’s a collection of pictures from the last year that I think represents her well. Be sure to swipe to the end for what is probably my all-time favorite picture of Charisma.
Life wouldn’t be the same without you, babe. You bring so much joy and color to the world, and I’m blessed every day I get to spend by your side. Thank you for being you.
We’re ready to try for kids again!!
Following our 5-year struggle with fertility, and two years taking a break from trying to conceive, Charisma’s recent endometriosis diagnosis has given us a new path forward.
We’re cautiously optimistic, but of course don’t know what the future holds. Trying again after multiple pregnancy losses is incredibly scary, no matter our new circumstances.
Please keep us in your thoughts as we head down this road once again. If you’d like to hear us go deeper into this decision, check out our new video!
What a difference one year makes!! Today marks exactly one year since our first night in our now home. We slept on an air mattress, with zero furniture for 3 days while we waited on our things to arrive from California. We still can’t believe we have now been here a full year! So thankful that we were able to buy a fully wheelchair accessible house and be surrounded by the best neighbors we could have ever asked for! 😊
Thinking about recreating this photo every year! How do you think next year’s photo will look?
🎙️ We’ve entered our podcast era
Host @marissapina sits down with members of the disabled community for an honest conversation about the the broader issues of fear, freedom, pressure, and possibility spurred by the documentary film @lifeafter.film .
Check out the full episode at the link in our bio!
Well, for perhaps the first time, I felt it: baby fever.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always envisioned myself with a family. As a father. But seeing stinky, snotty, whiny babies has never stoked that fire for me. Frankly, despite my own vision, I can’t remember a single time I interacted with a baby or toddler and thought “that’s it, we’re having a baby!”
Until now.
A week with my niece, Stella (2yo), flipped my whole perspective on its head. More specifically, a single moment (okay, maybe two).
You see, for the past couple of years—just a portion of our infertility journey—Charisma and I have had the privilege of watching Stella grow up while grappling with our own uncertain future as parents. She has truly been a light through our darkness. And, in my case, it’s the most time I’ve ever spent with a tiny human. The first time I’ve witnessed a little brain piece the world together, and, honestly, I find it so beautiful.
Initially upon seeing her for Thanksgiving, I had concern with how she’d react to my chair; last time we were together about 7 months ago, she had some reservations. To my immense happiness, she couldn’t have cared less. Not only did she have no fear, she immediately ran to me and commanded: ”Up!” It wasn’t long, though, before she learned to make the ascent into my lap independently, thereby cementing me as her on-demand-private-ride-service. She’d climb up, turn my chair on (always giggling at the on ‘beep’), grab my wrist, and firmly direct my hand to the toggle, exclaiming “RIDE!”. She would whoop and cheer, hands over her head, as if we were riding a roller coaster at Disney. I couldn’t begin to guess how many laps we made around that AirBnB’s living room…
Becoming Stella’s private chauffeur wasn’t one of the ‘moments’ that hammered me; the first came while we were by the pool. A bunch of the family was swimming, including Stella and Charisma, all having a great time. I had been waffling on whether I would get in, too. Eventually, Charisma asked what I’d decided. Echoing her was Stella, who looked right at me with her bright blue eyes, and said “Uncle Cole swim?”
*Continued in the comments*
