Dear friends

With your loving support we have arrived in the present moment. 2011 moved us to Miami. Hai is dedicated and inspiring us all to new heights of kindness,now employed by KNFB Reading Technolgy and Blio. In addition, he volunteers as chair of the National Federation of the Blind's research and development committee. A wonderful Ba, he delights Song with music, dancing and laughter.
Song is a bundle of joy,exploring, making new friends, blowing lots of adorable kisses and showing us her understanding.
Youme continues to find her footing in this shocking new life. The Lao Heritage Foundation hosted her visit to DC area events with Mali Under the Night Sky and thanks to South Miami neighbors she shared her work at Reading Under the Stars in Coral Gables. Working for Joan Sampieri has been a gift and a delight, finding out about and supporting through grant research some wonderful projects that support women's health and education.
We miss you Grandpa Timberlake, thank you for your encouragement to be our best selves and to love. We were very lucky to share Grandpa Landowne's 99th birthday celebration in Boston and to visit the Northampton friends at whose wedding we met. (grammar?)
We are so grateful to our extended family and family of friends. Edith,David and Yana have opened their home to us. Nourishing our spirits and supporting this little branch of the family in every way. May we honor you, and all our relations through our choices and actions.
With love, Hai, Youme and Song

Happy Birthday Song!

Dear Song,
Today you turned one. The last year has been filled with adventures as we begin to learn what it is to be parents. We both enjoy watching you grow and learn about your environment.Your sense of wonder is such a joy and a gift to the world. We celebrate you and encourage you to follow your curiosity and delight. One year ago, your Ba caught you as you came into the world and his supportive heart and hands will always be there for you in times of need. You have come a long way from that 7.7 pound twenty inch newborn self. It only seems like yesterday that I was holding you zipped inside my sweatshirt like a little Joey inside a kangaroo pouch. You learned to sit up, to clap, to crawl, and to dance and sing. Your family is so proud of you. Sometimes I look into your face and think I am meeting ba's parents because other times you show a tender expression that is exactly like great grandpa Timberlake, or even great great grandma Timberlake. We think you might have inherited your inquisitive joy from both great grandpa Landowne and of course, your Ba. A year ago I called you into this world saying,come love and be loved. You have brought so much love into every day, we really are amazed at how many people stop us in the street and throughout our lives to smile and talk with you, they
Seem to be illuminated as they tell us again and again how remarkably bright you are. you have many friends in the world already. We have so many things that we want to share with you, it is hard to take time away to write down the feelings and wishes, we are so grateful that you are yourself and we are honored to be your parents.

Song is ten months old!

Dear Song, today you are ten months. Teething makes sleeping more difficult. You love fruits and vegetables; mango, carambola, longan, broccoli, tomato, acorn squash, beets, watercress. Today you said something that sounded like "broccoli" while enjoying some broccoli. You walk right along supported by boxes. We all sing together when we are walking, a song you made up that is easy to join in and sing along with.ah ah ahh. We are settling into grandma mommy and grandpa david's house in Miami. Today you helped put together the futon bed from Gerry and Steve and wore new socks from Kathy at meeting. You and Ba like to swing, you like to be up on our shoulders and sometimes we dance in the kitchen. You helped knead some bread dough again this month and you love to type on the computer. We have started going tom the library for reading time and you checked out your first library book this month. Clap hands, a nice big board book. You have gotten into the habit of not only reading books to yourself, but also reading them upside down facing outward to show the pictures as they do in story hour. You seem to enjoy flipping the pages of big paper books and also reading Braille along with Ba. You are bold, observant, and expressive. You also seem to have quite a sense of humor. We love you song belong.

Dear Song

Post originally written on Jun 15, 2011 1:01 AM

 

Dear song! You are eight months today and you have a little cough, you got through your first high fever this month. You went to the park today and we pushed you in the swing, you were happy to see all the other children having fun. Hannah said bonjour song! This month we are getting ready to move to Miami. We go for walks and when we pass UIC Hospital we say, this is where you were born. You like to touch the bottom of an avocado smoothie cup. You seem to like brown rice and green beans, celery, and crunching on an apple with your two beautiful teeth. Ba is good at dancing with you and holding you up to dance and begin to walk. You like to laugh and we love to laugh together. You were in miami this month getting ready, and you also visited great grandpa landowner and attended Lionel's graduation. Yana helped so much so that we could be there.

from Song!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Song's Great Grandfather Milton is 98!