song is growing

 At one month, she cuddles inside Hai's sweatshirt,

 at six weeks her Chi (big sister friend) Khanh speaks to her in Hue dialect,

Storytime! Hai is reading to Song, who reaches out to read along!

 Thanks to the Northside Friends for Snugglepuppy by Sandra Boynton in Braille!

more family photos

 sleepy not long after being born, song and youme whispering in sleep?

 our friend peter recommends Song learn from Frank Zappa

this is where we think Song gets her cheeks and puzzled expression from, youme's baby picture "experiencing culture shock since july 1, 1970"

pictures of being pregnant and Song new to the world!

Hai and Youme signing I love you to Song inside

Edith and Youme the night before Youme went into labor

Hai holding Song in the kitchen

 Yana ,Youme and Song (bundled in Dominik's musical wrap!)

Youme and Song by the books and the window.


David helping to wrap up Song for a walk on a windy day.

our heart
Song Nguyen Ly
born October 14, 2010

What is in a name?

After a long journey, Hai has his birth name back and I now share it! We have together added Ly and our story follows.
Hai was adopted at ten years  old, his birth name is Hai Van Nguyễn.  We have added Ly (The L from Landowne), the meaning of Ly is plum tree, or children's tree (the chinese characters are actually child and tree). When Hai was little in Vietnam at the orphanage the other children asked "Who is your mother?", and Hai said "my mother is a tree and my name (Hai) means ocean, so it is my job as water to care for the tree". Additionally Youme's mother's family name is Timberlake. So we are Hai and Youme Nguyễn Ly. A grateful and growing family!

New Address in Chicago!

Dear Friends, Dear Family,
Our new address is

620 S.Oakley Blvd
Apt.2
Chicago,IL 60612

We have filed the paperwork with county to retrieve Hai's birth name and if all goes well, after September 7th, we will be

Hải Van Nguyễn Ly and Youme Nguyễn Ly

Nguyễn (Vietnamese pronunciation: [ŋʷjə̌ˀn]

as always we can be reached via a comment here and/or through haiandyoume@gmail.com

Great Love, Hai and Youme

Very Happy Birthday

Dear Friends,
July first is Youme's 40th, we are celebrating by being six months pregnant, healthy, and very, very happy! There is lots to share from our last entry- meeting new friends in Vietnam, returning to Chicago, completing the spring semester and hurtling into summer. Nasturtiums bloom in our window garden which Edith planted with local plants and the prehistoric ferns which grow abundantly in Miami. We have come through Youme's unexpected abdominal surgery (with the baby 21 weeks along) and are now feeling strong, tonight we are preparing for this year's National Federation of the Blind Conference in Dallas,Texas. Mali Under the Night Sky, A Lao Story of Home, is the next Youme picture book to be produced through Cinco Puntos Press. We hope to soon share a student documentary project in which Hai plays a major role.
We are, as ever, so grateful for the work and play that you each bring to the world.