My Favorite 1st-year moment: Julian.

Melody and I agreed to share our favorite memory from Evie's first year...

I always wondered how much you can really know a person at six months. Watching her motor skills develop and personality bud, that’s not what surprised me. I've observed these before in other children, albeit seeing them this closely was especially curious, it’s not what surprised me. I entered the room, plainly as ever. She noticed me come in, and smiled. She recognized me. I don't mean she recognized me in the way she might recognize her, say, bottle, it wasn't that she simply identified me, she remembered me. It was more the way you might recognize an old friend in the supermarket. It was a smile, not just delight (again, the way she recognizes her bottle), but relief and amusement and nostalgia. You… I almost whispered to myself, astonished…remember me? I always wondered how much you can know a person a six months, I had never even considered how much a person at six months can know you. And that’s love, isn’t it? To be known.

- J

1st Birthday Wish.

As you may or may not know, during a recent family trip to CA, we found out the unexpected news that my sister's son, my handsome 3-year-old nephew, Dylan Joe (DJ), was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia. After finding out that Thursday, DJ was admitted to the the Children's Hospital of Orange County and promptly began chemo the following day. We thank God that his body has been responding well to the treatments so far, but there is still much to do both for him and others fighting against various cancers.

With that said, Julian and I (with Evie in tow) will be participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night 5K Walk on Saturday, October 3 in NYC. It looks like a very special event that helps to raise funds for research, treatments and resources for patients and families of those affected with blood cancers. We've created the team GO GO DYLAN JOE in honor of DJ! 

In lieu of gifts for Evie's 1st birthday, we are asking for donations to support this important cause.

Here is a link for info about Light the Night Walk:

http://www.lightthenight.org/

Here is a link to the team page:

http://pages.lightthenight.org/nyc/Queens15/GOGODYLANJOE

Thank you so much.

- M