Michael Yongnam was born on February 23d, 2002. He came into this world at 8 lbs. 2.5 oz. and 20 inches long. He is healthy and seems to be a bit feisty already. He was screaming while the doctor was still trying to clean out his mouth. He looks more like Maia than he does the other two. His hair seems darker than either JJ or Charis, but still a shade lighter than Maia's (methinks). His nose though is broader than any of the other three (who all have their mother's nose).

MiX WiFe went into labor about 11:15 p.m. on the 22d. Yongnam was delivered 1 hr. and 7 minutes later: at 12:22 a.m. on the 23d. He shares a birthday with his great-grandmother, who turned 75 the day he was born.

I am working on this page on only three hours sleep in the last 40.5 hours, so I apologize if it is a bit terse. However, that is the basic information. We are looking forward to most of the changes he will bring in our lives, although the Honda Civic hatchback is definitely seeming smaller and smaller. 6 is a bit much to put in it. (7 on weekends with my niece).

In case you are wondering where the name "Yongnam" comes from, I'll tell you. If you weren't wondering, that's okay, too. You are still allowed to know.

First, Michael is the given name of my father. Yongnam is the name given at birth to my wife's father. He no longer uses that name, at some point in his youth it was changed in order to ensure him a long and prosperous life: especially since he was the only child of an only son. We're unclear as to whether it was a mountain custom to change the name or fear that the name "young" might curse him in some way. Yong means either "young" or "noble" depending on the pronunciation (my wife is checking into which one her father used) and Nam means "boy, child".

All my children have both a Korean name and an English (or English-adapted) name. Our son will go by Yongnam, even though it rolls of the tongue a little more roughly than our other children's name. Michael just seems such a common name and that is something I have avoided in naming each of my children. So, until he comes of age and decides otherwise for himself: Yongnam it is.

P.S. It's pronounced as it appears: Yong-nam. The "O" in Yong is a short "O" as is the "A" in nam (sounds just like the "nam" at the end of the country Viet Nam).