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WELCOME, GUEST |
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(1 member)
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Angel Bella …6 |
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ARCHIVES
James SooHoo |
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DA DA DADADADADADADADADADADA DA!
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Feb 09, 2007 12:15pm (EST)
That's pretty much what I hear all day long.
The other day Kristen, Julien and I were in the car.
"Say mama," Kristen was saying.
Julien was quiet for a minute, and then exclaimed...
"da da"
Yes, I know he might as well be talking about an early 20th century artistic movement as talking about me. Or, he might be (per the Upanishads) relaying what the thunder said. They all work for me. Especially, since he laughs with joy after he says it.
All I know is that I never get tired of hearing it.
Last night, we received some potentially tragic news for one of my immediate family members. Next time you go outside, play in the snow, feel the sunshine against your face or dance in the rain. Life is too short.
So what did the thunder say?
Da!
Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.
Give. Sympathize. Control.
It's WalkAmerica season. The money raised for WalkAmerica supports research and programs so that no other parents will face prematurity, birth defects and infant mortality. I hope you'll join us!
Daddy
House
horsey
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Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (12) | Permalink
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WELCOME TO SHARE YOUR STORY
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Feb 02, 2007 10:23am (EST)
Oy! My blog entries have gone into archive again. I need to do a better job.
Anyway, I wanted to introduce myself. I started as the Share Your Story Community Host exactly one year ago. Since I started and last introduced myself, a lot has happened:
We’ve grown by over 10,000 new members
Share Your Story was nominated for a Webby, which is like the Oscars of the Internet. We were up for best community in the world against some really big sites with lots of resources like XBOX, the BBC and Trip Advisor.
Thousands of Share Your Story members participated in WalkAmerica raising over $1.5 million for research into the causes and prevention of prematurity, birth defects, and infant loss.
In October, members from the site met in person in Kansas City at the second annual ShareUnion (this year, please join us in Washington, DC).
And at the end of the year, we were a major force in getting the PREEMIE Bill passed through the Senate and signed into law.
For me, personally, 2006 also witnessed the birth of my first child.
All of that said, I work at the National Office of the March of Dimes as your community host. I’ve been working for the March of Dimes since 1999, starting in the Communications Department helping put together, disseminate and track PSAs. Later I moved to Fundraising Department as the Director of Marketing and Communications for WalkAmerica. For five years, anything you saw or read on WalkAmerica was produced by either me or my team. During this time, I also worked closely with the guy who created this site (almost literally in his basement).
From the beginning, I dropped in to write about WalkAmerica…but quickly came to realize how amazing this community is and what resources you all are for each other. So, last year when we decided to devote someone full time to the site as part of our NICU Family Support program…I jumped.
So here I am. I’m your guy to count on, call on and come to if you have any concerns about discussions or comments and ideas about the site. I’m online seven days a week as a resource for you. I’m making sure that all of the team involved with Share are answering your questions and providing you all the information and technical support you are looking for when you come to Share.
I’ll also let you know about opportunities to get involved with the March of Dimes -- like the big one right now: Family Teams for WalkAmerica! Yes, it’s still in my blood.
So to everyone who have seen me around and wondered what I do…welcome to the community. Please feel free to shoot me an IM or an email. I always love hearing from you and making new friends.
Best,
James
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Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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WHERE DID JAMES GO? I HARDLY KNEW YE!
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Oct 23, 2006 07:58pm (EST)
I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to write about the ShareUnion in Kansas City. As soon as I got back to New York, I had to prepare for the NICU Family Support Specialist Training.
I got to see Melissa last night and today and we did a presentation on Share Your Story in front of all of her new peers. She, of course, rocked. At the end, I gave her the book that Sam made before the ShareUnion and she got lots of applause. She misses you all and tells me to send hellos your way. I'll try to get her to take a picture in front of the building tomorrow in front of the national office door.
On a completely different note...I was just sitting here wondering when I got so sappy. Yes, I have the Giants/Cowboys game on the tv (as an Eagle die-hard, I'm hoping they both somehow lose)....but I'm not really paying attention. I've gone in to Julien's room at least hundred times just to look at him.
He's been really fussy these days with new teeth coming in seemingly every week and today was no exception. And with a new tooth coming in, he also hasn't been letting me get any sleep at night. So earlier this evening...he was screaming and I was overtired and exasperated. I picked him up on my way to get the baby tylenol and felt like crying myself.
I was going to put him back down to give him the medicine but for some reason, I didn't. Instead, I just rocked him and quietly sung John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy." (Also a huge Lennon fan as you can imagine by my son's name).
Just as I got to line "have no fear, the monster's gone, he's on the run and your daddy's here", he looked up at me, smiled, put his head back on my shoulder and drifted to sleep. I turned off the light and we rocked there for the next hour until I finally lay him back down in his crib, where he is still sleeping soundly.
I used to roll my eyes at parents who said they never loved anyone as much as their children. Honestly, I just thought they were all twits. How silly was I? I'm not sure where that James went...but I don't miss him.
Anyway...here are some older pictures...but they are among my favorites...
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Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (17) | Permalink
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A FEW THOUGHTS ON FAMILY TEAMS AND ANOTHER WAY TO GET $10 DOLLARS ADDED TO YOUR WALK TOTALS
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Apr 26, 2006 12:25pm (EST)
I wanted to share a picture of James Jones of Florence, South Carolina posing with Clara Mae Thomas in 1955. Mr. Jones lost his childhood sweetheart to polio in 1938. Never forgetting her, Jones personally crusaded for the March of Dimes every year, especially during his annual vacation from his job as a railroad redcap on the Atlantic Coast Line. He single-handedly raised more than $231,000 in 30 years of campaigning for the foundation. Realizing how much every penny counts, Mr. Jones did the majority of this fundraising by carrying around a pickle jar asking people for change.
His story has always moved me. Although he may not have been able to bring back his sweetheart, his efforts weren’t in vain. The money he raised inevitably went into the March of Dimes funded research for the Salk Vaccine that would ultimately beat polio.
His spirit lives on. In 2004, there were 600 Family Teams that participated in WalkAmerica, the March of Dimes largest fundraiser. In 2005, almost 6000 Family Teams walked with us.
As we near national WalkAmerica weekend, almost 14,000 Family Teams have registered to join us this year! Of these, almost 5000 were created by Share Your Story participants! That said, I want to THANK each and every one of you. By taking part in WalkAmerica, Family Teams help and give hope to other families, like yours, who have a baby born prematurely or with a birth defect. You know, all too well, how much that every voice counts. How much every penny counts.
While I may not have been able to contribute to Mr. Jones’ campaign, I can contribute to yours. As you all may or may not know, Share Your Story was nominated for a Webby Award as one of the five best communities in the world! If you are one of the first five who can correctly tell me the four other websites we are competing against for the People's Voice part of the award, I'll make a $10 donation to your WalkAmerica efforts
To answer...email me and your link to your WalkAmerica page to jsoohoo@marchofdimes.com
(Sorry Michele, Denise, Sharlene, Lori, Melissa and Amy. Past winners are not eligible)
James Jones
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Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (10) | Permalink
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I'LL MAKE A $10 WALKAMERICA DONATION TO THE THE FIRST FIVE WHO CAN ANSWER THIS CORRECTLY...
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Apr 16, 2006 12:04pm (EST)
Hi everyone,
Wow....it's been so long since I updated my blog that all of my entries have gone into archive! It's been busy here with new baby, WalkAmerica , the rapid growth of the site and, well, the Webby nomination. How cool is that...that the site was nominated as one of the five best communities in the world! I think it is particularly exciting because it is you all who make the community. So, yes I do kind of want to win, if not the award then the People's Choice part of it, because I want you all to win! That said....please register and vote!!!!
Anyway...little Julien's mom (with many tears) had to go back to work and I'm now doing the overnight shift with the baby. Needless to say, I'm getting no sleep at all!!!!!! But just when I thought I was at wit's end...he learned how to smile. In fact, he's smiling at me as I write this.
So, how does all of this tie together and where is the question? Well, every evening Julien sits on my lap and I read the site to him. (Yes, I have a feeling that his very first word is going to be "cerclage.") He knows the site and you all pretty well. So then...how well do you know the site? I'm attaching a picture of the two of us reading SHARE. If you are one of the first five who can correctly tell me whose blog we are reading, I'll make a $10 donation to your WalkAmerica efforts.
Hint 1: she recently visited another SHARE mom in Illinois.
Hint 2: she has multiples
Hint 3: On April 19, she will have been participating on the site for a year.
To answer...email me and your link to your WalkAmerica page to jsoohoo@marchofdimes.com
very best,
James and Julien
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Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (14) | Permalink
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FATHERHOOD
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Dec 28, 2005 01:03pm (EST)
Last night, Kristen and I were sitting on our couch. We had everything turned off except the lights of our Christmas Tree and some white lights around our living room windows. It seemed the time to be quiet, to be reflective. I looked over at her and noticed the warm glow of the lights on her cheeks, and then closed my eyes and tried to remember what it felt like with just the two of us.
Little Julien, however, did not seem to want to go unnoticed. Not even for a second. He stretched and kicked and moved all around. His mom was also not really sharing my thoughts. She was instead watching her stomach rumble and move with all of the excitement underneath it.
It made me realize that this fatherhood thing is still just theory to me. It's not that I've been disconnected. For the first 12 weeks, I worried day and night about miscarriage. And then for the next 22 weeks, I've been worried about prematurity. As you all know, premature birth is a very scary thing for new parents. I know eight women who are all right now pregnant. Chances are one of them will deliver pre-term. It could happen to us. This fact has kept me up many nights.
And so, sitting there on the couch last night, I started thinking of our lives beyond just the two of us. I thought about the toys and the loud baby sounds. I saw diaper packages and onesies and bottles and, well, more responsibility than I could imagine.
I'm glad you are all around. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, but it's comforting to know that there are almost 8,000 parents on this site. It's such an amazing support group. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by you all, many of whom have become close friends.
After a while little Julien must have found a comfortable position because he stopped kicking. Kristen, too, found a comfortable position with her head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I sat there, with my hand on her stomach. My eyes were heavy and before I fell asleep I was trying to remember this peaceful, excited, happy moment. The three of us.
My beautiful wife
James and Kristen
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Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (13) | Permalink
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