2023 Yearbook
- Dec 22, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 31, 2024
In many ways, Luther Vandross songs have been the soundtrack for our lives this past year. Jaymes sang So Amazing to Skyylar almost daily while she was inside of Genia's belly and at least weekly since her birth. We are just so grateful to be on this journey, and grateful to have you in our corner. Click the arrows on the left below to enjoy this five-part pictorial year-in-review. (The pictures may take a few seconds to load.)
Part One: Wait For Love. We started 2023 using our days to prepare for the baby and our nights to savor care-free adulthood. We attended a bazillion parenting classes and just as many concerts, plays and museum exhibits. Some standout moments include our signature, ongoing "Aging Divas" Tour (Patti Labelle, Dionne Warwick and Anita Baker), seeing New Edition, catching Jaymes' friend J. Bernard Calloway in Harder They Come and meeting Doug E. Fresh. We also squeezed in a few quick trips to nearby locales like Pittsburgh, PA and Philadelphia, PA.
Part Two: Power of Love. As our due date approached, we took maternity photos and gathered with family and friends in Pittsburgh and New York to celebrate. Our dear friends Monique, Karen and Ruby planned our stunning baby showers. We still can't believe how many people have shown us love and support since the very beginning - it's been truly powerful.
Part Three: Here and Now. Suddenly, and ahead of schedule, the day was upon us! A routine check-up at 37 weeks became Skyylar's birthdate, May 20, 2023. In addition to Genia's Mom and sister traveling to be near for Skyylar's first breaths and Jaymes' siblings rallying around us, we had amazing care teams for her first 8 weeks of life including at the New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital where Genia gave birth, during our luxurious stay at Boram Postnatal Retreat and with at-home with our doulas, Janee and Annette.
Part Four: If This World Were Mine. Skyylar is 7 months old and thriving! She loves adventure and has already traveled to Boston, MA to volunteer with the NAACP, Charlotte, NC for a family reunion, Baltimore, MD to meet the Snow Angels (aka Genia's dearest friends), and Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH multiple times to see family, including her grandmother's 71st birthday party. She has 2 teeth, is taking swimming and music classes and has already said her first two words: Mama and Dada. She has pioneered a new sport called "destination rolling" and has started to pull herself into a standing position. The ride has just begun!
Part Five: So Amazing. Skyylar has been Jaymes' muse since she was just a twinkle in our eyes. Some of the pieces have been gifted to loved ones and some remain in our personal collection.
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