2024: The Year of Yoonah
This year, we welcomed our baby girl, Yoonah Nam, celebrate Caitlin taking command, and mark 2 years in Little Rock.
2 Years in Little Rock, Arkansas
Yoonah Therese Nam
Yoonah Therese Nam was born on a frigid January morning in Little Rock, Arkansas. At 6lbs and 11oz, she felt impossibly small in our arms.
The first 2 weeks were stressful as she learned to eat and we learned to feed her. Our concern grew as her weight nearly dropped below 6lbs, a threshold the pediatrician warned would require intervention. But we worked hard through sleepless nights to make sure she ate every 3 hours until she finally worked back to her birth weight.
With our next focus on sleep, we practiced our swaddle and experimented with sleep sacks but rarely got more than 4 hours during the night. And when it seemed she got used to the swaddle, our pediatrician said it was time to transition away from it. Yoonah did not appreciate this. Today, we’re mostly sleeping through the night. As we’re constantly reminded, a child’s sleep is a journey with many more iterations to look forward to…
We were extremely fortunate to have the support of Grandma Claudia (Yaya) and Grandpa Chuck during those first 6 weeks. If we needed a little extra sleep in the morning, they happily took Yoonah. Claudia also spoiled us with delicious dinners from America’s Test Kitchen every night. They took care of day to day chores while we focused on learning how to be parents. Thank you!
Monthly Photos
At each stage of her development, we have enjoyed watching her learn new things and grow into her personality. She is a highly curious baby, loves playing with her classmates, and hanging out with Mommy and Daddy. We are constantly striving for the balance between giving her enough space to explore without incurring too many bumps on her head. She is currently a crawling master. She speeds throughout the house, giggling in excitement, looking for the next thing to pull off the shelf and explore. Most recently, we’ve seen leaps in her ability to communicate. She’s mastered ba ba, ma ma, and da da. She also can tell us she’s “all done” and “more” by signing. However, we’re never to too sure if she means it!
Change of Command
Caitlin speaks at her Change of Command Ceremony.
In June, Caitlin took command of the 62d Airlift Squadron. Her squadron’s mission is to take young unqualified pilots and loadmasters and train them to become safe, qualified C-130 aircrew members.
Caitlin has been dreaming of squadron command ever since she understood the impact a commander can have on an Airman’s life. Her people motivate her to be her best self.
She strives to enjoy and be grateful for the short two years she has in this role. Not only is the job awesome, but she also has the opportunity to work with close friends and mentors. Her Director of Operations (DO), or second highest ranking person in the squadron, is a dear friend she has known since 2005. Her friend is a highly capable DO and also provides needed camaraderie on harder days.
Working in a training squadron (as opposed to an operational squadron) provides a wonderful balance for the family. When she’s at work, she’s present for her squadron. When she’s home, she’s home. Rarely is she needed to respond to something that arises outside of work hours. This is a gift that not one everyone gets, especially as young parents.