Congratulations are in order for Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan who have welcomed their second child together — a girl!
The couple, who first met at a frat party when they attended Harvard University, named the darling child August.
The happy news was announced on the social network (where else?!) alongside a photo of the new family-of-four and an open letter to the newborn — a tradition created when their first child, Maxima or ‘Max,’ arrived.
“Welcome to the world!” the note began. “Your mom and I are so excited to see who you will become.”
“When your sister was born, we wrote a letter about the world we hoped she and now you will grow up in — a world with better education, fewer diseases, stronger communities, and greater equality,” the letter continued. “We wrote that with all the advances in science and technology, your generation should live dramatically better lives than ours, and we have a responsibility to do our part to make that happen.”
The letter added: “Even though headlines often focus on what’s wrong, we still believe these positive trends will win out. We’re optimists about your generation and the future.”
Mark, 33, and Priscilla, 32, went on to list a series of hopes and dreams for their second-born.
“You will be busy when you’re older, so I hope you take time to smell all the flowers and put all the leaves you want in your bucket now,” they wrote. “I hope you read your favorite Dr. Seuss books so many times you start inventing your own stories about the Vipper of Vipp. I hope you ride the carousel with Max until you’ve tamed every color horse. I hope you run as many laps around our living room and yard as you want.”
Adding a dash of humour, the note continued: “And then I hope you take a lot of naps. I hope you’re a great sleeper. And I hope even in your dreams you can feel how much we love you.”
The duo went on to describe childhood as “magical,” explaining that they would strive to make the world a better place for their children, all children and future generations.
“Childhood is magical. You only get to be a child once, so don’t spend it worrying too much about the future. You’ve got us for that, and we’ll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation.”
The note ends with Mark and Priscilla wishing August “a life of joy, love and the same hope you give us.”
In a similar manner, Mark announced the birth of his first child in a moving statement on Facebook.
The news of baby Max, August’s big sister, didn’t focus on the birth, how much she weighed, or what time she was born – but rather, in true Zuckerberg style, the attention was given to a cause much greater.
“Dear Max, your mother and I don’t yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future,” the letter began. “Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully. You’ve already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in.”
WATCH: Mark and Priscilla celebrate the birth of their first child in a beautiful way. Post continues…
“Today your mother and I are committing to spend our lives doing our small part to help… As you begin the next generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation,” they explained.
“We will give 99% of our Facebook shares — currently about $45 billion — during our lives to advance this mission,” Mark and Priscilla added.
What a stunning tribute!
