New Year Eve

(2008.12.31) Yike! 2008 already.

Remember First Visit to Great Grandmother

(2007.12.05) Allison visited her great grandmother. As it turned out, this was first and only visit to her late great grandmother.

Ba tren thien ddang phu ho cho chau dduoc khoe manh va ngoan ngoan.

Today's photo

(2007.12.27) I am now a table's length.

With My Godfamily

Mother, Mother and Me

Baptism at the Holy Spirit Church
(2007.12.16)

Baptism

Baptism. Wow. How exciting?



Allison being baptized by father Xuan Nguyen.

Cute visistor

Today, Tyler stopped by to visit. And he brought presents.

Grandpa's Visit

(2007.12.15) XTi + 50 mm f/1.8
Picture taken with grandpa. She starts to interact when being spoken to.

Got A Patron Saint

How does Frances Allison Nguyet Uong sound?

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) is Saint of the Day for November 13, which is Allison's birthday. St. Frances is the first American to be canonized into sainthood. She served the unfortunate. She represents perseverance and nobility.

Besides, Allison will have more places to visit. Her saint's birth place in Lombardy, Italy; shrine in Manhattan, New York; and a church bearing her name (St. Frances Catholic church) in Spring Hill, Florida.

November 13 - Saint of the day

* She was born Maria Francesca Cabrini in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, in Lombardy, the youngest of thirteen children of Agostino Cabrini and Stella Oldini. Two months premature, she remained in delicate health throughout her 67 years. (0)

* Filled with a deep trust in God and endowed with a wonderful administrative ability, this remarkable woman soon founded schools, hospitals, and orphanages in this strange land and saw them flourish in the aid of Italian immigrants and children. At the time of her death, at Chicago, Illinois on December 22, 1917, her institute numbered houses in England, France, Spain, the United States, and South America. In 1946, she became the first American citizen to be canonized when she was elevated to sainthood by Pope Pius XII. St. Frances is the patroness of immigrants. (1)

* In 35 years Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick. Seeing great need among Italian immigrants who were losing their faith, she organized schools and adult education classes. (2)

Citations:
0. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Cabrini
1. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=278
2. http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1198

Unpaid Models

Are we done with the photo shoot yet?

Season's Greetings

First Christmas.

The "Rock" Impression

(2007.12.09) My money shot (TM).

This should rival The People's eyebrow

Sincere Appreciation

Thank you everyone for all the great gifts.
Everything are being put to good use...

except this diaper cake. It is just too cute. (Thanks, Thuong)

Papa's Kiss

(2007.12.05) A kiss from great grand father during her first visit.

XTi Test Shots

(2007.12.07) Posing for daddy's new camera.

Mother Kanguru

I am doing my things, while mom doing hers.

Going Home

(2007.11.21)
Bili gone. Allison is finally coming home for good.
Cannot tell how happy Allison was by looking at the picture. However, her old folks were extremely grateful.

First Doctor Visits

Stop poking her eyes, Luong!

It's nice to be in good hands.

Bilirubin Brought Me Back

(2007.11.19)
I'm not yellow any more, and it's lonely. Get me out of here, else I'll crawl myself out.




Allison's second hospital visit to receive phototherapy for high level of bilirubin.

Thank you for your help and support, especially Naveen, Luong, Bien, and the Fountain Valley's NICU staffs.

Naked Happy Girl

This picture may fetch millions someday...
who knows.

(2007.11.17) Sunbathing by the window to get some tan and lower jaundice at once.



Don't buy into "Asian babies are supposed to be yellow". Maybe they are, but get tested.

More information on Neonatal Jaundice:
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/health_professionals/ manuals/41_Jaundice.pdf

Home Sweet Home

It's nice to be home, but not for long.
What a sweet little angel ... until nightfall

My First Meal

(2007.11.13)
Breast is best? Not so sure, mom.


The whole crowd goes so loud,
she opens her mouth,
sucking her lung out,
but it won't come out...

Da da dum da dum da da

Mommy, snap back to reality,
give her something real,
like Enfamil,
before she squeals, an ordeal...

Other Cute Pictures of Me

The nurses are still cleaning me up before my first feeding.

Initial Inspection

Fingers- Got it!
Toes - Checked

So Considerate

Just a few minutes old ... she already shares her parents' concerns.



Yeah, right!

Ready, Set, Push, Push, and Push

Sheesh! Don't tell mom. Just let her push until the cow comes home.
Having one hand up to her chin blocking the way, Allison wasn't going to come out without a fight.

(2007.11.13)
06:00 - Arrived at FVRH.
08:30 - Epidural steroid injection.
13:00 - Full dilation. Waited for delivery room.
15:00 - Got in lithotomy position.
1, and 2, and 3, and push, and push ...
Nada.
18:00 - Dr. Quach finally arrived and attempted the vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery.

18:22 - Allison arrived 7.75 lbs, 20 inches, cone-headed and all. Daddy cut the umbilical cord.

Good job mom! I should have warned you about the hand.