Sunday, February 7, 2010 - Life as a Family of Four

Winter_Fun (13).jpgIt occurred to me that while I have been blogging my thoughts on fatherhood with the arrival of baby Jackson, who will be turning 3 weeks on Wednesday, that I should actually be blogging my thoughts on enjoying life as a family of four.

So although I will continue to update you you Jackson's growth and milestones, I will now be sharing family highlights as well.

 


Congratulations Phil, Amelia and Justice!!! Wonderful news - Jackson is ball of cuteness!! Looking forward to meeting him. Much love, Naysan and Hoda (and Nura)

Congratulations!! Jackson is a great name. Can't wait to meet the little guy.
-  The McFarlands

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Hey Jackson, nice faux-hawk!

Welcome Jackson! I am so glad that he is here safe and sound. - Jody Mc.C

You must be so excited! We wish you all the best with your new baby boy Jackson! Jackson - welcome to the world. We can't wait to meet you. We can see how sweet you are already from the photo your parents sent us. Sending much love to all 4 of you, Sarah & Shameem xoxoxoxo

Wow guys! Congratulations!!!  I'm so happy for your family. - Vafa

This week, we enjoyed:

  • some more paternity leave which allowed us to have more family quality time (every minute counts, as it's hard to say goodbye when going back to work)
  • the Sens streak maWinter_Fun (05).JPGking it to 11 straight wins
  • registering Justice for la maternelle at a local French school (OMG!) for September
  • reinforcing a French environment for Justice (signed up for TFO and continuing to read and speak French to him)
  • having all 5 cousins meet Ba-Noi all together at the same time, as well as introducing Jackson to Tante Cecile and Oncle Jean from Montreal (it was total chaos and madness trying to get Justice to wear his Vietnamese tunice for a family photo)
  • play date with Justice's cousins, Vahid, Naim, Kalid (thanks May and Nabil!)
  • Winterlude fun for Justice and Jackson along with their Tante Dominique and cousin Gabriel on a cool and sunny winter day (we found a secret parking spot - sweet!)

"In the cold of winter, some people freeze to death while others go skiing."

I remember reading this quote once and I surmise that it's all about making the most of the winter.  So since I don't want my sons to be "winter wusses", or uncomfortable with the cold, we bundled up with our long johns and winter pants and ventured out to Jacques Cartier park to see the Justice and Gabriel enjoy slipping and sliding on the snow and ice, climbing trees, skidoos, and ATV's, followed by the ultimate reward of hot chocolate and Beaver tails.

At the end of the Sunday afternoon, everybody was ready for a hot bath and sleep.

Ahh yes, all is well in babyville and the world's coldest capital.

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To view photos of this week's events, click here

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A beautiful sight - two brothers at the end of a winter fun weekend.

Sunday, January 31, 2010 - Jackson Turns 2 Weeks this Week

Jackson-Week-2 (02).JPGAll right, so more than ever, time is at a premium now, but since I did a 52-week log for Justice back in 2006, I will also do my "Daddy Diaries" for baby Jackson.

Local event highlights include erratic weather (from record-breaking rainfall to freezing rain and blowing winds with windchills of -35 degreee celsius), the Ottawa Senators winning a franchise record-breaking 9 wins, and Hockey Day in Canada (Daddy built a Sens Snowman on our front lawn).

We are delighted to hear of the safe arrival of baby Jackson in this world.
- With much love, S Family

DownloadJackson highlights include his #1 activity, which is sleeping, and so far, so good, as he sleeps well and very seldom cries. When he does cry, there's only four reasons; he's hungry, he's pooped in his diapers, he needs to be burped, or he wants to be coddled.  Otherwise, he's been very good and he sleeps for 20-22 hours per day, with the occasional hiccups, burps, and farts here and there, which is really a cute thing at this point (apparently it's not that cute for a 40-something like myself to do so, according to Amelia).

Ah yes, the memories of young children (sleeplessness, befuddlement etc.) is only eclipsed by both the miracle/preciousness of life and their growing accomplishments as they grow and mature. - D Family

DownloadDownloadJackson also enjoyed sleeping through his visit to Ba-Noi, visits from his cousins and aunts and uncles and friends, a visit to Rideau Hall (Governor General's skating rink), a visit to our BBX academy, and meeting our pet Pomeranian Ginger.  He also did awesome in our first Family Photo Shoot (photos to come).

May God bless Baby Jackson and provide for a beautiful life filled with love, joy, health and prosperity.  Somehow, the world seems to be a better place. Much love, - L family

DownloadDownloadJustice is very gentle towards his brother and does his best to soothe him whenever he needs it, by "petting him" on the head, kissing him, or playing a musical box for him.

All the boys in the household are healthy and Mommy is recovering well.

Thank you so much to all of our friends and family for your well wishes!

It is really a great idea to press the reset button. And please, let us all know in case you find the 'turn off' switch. Once again, congratulations to the Nguyen family for the most joyful event in life. Enjoy this moment, it is unique. - P family

To view photos of Jackson's Week 1-2, click here

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 Gotta love Jackson's beautiful puckered lips!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - This is It: Welcome to the World Baby Jackson!

The guessing is over, it's a boy!

DownloadJackson Nguyen was born January 20, 2010 @ 7:18 pm. Thank you God for this gift and for allowing us to have another healthy child and safe and natural delivery, this time around. We thank all our family & friends for your love, support, and prayers.

Baby_Jackson (6).JPGTime for us to 'press the re-set button’ (i.e. memory loss, sleep deprivation, poopy diapers, total chaos, memory loss, etc.), and start our lives anew as a family of four. We look forward to this next chapter in our lives. Justice looks forward to being a great big brother, Daddy looks forward to a lifetime of "father and sons moments and memories", and Mommy looks forward to remaining the only girl in the house and maintaining her, "Queen of the Castle" title.

More information on Baby Jackson:

  • Favourite colours: Silver and Black
  • Favourite Song: Beat It, by Michael Jackson
  • Facebook Status: I'm here! Yea!

With deep gratitude and love,

Phil & Amelia & Justice & Jackson
(a.k.a. The Nguyen Family)

To view photos of Jackson's first 48 hours, click here

 

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