FINALLY home

When I say finally home....I mean finally. It took me 30 hours of sitting at airports or on an airplane to make it home. I was supposed to get back Tuesday, but did not get back until Wednesday. Let me share my sob story--I promise it will be entertaining!!!
It all started Monday. The parents drove up to meet Aaron and I at Perkins before I flew out. It was lightly snowing at this point. Got to the airport a bit after 11:00 to check in and find out my flight was canceled (Chicago was having a bit more snow). No problem, they booked me on a different flight to Chicago and a different one to London. But, I was excited because I upgraded to first class/business class for 25,000 miles and $300.00 (which ended up being worth every penny!!). Well, that flight got canceled. So, I went back to the ticket counter to see if they could divert me through dallas and then to gatwick. So, I was put on that itinerary. Then, the Dallas flight was delayed 45 minutes (the exact time of my layover....) so they put me back on a flight to chicago and then to London Heathrow. The flight did not leave for a couple of more hours (at 4:15). So, I went and hung out in the Armed Forces Lounge. They provide complimentary food, beverages, internet and huge comfy leather recliners. And, there were these two cute old ladies that volunteer so I got to talk to them for an hour or so. I looked at the time... and decided to head to the gate...just to see that flight was delayed until 6:15. ARRRGGHHH! But, then I got excited when I remembered there was a Chili's (craving Chili's since we arrived in England....). So, I sat at the bar and ordered food and a glass of wine. Got to sit next to this really nice couple from Steamboat Springs and our bartender was really entertaining. Again, I have the Feder gift of gab so found it easy to pass the time.

So, I boarded the plane....in first class :) Sat next to this really nice guy Mike who owns a company that makes Flame retardant clothing... And, we were finally off! So, I got my free cocktails in first class and was loving life...until we tried to Land. Visibility was 1/16 of a mile and at that the planes are required by FAA regulation to use auto-pilot to land. So, we are approaching and I could see the runway lights and waiting for the feeling of touch down, when all of a sudden we accelerated back into the air. This temporarily freaked everyone out until the pilot stated that the auto-pilot was not letting them land and that we were going to circle around and land from the other direction.... Same thing...almost ready to touch down and we were back in the air. So, he flew us to St. Louis.

In St. Louis we got off the plane, walked to the next gate and waited for about 45 minutes just to board a different plane (luckily still got first class) and fly back to Chicago. I tried to find out additional flight information, but the dudes at the American Airlines Ticket counter politely stated that they would help me with that in Chicago. So, we get to Chicago and since I was in first class, I was one of the first ones out. Mike, my seat partner was lucky in being from Chicago.... I was second in line at the counter. Trying to patiently wait as the agent helped this couple get a hotel voucher (apparently, they were going to pay for our hotel since it was mechanically related). So, after about what seemed like 40 minutes...it was my turn. I explained how I missed my international flight.... "oh, you have to go down the terminal to rebooking assisstance..." Give me a break!!!!! She would not even tell me if they put me on a different flight. Up to this point I was just going with the flow, having a some-what good time meeting people....but now I was getting pissed! It was 11pm at this point--12 hours after my fun began. I could have driven to Chicago and then some by then.

So, I walked down the terminal to rebooking assistance...which was a desk with 5 red phones...No one to personally help us 15 people that were in similar situations. I picked up the phone and a lady politely informed me that I was put on the 9:30 am flight to Heathrow (getting in at 10:30pm). She asked if I would want a Hotel--um DA! I politely said yes and she transferred me to Hotels.com who then pissed me off even further and said it was past some deadline to book for the night. Come on! So, I attempted to go back to the gate we flew into to see if the lady would help me with a voucher...no luck. Not there. I remembered how nice the USO (armed forces lounge) was in Minneapolis and decided to go there. I needed to email some people to see if someone could come pick me up at that hour (we live 2.5 hours north of London) since the military shuttle only operates in the am. Navigated myself through the airport for what seemed like the City of CHicago because it was on the opposite end of the frickin' airport. Oh, yeah and all I had was my purse. I thought I was playing it smart not having a lot of luggage to drag through airports--so I checked both bags. STUPID!! No change of underwear, no clean clothes; luckily I had deodorant and a toothbrush/toothpaste. But, I remembered the minneapolis USO...they had towels, showers, toiletries...I was getting all excited about curling up in a leather recliner. And then the nightmare continued.....

The most ghetto looking lounge! About 20 waiting-room style chairs. To use a shower, you had to go to the airport Hilton athletic club which did not open until 5 am. I just started to Laugh and think "bring it on"!. So, I emailed people and called one of the senior enlisted in my clinic to arrange transportation. Luckily, since I was on official business, they said they would pay for a hotel at the airport in London since I was getting in so late. At this point, I would have paid for it myself because the last thing I wanted was to arrive and get by myself in a cab at midnight and travel 2.5 hours by cab.... did not exactly make me feel safe. So, I spent a little time trying to find a hotel by the airport. Now it is 2am...So, I found a "chair" and attempted to get comfortable...maybe got 20 minutes of sleep.

At 4 am after being frustrated, I decided to contact AA to find out about my luggage (temporarily forgot about it during my rebooking fiasco...) The lady on the phone said that normally you have to reclaim your luggage and then check it in when you arrive at the airport (interesting...never left....sarcasm duly noted). So, I had to walk outside and over to terminal 2 because the security checkpoints between the terminals were closed until 5am... Find the baggage claim area just to read a sign that the luggage is not available and would be on the next flight to London, which thankfully was my flight.
So, I go and check in and luckily that flight left on time.

Business class was so worth it!!!! Worth every penny!!! Tons of leg room with reclining chairs and foot rests. We were given a shower kit with face wipes, slippers, etc....and, a menu of our breakfast, snack, and dinner options. I enjoyed too many mimosas, seafood couscous, excellent cheese and crackers....and everytime my wine glass was getting empty, the flight attendant came by to top it off. I was spoiled to the point that I think I will be disappointed flying coach :)
And, when I arrived to the Sheraton I enjoyed the most incredible shower and the most comfortable bed with a down featherbed and huge comfy pillows....slept like a baby!

For the next year, everyone is coming to visit us! I will not fly transatlantic for a VERY, VERY long time :)
Hope you enjoyed the story. I will post pics of my trip to MN later.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! As I am writing this, most of you are still sleeping.
Aaron and I attended Christmas eve service on base. It was really cute. They had the children's choir singing and we were impressed with how good they were! Then, this morning we woke up, unwrapped a few gifts and we are watching a classic Christmas cartoon marathon (Rudolph, little drummer boy, the grinch, frosty the snowman). I love the old-school cartoons! We also observed the Anderson family tradition of watching National Lampoon's Christmas vacation last night.
I am making a "thanksgiving" meal for Christmas. We made turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc when Hilary's family was here. But all the left overs mysteriously disappeared! We love you TOM! So, since Aaron did not get any left overs due to a certain person's midnight cravings....He wanted me to make it again for Christmas. I think we are having a few of our friends over as well.
We really wish we were home for Christmas, but will see most of you when we are home in about 4 weeks.
And, to the Nedved clan in SD...we are going to drive to Sioux Falls one of the days to see as many of you as we can. Let us know which dates work (Jan 28-Feb 2).

Now, I can not believe I am going to give Hillary Clinton any space on this blog, but in my Women's Health magazine, I came across this.....


Is that not the funniest nutcracker you have seen. It is only 24.95 from hillarynutcracker.com/completelynuts.html. In about 4-6 weeks we will be a proud owner! She is a real ball buster! I really hope she does not become president......

Week of being a housewife

Yesterday was a strange day....Aaron woke up to go to work and I got to stay home. Aside from weekends when he was working at the golf course and I was not on call, that has never happened. We are either both working or he is at home. He started his job yesterday at the post office on base. His first day went well, but since he has to do a lot of lifting of heavy packages, he complained of a sore back. I think he just enjoys getting out of the house; and, since the days are getting so short here, golf is getting to be a bit more of a challenge. The sun does not rise until 7:30 or so and then it starts to get dark at 3:30.

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts/prayers the past two weeks. I had the D&C on friday and everything went well. It was so strange to be on the "other side" of things. I operate every monday in the OR and have my routine of filling out the preoperative paperwork, verifying correct surgical site/pt..... It was "surreal" being on the other side and having people do their routine on me. My friend Jett is an anesthesiologist at the hospital...I knew him my first year of residency....and he did my anesthesia. He hooked me up. Just prior to rolling back, my OB had to rush to a delivery. He kept dosing me with Versed. "Instant 3 Margaritas" I don't remember much after that....except Aaron laughing at my drug induced euphoria! I came home and slept the rest of the day. Some of our friends, Liz and James (both are dentists with me), brought us over soup and pasta that first night. A thoughtful gesture that we were extremely grateful for.
Emotionally I am doing well. I felt "normal" the next day, which made me relieved. I had the D&C a week after we found out we lost the baby, so we did most of our grieving in that week. Aaron and I are hopeful that we will conceive again and know that it happened for a reason. I have also found great comfort in emails I have received after people found out we miscarried saying how they miscarried....often more than once. It is something you don't hear much about until it happens to you.
Plus, I am very focused on my boards, so I think having that as a "distraction" helps. I was given a week off of work and have been using the time to study...however, the more I am studying, the more freaked out I am getting about the test! So, today I am getting a massage! (although I think Aaron is the one that needs it....)

< 5%

Well, we found out Wednesday that we lost the baby. I was at 12 weeks. I had my routine 12 week prenatal appointment and they were unable to detect the heart beat with doppler and they did an ultrasound where it was confirmed. Obviously, not the news we wanted to hear since it took us one year to get to this point. But, we are finding great comfort in our Faith in God's plan and each other. It's kind of ironic that it happened the day before Thanksgiving. However, I have never been more grateful for everything that God has blessed me with. Despite my saddness, I can't help but smile at how incredible my life is. I am married to the most incredible and supportive husband, have the most wonderful family and friends, am healthy, and love my job as an oral surgeon.
So, what now. I am currently sitting at home while my sisters, brother-in-law, Aaron, and godson (Noah) are in London. My OB wanted me to stay "local" in case I would have a fulminant miscarriage. The baby is quite comfortable hanging out for now. When we had our appointment on Wed I was given three options. He said normally he would schedule a patient for a D&C because of how much "tissue" was present. However, since I am in the medical field, he felt comfortable giving me some options since I would know how to handle situations if I encountered problems at home. If you have a light stomach, stop reading :)
Option #1-- Let my body naturally miscarry. He described it as "mild" labor with cramping and potentially a lot of bleeding. When he told me that the baby is about 2 1/2 inches long, I immediately decided I did not want that option since I did not want the emotional trauma of seeing it. Option #2 was to implant a medication in my cervix that would cause option #1 to happen faster. they would do an Ultrasound in 48 hours to see if there was any tissue left and if there was, would implant more medication. If another 48 hours passed and there was still tissue left, I would need a D&C (needed in about 15%). Option #3 is a D&C. I have opted for this option and it is scheduled for next Friday. He wanted me to get it earlier, but the OR schedule is overflowing because of the holiday.
So, I have been studying for boards, with my mind frequently wandering.....
My OB is awesome. He said that given the problems early in the pregnancy, it was almost certainly genetic. It did not have the complete genetic profile to sustain life. I know of a family that recently lost a baby to trisomy -18 (Edward's syndrome). She found out at 20 weeks and delivered the baby just to have her die at 5 days old. So, I am grateful that God's will occurred when it did rather than other options.....
And, he reassured me that this miscarriage does not put me at greater risk for a subsequent miscarriage. But, he did say that I inevitably will be extremely anxious with the next one. After the D&C he said we have to wait a couple of months to start trying....guess I will be able to have some celebratory cocktails after my board exam!!!!
On to more cheerful news..... Aaron and I are coming home in January. I am coming home on the 22nd to take my exam on the 25th ( a 7 hour / 350 question computer exam--yuck!). Aaron will most likely be coming home the week before (I figured I will be mega stressed and really bitchy....might has well get him out of the house early :) ). We will both be staying until Feb 3rd or so. We hope to see everyone.
Oh, and Aaron got a job!!!! He will be working at the post office on base. It is described as a seasonal job, but it looks like if funding goes through, will be a permanent position. So, if you mail us items and it takes longer or gets lost....you know who to blame :)

Well, my books are calling my name.....

Happy Halloween!!

We were pretty impressed with how many trick or treaters came out last night in our village. So much that we were not prepared. We ran out of candy after about 30 minutes! Oh, well...we will be better prepared next year. Check out my cute nephews! Noah (Hilary and Tom's son) is on the left and Jackson (lindsay and Toby's son) is on the right.

I also created a link to Hilary's blog to the right. And, She just found out she is having another boy! Lindsay is hoping ours will be a girl so Lauren is not out numbered!
I am excited to be traveling back to the US next week for a one week board review course in Denver. I am flying in a day early to drive down to Colorado Springs to visit my friend Deb from dental school. She has the day off so we can hang out, go out to eat, and go shopping. Before I found out I was pregnant, I made a mental list of all of the places I wanted to eat at....Chilis, Chipotle, Las Palapas, Caribou...but, this past week have been blind sided with morning sickness and now nothing sounds good. Hopefully that will change because I have not had Chipotle in over 4 months!!!!

Our British Bean

That's right...we are pregnant. I am currently 8 weeks along and due on Jun 7th. We saw a strong heart beat today and were told our chance of miscarriage is < 5%. I apologize to those of you who are finding out about this via the web. It is just really hard to tell everyone individually with the time difference and what not.
It has been a roller coaster of emotions for the past two weeks. Two weeks ago I had to call the OB on call due to severe cramping and spotting. He wanted to see me right away and had me stop in the lab for a blood draw on the way in. He was really concerned because my HCG levels were really high, but nothing but the yolk sac was showing up (looked similar to a 4 week pregnancy, but I was 6 weeks). Pretty much we were told that the baby did not have the genetic makeup to make it past the four weeks stage and that I was probably miscarrying. However, he wanted to see what my HCG level did in 48 hours. If I was miscarrying, it would go down; but, in a normal pregnancy, should double. So on Sunday I went in for the lab. And, it showed an increase. It did not double, so he wanted to see me in a week for another ultrasound prior to scheduling me for a D & C. Talk about a long week. Last friday I had another ultrasound, and, much to Aaron and I (and the Dr) surprise....a heart beat. He just said that I may not have as far along as we initially thought based on my last cycle. But, he was slightly concerned about a slightly lower heart rate (110 beats/minute) and wanted me to have another scan at what would have been my first OB appointment that next week. So, today I had another ultrasound and the heart rate was a healthy 160 beats/minute!! So, everything looks good. This pic is a bit squished, but it was the only pic I was given.

So, bye bye flat stomach!! I currently look as if I have been enjoying a diet of beer and pizza! And, aside from being dead tired, have been feeling great. Well, we will keep y'all posted. My parents are coming to visit from one week tomorrow and will post pics of their trip on our blog.

Bonjour!!

Well, we returned from our trip to the French/Italian Riviera last night at 1am. We had a blast and could not have asked for better weather. But, I must say, it is nice to be home. I will not be sad if I do not have a jamon/fromage (ham/cheese) baquette any time soon.
Oh, before I begin....My sister, Lindsay, had her baby on Oct 2 (while we were gone). Her name is Lauren Grace and she is adorable! Click on the link to her blog on the right.

We flew into Nice, France which is the largest city on the Coast; we stayed there for two days. It was our first time to the Mediterranean coast and it was interesting to see a rocky beach. Most people spoke English so it was not hard to get around or order food. Here is a picture of the coast line:
And, here is a picture of Brittany and I on the main street through town where all of the shopping was

I learned alot about European fashion. Skinny jeans are in (even with zippers at the ankles....80's fashion anyone) and leg warmers are making a comeback!!!
Here is Aaron and I in the Plaza (Old Towne)

Our next stop was Monte Carlo, Monoco. Monaco is the 2nd smallest country, next to the Vatican. Aaron described it as Bel Aire on steroids. Aaron got to experience his first train ride....

Two James Bond movies were filmed at the Monte Carlo Casino, we we went there as well. It was interesting to see all of the cars parked outside: two Bentleys, two ferraris, mazerati (which is my new dream car...see previous post), Lamborghini...the mercedes looked out of place.
This is Aaron and I overlooking the casino (we were not allowed to bring our cameras inside, so this is the only glimpse we have

And, us overlooking the coast


Next, we took the train to Italy and stayed in a coastal village called Monterosso.
Our hotel was situated on a bluff that overlooked the city. The map made it look like it was rather close to the train station, so we decided to walk. Well after about 4 switch backs up this steep road (hauling our luggage), a shuttle stopped by to pick us up. THANK GOD!! There were still about 8 more switch backs up this steep windy road.... Map was definitely not too scale. Here is a picture of Aaron and I overlooking the village from our hotel.

Monterosso is in an area called Cinque Terra (five towns). There are five towns on the coast and we hiked 8 miles between the villages. It was a rather strenous hike and gave us an opportunity to burn off some of the Italian Pasta we had been eating. We started in Riomaggiore and hiked to north throught Monorola, Corniglia, Vernaza (the most scenic), and ended with the most rigorous climb to Monterrosa (and jumped in the sea to cool off!!!). Here are some scenes from our hike...
From this photo, you can see Monterosso in the distance.

This is Monorola. It is amazing how these homes are built right into the cliff side.

This is looking back at Corniglia. The hike was strenous in that you would hike up through the villages, then down to the sea, then up through the olive trees and vineyards... Lots of ascending and descending, but the scenery was amazing.

This is Aaron and I on the last leg of the hike, overlooking vernaza. We bought a watercolor painting from a woman along the hike with the same scene in it.


This was our favorite part of the trip and would recommend it to anyone traveling to Italy.
After two days in Italy, we took the train to Cannes, France for our last night of vacation. Here is a funny picture of Brittany. Most of the hotels did not charge additional money for having three people (vs. two), but the hotel in Cannes did...almost $90 more. So, Brittany opted for the floor. She created a bed out of the cushions on the chairs and pillows and covered up with the bathrobes!


So, there you have it. It is so much fun to be able to travel over here. Only a two hour flight and we were in vacationing in the Med!