Milligan Memories

Happy Father's Day!

2010-09-05T22:27:00.015+08:00

Daddy rocks

For Australian Father's Day, Sam let Greg golf 18 holes with the guys on Saturday. On Sunday morning she made him super yummy lemony blueberry scones before he left for an hour-long deep tissue massage. But I think his favourite gift of all was this picture I took of Sam - look at that smile!

City to Surf 2010

2010-08-29T22:24:00.002+08:00

Relaxing after her 4K walk

Lunch date

2010-08-22T22:07:00.000+08:00

TimTam shakes - a little bit of heaven on earth

My little pony

2010-08-21T22:01:00.000+08:00

In my Bumbo

2010-08-20T22:11:00.005+08:00

Looks like total head control here

Not so much here

We've been doing a few 5-10 minute sessions of tummy time each day on the activity mat, on the floor, in the cot, and on shoulders - you can really tell all the hard work is paying off when you put her in the Bumbo. Sam is loving every chance to sit up like a big girl!

"Swimming"

2010-08-09T21:44:00.001+08:00

Sam enjoys floating via Daddy's hand and is now demonstrating a new kind of swim stroke with chicken arms and frog legs.

6 weeks old

2010-07-30T21:43:00.001+08:00

Sweetie Pie Sam

2010-07-27T21:35:00.001+08:00

Duke heart Sam

2010-07-26T21:21:00.000+08:00

Duke loves to be as close to Sam as possible except when she's crying of course! He's always trying to sneak in a lick (or 2 or 3) on her face. I don't she minds at all...

Duke, can I tell you a secret?

You need a Dentastix!

Bathing beauty

2010-07-20T19:49:00.001+08:00

Before taking a dip

Water's just right

Buddha belly

Sam's 1st Party

2010-07-10T19:29:00.000+08:00

Hanging out with the aunties and uncles

We had our 1st social outing at night: Scott's housewarming party. Sam slept the entire time while we enjoyed sloppy joe's and homemade peanut butter and chocolate ice cream. It was so good to catch up with everyone!

Saying goodbye to paternity leave

2010-07-09T19:15:00.001+08:00

Greg took a full week of paternity leave during the first week of Sam's life. The next two weeks he worked half-days in the mornings and then we'd tag team the duties during the rest of the day (and night!). He's the best bottle feeder, bottle washer, dishwasher, and clothes washer around. He's also mastered the art of sleeping through baby cries even though Sam sleeps in the bassinet feature of the pack 'n play in our bedroom - seriously!


Cuddles with Daddy


Watching The Wire

Bathtime

2010-07-07T19:04:00.008+08:00

Greg is in charge of the bedtime routine: feed, bath, play, more feeding, and lights out. He says she gets upset when he reads to her so Sam and I do story time during the day :) Greg loves taking Sam for a swim in the tub during which he says "naked baby!" at least 7 times. This pic cracks me up every time!

Naked baby!

Sam meets Finlay

2010-07-04T18:48:00.000+08:00

We met up with the gang for dim sum in Northbridge to show off Sam and to meet baby Finlay born to Arran and Julie only 1 week after Sam.

Sleep date

Still sleeping

Future lovebirds?

It's a bumpy ride

2010-07-02T18:31:00.005+08:00

Out and about in Mueller Park

Since we've been home from hospital, it's been a roller coaster ride with breastfeeding. Last Thursday I attended the SJOG (St John of God) Parents Group for newborns where Mary Ann helped me select the correct size flanges for my Medela double breast pump (the size that comes with the kit was causing damage). Then Friday I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with a home visit from my lactation consultant where Sam successfully nursed with the nipple shield! Unfortunately over the weekend I got a blocked pore on my left nipple and went to the SJOG Breastfeeding Clinic on Monday to have it drained. On Tuesday we were visited by the Child Health Care Nurse for Sam's 1 week follow-up and was told she would be a more efficient sucker once she gained more weight. At this point I am breastfeeding, giving Sam expressed milk, next topping up her up with formula, and then pumping. I have never been more exhausted in my entire life!

Stylin' Sam

2010-07-01T18:25:00.004+08:00

Same hat, older baby @ 4 wks old

Sporting a handmade hat from Kate @ 13 days

Strollin' thru the 'hood

2010-06-22T16:57:00.003+08:00

We're home and introducing Sam to her surroundings - a short pram ride down our street and back.


Hook 'em

With Daddy and Duke

With Mommy


Enjoying the scenery?

In front of the house

Just what the doctor ordered

2010-06-21T16:46:00.002+08:00

After hysterically crying (again!) during the breastfeeding seminar that only myself and a lady with twin preemies attended, Dr. Gubbay arranged for the booked-out lactation consultant to stop by my room for a chat. Paula calmed me down, we made a plan of attack and I started my first day of pumping so Sam could receive both expressed milk and formula. Greg, Sam, and I were all set to go home the next morning - yeehaw!

Hugs are the best medicine

Our sleeping (and hungry) beauty

2010-06-20T16:10:00.062+08:00

Warm and cozy on a winter's day

Sam is in great shape, although the midwives are a bit concerned about the depth of the butt dimple she inherited from Greg. She had a Apgar score of 9 and barely flinched during her newborn tests. I too am quickly recovering from the birth trauma and have regained all bodily functions by this point.

Sam is also breastfeeding like a champ, but I have developed the sorest nipples on the planet trying to keep pace with her hearty appetite. Even though we didn't have trouble with attachment and Sam was a strong sucker from the start, I am completely stressed about the level of pain I was experiencing. I keep requesting help from the midwives on technique, tips, and just general reassurance - some ladies are angels while the rest seem put off. I try not to feel guilty for constantly pressing the call button as no one gets everything I need in one go. Greg is patient and understanding as my anxiety level grows. I finally break down at 11pm, extremely upset that no one was taking me seriously. Sam got her 1st bottle of formula at that point and was taken to the nursery for the evening while I give my boobs and my sanity a much needed rest. I felt defeated and disappointed as I was hoping we could be discharged on Monday (the earliest the pediatrician would allow as the normal hospital stay for a vaginal delivery was 5 days).

Good news travels fast

2010-06-19T15:59:00.003+08:00


Adding beauty and colour to our den/kitchen/dining room

A fun and practical present from the Accenture crew

As soon as Sam was born, a plethora of gifts arrived at the house - stunning flower arrangements, a delicious baked ziti, and cute nappy (diaper) cakes. Sean had the important task of calling all the family members with the details of Sam's birth given the time difference. We were able to talk to almost everyone within the first 24 hours of being parents and brag about our sweet princess.

Duke's life changes forever

2010-06-19T15:51:00.002+08:00

Greg was able to sneak out a couple of hospital blankets that smelled of Sam so Duke could familarise himself with his little sister. We weren't quite sure how he would react when we brought Sam home but nevertheless, we prepared our "old" baby for his new status in the family.


Duke waking up to a new scent

Welcome to the family Sam!

2010-06-18T13:20:00.001+08:00

Samantha Anne Milligan

Presenting Samantha Anne Milligan born on Friday 18th June at 2:37pm at St. John of God Hospital in Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia. Weight: 3090 gms (6 lbs 13 oz); length: 51 cms (20 in); head circumference 32 cms (12.6 in). Just perfect!

We arrived at the hospital at 6:30am although we had both been up since 5 being so excited to meet our little lady. In the next 30 minutes that Greg had gone home to get the forgotten big camera and returned, I had changed into my spiffy hospital gown, ordered a midwife to bring a more comfortable chair for Greg, and flipped through all 10 channels on the T.V. At 7:30am I was still about 2 cm dilated and she hadn't dropped any further. Declaring that a C-section was definite reality, including the forceps or vacuum, Dr. Gubbay broke my waters (as they say in British/Australian English), hooked me up to the drip & IV, and disappeared as I began to labour. The midwives were predicting a tea-time delivery...I had to clarify as there's a morning tea, an afternoon tea, and Australians have nicknamed dinner "tea" as well. So the expectation was a early evening arrival.

The first two hours of contractions were pretty easy, but I started to get hungry so Greg made a run for some gummy snakes and jelly beans. By 10am I had finally hit 3cms and went from tolerating the growing uncomfortableness just hanging out on the bed to walking around the room to sitting on the fit ball. By 11am I started to think I wasn't going to be able to cope with the ever increasing pain as the contractions were coming faster and harder than I could relax through as they adjust the drip each half hour. I was reminded that there were 5 C-sections scheduled that day so if I really wanted an epidural, I'd better speak up now. At noon, the anesthesiologist came in - jibbered jabbered, told a few jokes, and basically acted like a nut job until he was satisfied that I was as numb as I wanted to be and then left as quickly as he came. For the next 30 minutes as I sweated, grunted, huffed and puffed, all I can remember is repeating to Greg "it still hurts, when is it gonna start working?"

At 1pm the doctor proudly announced I was 10cm (from 3cm in 2 hours!) and she had dropped. He told us I would start pushing at 2pm. I couldn't believe how fast things were happening. I requested a mirror hoping I could check out the progress as I pushed; however, I pushed the strongest with my eyes closed so I would peak at what was happening along the way, but not very successfully. Greg got to see the entire miracle of birth and even held up my right leg. He was an amazing, supportive coach and cheerleader - he held my hand the whole time and gave me updates like "I see hair. I see the head. We're so close!" It was a good thing too because Dr. Gubbay was simultaneously teaching a student midwife (who actually dressed in his delivery gear because he was running late and the midwives weren't sure he would make it before her debut!). I pushed little, pushed big, and rested on command. Although amidst the flurry of instructions in the final moments, it got very confusing and I had to ask if he was talking to me or the student!

Less than 40 minutes (of pushing so forcefully I thought I'd surely pop a vein in my forehead) later, our baby entered the world with a nice pair of lungs. The waterworks began as soon as they put her on my chest - I had never been so relieved and happy in my entire life (seeing Greg as I walked down the aisle is a close 2nd!). Greg assumed cord-cutting duty, then watched closely as the midwives ran the tests and took measurements. Once she was back in my arms, I breastfed her and kept smiling at Greg standing beside me. As Greg and I cuddled, oohed, and awed her (while Dr. Gubbay completed the finishing touches) over the next 2 hours, we both agreed she was definitely a Sam!

Sam's 1st photo

We're both crying here

All clean and wrapped up like a burrito

Sam checking out her proud mama

1st yawn

Thanking the Lord for a healthy and beautiful daughter - we are so blessed

Recovering in her bassinet after a hard day's work

Week 40

2010-06-15T20:53:00.011+08:00

The weekend was beautiful - sunny and dry - unusual for Perth winter and we loved every minute of it. Sunday, Greg & I enjoyed a dim sum lunch at Golden Century in Northbridge, followed by last minute tickets to the Freo vs. St Kilda footy game (Aussie Rules Football) that afternoon in Subi. Sports in OZ has nothing over watching a live game in the States - where are the cheerleaders? the dancers? the half-time show? the music? the involvement of the crowd using the jumbotron and announcer? Sunday night woke up at 4am and was starving so had some hot chocolate and several digestive biscuits...a very nice dessert although Duke was not thrilled I woke him up for it!

At the appt on Monday, the doc finally checking me out down under. Am 1-2cm dilated, cervix is softening, she's 2/3 descended, good heartbeat, and measuring 37 wks now - so no need to do the gels Thursday night! She's still head down, but forgot to ask her position. Doc thinks she could come on her own and before the Friday am induction date. I'm doing hour-long walks with Duke to encourage her to come out, but she's obviously comfortable where she is. Not even out of the womb, and she's already testing my patience! Am sleeping well and not experiencing any real labour contractions as of yet, but can finally say out loud that I am ready to get this show on the road :)

Week 39

2010-06-08T12:33:00.001+08:00

She’s dropped – 2/5 or 3/5 down since last wk. Doc thinks I should be able to go into labour on my own. But if I don’t by my due date this Sunday, then I see him next Monday where he will check my cervix. I have been scheduled for induction at the hospital on next Friday morning at 6:30am. Feeling exhausted this week, but otherwise nothing new on the aches and pains front. Consequently, Duke is deeply concerned about all my nap-taking and has already killed two of his toys in frustration. The freezer is stocked with the Shepherd’s pie, chicken enchiladas, and lasagne I made so hopefully we won’t be eating pizza everyday!

Week 38

2010-06-02T12:41:00.003+08:00

Measuring 36 wks with tape measure and tested negative for strep. Baby is average size, good heartbeat, good blood pressure, head down and high, posterior position, etc. Doc thinks we still wait and see if I can go into labour naturally. If she doesn't drop once I go into labour, or if I hit 41 wks and no baby yet, then we'll do a C-section.

Greg is no longer traveling to Brisbane each week so I'm having him do all the park outings with Duke to help with the transition. No contractions yet, but 4 pimples have popped up this wk so something hormonal is definitely going on! I feel like she may have dropped b/c my pants fit different, but other than that, not feeling much different although gaining celebrity status at the gym now! I finally got myself a nursing bra on Friday night, plus some magazines for the hospital stay although not sure how much reading I’ll do. Staying busy with work and knocking things off the to-do list. Feels weird being a ticking time bomb!

Week 37

2010-05-26T12:50:00.000+08:00

She still hasn’t dropped and the doc thinks she’s posterior. Grrr! So we’re still in the “not sure if I’m having a c-section or vaginal delivery” category. Doc says he would have like to have seen her drop already and that there is a chance she can turn. He thinks it’s too early to say if I will be a c-section or vaginal delivery. He says many times it looks like a woman can’t deliver vaginally and then she does; and vice versa. Otherwise, belly is measuring 36 wks, good heartbeat, etc.

I sleep about 6 hours a night and usually wake myself up at least once or twice b/c I start out sleeping on my side then roll to my back which makes me wake up. Continue to get dehydrated quickly so always need to make sure I drink lots of water. I feel her kicking as much as ever, assuming it’s b/c she’s posterior so the kicking is outwards not inwards.

The other night I dreamt I was breastfeeding her and when she was done, she said to me, “mommy where’s my cell phone?” LOL! I am also taking sinus meds (that I got in Dec when I had that full-blown infection whilst in Houston) b/c I woke up Sunday with a sinus headache. Also packing on the lbs and getting some leg swelling. Greg will make one last trip to Brisbane next week and then he’s on the no-fly list!

Week 36

2010-05-18T12:57:00.000+08:00

Just got back from the doc appt. Her head is a little high for a vagina birth so pls pray that she drops in the next few wks. If she’s not low enough, I’ll have to be induced or have a c-section.

Week 35

2010-05-15T17:50:00.001+08:00

Attended the Breastfeeding & Settling Your Baby workshop at SJOG on Thursday. The midwives gave us dolls to practice holding the baby in breastfeeding positions and didn't do it right on the 1st try. I think it's going to take awhile for it to feel normal, but confident that the 2 of us will eventually figure it out. On Sunday, Greg & I will be touring the Delivery Ward at SJOG. I'm really looking forward to checking out the birthing suites, seeing the nursery, and most importantly finding out how to get there!

Week 34

2010-05-06T13:06:00.000+08:00

All is well. I am still measuring 32 wks (using the tape measure method) so we did a scan and yep, she’s measuring 34 wks, which is right on schedule. Looks are deceiving in my case…which explains why my weight hasn’t changed in these last 2 wks either. Given her current weight, doc thinks she’s on the path towards being a 7 lb baby. So looks like I won’t need to worry about her needing preemie-sized clothing. I also had my 1^st ever leg cramp the other night – good Lord, those are painful! Greg thought I was going into labour!

On Saturday we took a Baby CPR class at SJOG conducted by Surf Lifesaving Australia. The instructor is also a certified midwife so she was very knowledgeable and a bit of an actress as well with her polished re-enactments! As well as very Australian...we learned she was against central A/C and heat (thinks artificial air is evil), but wasn’t too hard on us for being the only couple attending without a land line. Important piece of info – whilst 000 is the emergency number here, it only works if dialling from a land line. Using a mobile, you have to dial 112. Also worth noting is 911 works here (because so many Aussie kids grow up watching US TV and movies) too but only if dialling a land line. All in all it was a valuable course and Greg got to try his hand at acting too!

Week 33

2010-04-29T17:43:00.000+08:00

Enjoyed brunch with our buds at Wild Fig Cafe on Monday (yay for public holidays!). I got asked by my Pilates teacher if I was sick of being pregnant, but honestly I can't complain. I've got my routine down: go to yoga on Mon/Wed/Fri, Pilates on Tue/Thurs, run with Duke on Mondays, pre-natal on Fridays, and squeeze in a swim and weights once a week if I feel up to it. Even see Bex on Tuesdays and Fridays at class, plus we do lunch after the yoga. The baby doesn't seem to mind - she gave me a kick at the top of my bump for the 1st time on Wednesday.

Week 32

2010-04-24T13:13:00.000+08:00

Total learning experience on Monday – when you cheat, cheat early! I had my first Coke since the pregnancy at 3pm (tasted soooo good) and couldn’t go to bed until midnight b/c of the surge of caffeine! The baby had some hiccups at lunchtime today, but that was before the Coke :)

I still take Duke on a Monday morning run and sometimes I’ll get a pain somewhere in the bump area, but it goes away pretty quickly. Other than that, she’s just rolling around with some occasional boxing. Still doing the yoga, Pilates, weight-lifting but slacking on the swimming these past few weeks so need to get a workout in this week.

Haven’t really been able to do much of anything with the nursery as we may be moving before the end of May. Our owners are selling the house we rent at the end of our lease. But we discussed changing the lease so we could be in a new place before the baby. They are willing to do that but haven’t made the changes with property mgmt yet so we can’t move forward in securing a new place yet. Frustrating and super stressful! I really want everything in its place in 4 wks. So trying to not let it get to me too much.

We also had to cancel our trip to Broome for the ANZAC public holiday weekend as Conor has to fly to Dublin for a work mtg next week and Meredith is going with him before she continues onto the States for a week to do some wedding prep. It’s probably better that we’re staying home as we obviously have a lot on our plates right now. But it would have wonderful to have our babymoon there as week 33 is technically the last week I can fly whilst prego given the remoteness of WA. But if we were flying to a major city like Sydney, I could fly up until 35 weeks like in the US. Broome's only a 3.5 hr flight from Perth and they do have a hospital...oh well :(

Week 31

2010-04-18T17:34:00.000+08:00

Yup, another bladder leak on Thursday, this time I sneezed! Didn't get a lot of sleep this week as we're still trying to figure out where we will be living come June. On Saturday Greg & I went to our Birth & Parenting One Day Workshop at SJOG. It was actually really good - most of the stuff we had read (especially with our Baby 411 book), but it was beneficial to hear it again. At one point, the 2 midwives running the session split up the guys and girls. Of course always the facilitator, Greg got to lead the guys' discussion on what they'll miss once the baby is born. All I can remember is lots of laughter coming from the other room whereas the tone in our room was a lot more somber. Big surprise there!

Week 30

2010-04-08T17:28:00.000+08:00

The flight to Bangkok last Friday was a doosy! Even getting up every hour to pee and stretch, I still felt a bit miserable with the dehydration and swollen legs. Given the stopover in Phuket, the total travel time was 12 hours from our house to our arrival at the Hilton. Greg was so good about us breaking the day up with a nap/swim between our site-seeing adventures. I didn't think I would be that affected by the heat so I was extremely relieved I brought a new shirt for everyday we were there as I sweated through all of them! Luckily, it was a direct flight on Tuesday back to Perth although I still needed a day to recover from the trip.

Week 29

2010-03-29T17:21:00.000+08:00

After a long afternoon of searching for a maternity dress I could bear to wear, I was ready for my high-tea baby shower at the Duxton Hotel on Sunday courtesy of the lovely and generous hostesses Ali, Mer & Susan. It was more than I could have ever imagined - the menu was scrumptious and so many friends (Karina, Temara, Rose, Kate, Bern, Lorna, Bex, Lisa, Paula, Monika, and Marcella) came to adorn LBM with their favourite children's books. The "It's a Girl" balloons were huge and I felt so much love & support from my Perth crew. It was an amazing event!

Week 28

2010-03-28T17:09:00.002+08:00

For Greg's birthday on Sunday, I baked a carrot cake (my 1st!) and thank goodness, it was beautiful. Greg grilled burgers at our place and our closest friends came by to wish him well. But again, spent most of the party sitting on the couch. Baking wears me out! On Thursday, had another 1st - 1st leak whilst farting...yeah, not so cool. Saturday evening Greg & I attended the Western Force vs. Bulls (S. Africa) rugby game at Members Equity Stadium. Love my hubby - he stopped at Subway to get us dinner which made us late to the pregame drinks at the Brisbane, but he didn't seem too bothered. Afterward, our group (the Accenture gang of course) checked out the Ellington Jazz Club. Whilst the seats downstairs by the band were sold out, we were able to sit in the upstairs bar. Regardless, the music was suburb and capped off a wicked night.

Week 27

2010-03-17T17:04:00.001+08:00

The beginning of the 3rd trimester - I made it! On Tuesday went to my 1st prenatal class at SJOG - Healthy Pregnancy & Beyond seminar. Only plus was that I saw Paula (one of the pregos in my gym class) & her husband, but left halfway through. I pretty much knew everything from reading my Mayo Clinic's Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy book. Oh well...

Over the last month have been spending a ridiculous amount of time researching all the baby equipment, clothes, furniture, etc. that I need to add to the registry. In doing so, I've come up with a spreadsheet that would blow anyone who saw it away. What makes it difficult is that I have to figure in exchange rate, weight, shipment rates, and availability in Perth vs. Houston. My Mom has been an angel and lifesaver by accepting all the deliveries, packing & shipping the boxes, returning items, and shopping for the non-BRU items I need. I could never ever pay her back for all that she's done thus far during my pregnancy. We've become quite close during this time and wouldn't have it any other way...except for her and Dad being here for the birth. But I've already convinced them to come after the Perth winter, which is rainy and cold (inside more than out!). I want them to experience Oz as a sunny and warm destination given they may only visit once during our stay.

Week 26

2010-03-12T16:54:00.000+08:00

Took my glucose test on Monday. Here you have to wait at the doc's office for the full hour, then get the bloodwork. In the US, they give you the glucose drink beforehand so you can do your waiting at home. So progressive! I also have been going to the pre-natal fitness classes at Next Generation on Fridays from 1-2pm. So far, it's just been a handful of pregos coming since they started in Feb. Of course, there's a token nanna attending as well. She always asks more pregnancy-related Qs than all of us pregos combined. A bit annoying, but she likes to help set up the class. What's cool is that each week the exercise is different - like boot camp - so we either do aqua aerobics, circuit, spin or pilates. The instructor Annie is very fit and has 3 kids - the 3rd born 20 years after the 1st so she knows her stuff. Look forward to getting to know the other pregos better!

Week 25

2010-02-28T16:48:00.000+08:00

So after debating and signing up last minute, I did the 2XU Women's Tri this morning. Just the super sprint distance (150m ocean swim at Hillary's, 5K cycle, and 1.5K run). I felt awesome and thankfully it started at 7:15am so I was finished before it got too hot. Results: Overall Time 27:32; Swim 2:50; Cycle 17:46; Run 6:54; Overall 18th, 181; and 30-39 category 7th, 51. Was so proud of myself and bump - we rock!

Week 24

2010-02-24T16:42:00.000+08:00

Yay for monthly prenatal massages - ooo, ahhh! Baked chocolate chew cookies for another outdoor cinema night on Tuesday. Fortunately most of the guys were drinking so didn't even notice how bad they were. I've officially discovered I am a rubbish baker whilst pregnant. I was making pizza dough last month and spilled oil all over the floor whilst trying to open the lid on the new package. Hello prego brain!

Week 23

2010-02-20T16:36:00.002+08:00

On Sunday, it was girls' brunch at Coode St Cafe in Mt Lawley with Mer, Ali, Lorna & Julie. Happy Valentine's Day to us! Julie is also prego with her 2nd, due on 2nd July, and expecting a boy; hence, I'm able to snag all Evie's hand-me-downs...well, the pink ones at least! On Tuesday, stuffed my face with pancakes and crepes at Peter & Susan's Shrove Tuesday dinner. Today, got my maternity jeans at Egg - they are so comfortable...may wear these babies even after the baby comes!

Week 22

2010-02-13T16:30:00.002+08:00

Talked to our private health insurance and found out everything is paid for, no matter what the cost - yay! Had OB appt on Tuesday - all good. On the flip side, saw the opera Peter Grimes (Accenture event) at Her Majesty's Theatre - definitely not all good. Would have loved to leave at intermission, but we were sitting with clients...ugh. At least the drinks and nibbles at the George beforehand were fun. On Friday, Greg & I went to Restaurant Amuse to celebrate Valentine's Day. Had their dego menu and it was excellent, even with some of prego substitutions they had to make. Loved the carrot cake and the egg dishes. I'm thinking it was better than Jackson's dego menu.

Week 21

2010-02-06T16:18:00.001+08:00

On Monday, made my 1st round of follow up calls to the day care centres to request that they keep me on their wait lists. I also started walking Tessa & Duke together since Monika's accident back on my birthday - now that's a workout! I must look like such a sight - got a bump and one dog on each side of it :) Friday night, Susan & I got some Little Caesar's Pizza (a local restaurant in Leederville, not the US chain) and saw "What About the Morgans" at the outdoor cinema at King's Park. Movie = not so good; desserts by Susan = excellent! Greg & I went to IKEA today to buy our crib (thx Baby Bargains book).

I am really happy that Greg has taken to reading up on all things baby in our Baby 411 and Baby Bargains book. He's been a huge help on the shopping trips being the backup brain when I needed it! Unfortunately, I can read a section over and over again, but still not remember what it was that I read. I have to make to-do lists for everything and write down anything I think is important.

Week 20

2010-01-30T16:12:00.000+08:00

Talked with Mom, Anna, and Angela about hosting the virtual baby shower for me. Basically, I just register for the baby items I want at Babies R Us in the States and anyone who wants to give LBM a gift can get it off the registry. We'll have an Evite invite set up for the folks who use email and Mom will send paper invites to the aunts who aren't Internet users...fortunately, there aren't too many of those :) Greg and I also visited the Toys R Us stores in Perth - there are 3 that have Babies R Us within them. However, only the Cannington and Joondalup locations are worth the drive given the selection, which is much to be desired. [Sigh]

Week 19

2010-01-23T16:05:00.001+08:00

Went for my first prenatal massage with Trevor at Subi Sports Massage on Sunday. It was awesome - they had the pad with the hole cut out to accommodate your bump so spent 30min on each side without any problems. Greg is still feeling very positive it's a girl. I am leaning towards girl as well. Thinking the bump is too small to be a boy.

Well on Monday, I had an U/S appt and found out we're 100% having a girl! And thankfully we are both healthy too! So looks like I'm continuing the tradition of granddaughters on the Klesel side of the family; however, this will be the first girl for the Milligan side.

On Friday, Julie & Evie came over and brought LBM a ton of Evie's old clothes - wow, I am truly blessed for all the support. Feeling good and doing the tri training coached by HB with the Accenture folks.

Week 18

2010-01-16T13:22:00.002+08:00

On Tuesday went to the Babes on the Run PT session (trainer had 0 kids); she was more conservative in her recommendations, but feel good that I got 2 different perspectives on exercise. Greg & I celebrated my birthday with dinner at C Restaurant in the CBD - the views from the spindletop were breathtaking and feasted on kangeroo with peach melba for dessert. Plus, Greg surprised me with red roses and a gift card to Ripe Maternity - now I can get those maternity jeans I wanted! Today we had a pool party at Fred and Bern's house. Greg grilled fajitas and I made guac, enchiladas, and tres leches cake for all the guests - Karina, Marc, James, Meredith, Conor, Julie, Arran, Evie, Scott, Lorna, Chris, Ali, Jo, Caed, Bex, and John. It was ridiculously hot, but that's where cooling off in the water was a big hit (unless you got hit by the volleyball). Pink chased Duke around the backyard the whole time, but me and bump thought the party was lush...albeit it may be one of the last few times in the black bikini :) Sadly, no pics - seriously need to hire a photographer as our friends are bigger on the beer-drinking than the picture-taking!

Week 17

2010-01-09T13:37:00.005+08:00

Went running in King’s Park on Sunday morning and realised 29°C is too hot for a prego lady! So had to walk the last half of the run with Duke. Went to our OB appt on Monday and the baby wouldn't sit still long enough to determine the sex so will have to wait until the scan on the 18th to find out. So all we know now is that it is healthy and very active!

Also, got the 1^st Trimester test results back – I’m at the lowest risk for DS. Started calling all the day care centres in Subi to get on the waitlists, and not surprising, many are booked out for the year. Today I drove where the freeway ends to attend the Bodywise PT session (trainer had 3 kids) and learned how to modify my workouts during pregnancy.

Week 17

2010-01-09T13:37:00.004+08:00

Went running in King’s Park on Sunday morning and realised 29°C is too hot for a prego lady! So had to walk the last half of the run with Duke. Went to our OB appt on Monday and the doc was much friendlier. Also, got the 1^st Trimester test results back – I’m at the lowest risk for DS. However, the baby was too active during the scan to determine the sex so will have to wait until the scan on the 18th to find out. Really thought we'd find out today.

Started calling all the day care centres in Subi to get on the waitlists, and not surprising, many are booked out for the year. Today I drove where the freeway ends to attend the Bodywise PT session (trainer had 3 kids) and learned how to modify my workouts during pregnancy.

Finally over all the illnesses so haven't gained much weight over the last month. But no worries, appetite is back and enjoying all foods again. Yet, fresh vegetables are not appealing to me :) Loving carbs though!

And I had a dream last night that I delivered a boy - although, I'm sure it's cause there's been all this talk lately about wanting boys...Lauren gave me the links to all the websites that claim to predict the baby's sex. Based on my answers, they all say I'm having a boy. We'll see!

Week 16

2009-12-31T16:03:00.000+08:00

Craving ballpark hot dogs! Unfortunately, they are unavailable in Oz :( On Tuesday, I passed some tissue whilst in the bathroom in Lucky Bay. It looked like a fish with some red in it, but wasn’t bleeding or cramping. I’m sure it’s nothing but was a bit freaked out about it.

Week 15

2009-12-26T14:03:00.000+08:00

Sunday we celebrated with lunch at Doug and Jen’s – the meal was amazing (thanks Jen!) and the baby gifts I received were a fabulous surprise. I got so many presents, I could only fit a few in my suitcase. A delightful bonus was the performance by my nieces: Taylor sang Taylor Swift songs and Kate sang Christmas songs she learned in day care. That evening, I met Angela at Berryhill Tamales. We wolfed down some fish tacos and headed to the Galleria to savage any part of the shopping extravaganza I had dreamed about. To our dismay, the only store still open after 9pm was Macy’s and was too tired to settle on anything in particular...oh well!

On Monday, Sean & I completed the sale of the 4Runner with my Mom’s help and next thing I knew, it was time to go to the airport. Days before, I decided to upgrade to Virgin premium int'l economy (pretty much like biz class). However, in doing so, it mucked up my flight from IAH to LA on Continental. So after an argument at the check-in resulting in my luggage being thrown at me and placed on a no-fly list, a long distance call to Greg and Virgin, and tears, a pair of competent Continental staff got me on the flight and escorted me through security. Unfortunately, the drama didn’t end when I got to LA as Virgin couldn’t locate my reservation. But I was able to board and got 7 hrs of sleep – thank you wider seats, foot rest and tastier food – on the way to Brisbane. Then had another hiccup, this time with luggage, but flew 1st class to Perth. All in all, upgrading the flight was definitely worth it!

Last night, Greg & Tammy also arrived after a treacherous journey as well. We took them to City Beach, I cooked dinner, and then we were all in bed by 10pm. Woke up with no headache, but still congested. So thinking the worst was over, didn't except to get Greg's gastro (which he came down with on Monday). But only an hour after eating Hungry Jacks (aka Burger King) on the way to Margaret River, my tummy was already doing flip flops. Couldn't even eat my gorgeous lasagna at our Christmas Eve dinner and proceeded to entertain Greg by running from the bed to the bathroom every 1 hour for the entire night. If it wasn't coming out one end, it was coming out the other. Hence, I barely ate anything Christmas Day except for a banana, some crackers, and flat Sprite. Definitely not the best present I ever received from Santa...

Week 14

2009-12-19T13:55:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, I took Taylor to Painting with a Twist, the Houston location of the New Orleans-based companies. It was Family Day and it was so fun to paint snowmen with Taylor; although she’s so smart that she finished way ahead of the others and I had to figure out how to keep her entertained! Acquired a sore throat by that night and got 3 hrs of sleep. On Monday caught up with Tonia and Karen for lunch at Amazon Grill – yummy!

On Tuesday, with sadness had to cancel my lunch with Heather so I could see my old OBGYN. Apparently, the combo of jet lag and pregnancy has triggered insomnia, as well as a sinus infection. At least with the sleeping pill Rx, I got 4 hrs of sleep – better than the 3 hrs I got the night before! On Wednesday, squeezed in lunch with Shelley and Ms. Taylor at Goode Co. Luckily David & Brie were able to swing by Doug’s house for a quick visit before I got up to 5 hrs of sleep.

Thursday had lunch at Cafe Express in Myerland with Daryl and her daughter Audrey, plus Laura and her daughter Natalie, that afternoon a migraine came on (sweet!). That evening, I met up with Mom, Melina, and Roxanne for our Pinot & Picasso class to paint Van Gogh’s Chrysanthemums. We had a blast painting – my Mom’s was the best – and proceeded to get 6 hours of sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

One thing was for sure, I was not having the Christmas trip home that I had planned. Was deeply disappointed that I had to cancel my trip to San Antonio for the weekend b/c it definitely wasn’t safe for me to drive by myself with a migraine and I needed to rest up for the flight home. Woke up Friday still with migraine, but the massage at Massage Envy help me to relax and got 7 hours of sleep. Saturday got another massage this time near St. Anne’s and was able to get 8 hours of sleep.

Week 13

2009-12-12T13:40:00.000+08:00

Finally the moment of truth has arrived! Greg & I made phone calls to all the family to announce the pregnancy. Everyone was very excited and it was a huge relief to be able to let the secret out.

Landed in Houston around midnight on Thursday – so good to have Dad pick me up from the airport. We went to the gym and Treebeard’s for lunch, then that night had fajitas and a virgin rita at El Tiempo with Melina and Sean...sooo good! Unfortunately, only able to sleep 3 hours that night.

After napping today, Melina and Roxanne hosted a cocktail party at her place tonight for me. They really went all out with the Christmas decorations and delicious food spread. It was ace to see so many friends and family – Mom, Dad, Doug, Jen, Taylor, Kate, David, Rick, Lorie, Joey, Lauren, Daniel, Theresa, Gia, Shelley, Wendy, and Sean. Not looking forward to only achieving another 3 hrs of sleep.

Week 12

2009-11-29T13:42:00.004+08:00

Had my 12 wk U/S on Monday. Got a DVD - in one of the pictures the baby is waving at us - very active! Heartbeat 169, no detection of DS from the U/S, everything checked out fine in terms of growth. B/c the baby was cooperating so much (even turned to look at us!) we got a clue on the sex. Only Greg and I know, but waiting until my 19 wk U/S (on 18th Jan.) for it to be confirmed as they said it's only an educated guess at this point. I love how friendly the ladies are at Park Ultrasound!

Week 11

2009-11-28T13:44:00.001+08:00

I had my first appt. with Dr. Gubbay on Monday. He is very laid back, which makes me glad that I have my Mayo clinic guide to pregnancy! Didn't have any opinions re: specific advice except for the no flying after 33 wks. When I asked about philosophy on exercise, he said - exercise is good. When I asked about when I should call if I think something is wrong, he said - use common sense. He never even asked how my pregnancy was going. I had a sharp pain in my pelvic area on my left side Sat. around 7am and it went away after 30min. I got out the book and woke Greg up and just laid there staying calm and fortunately it went away. I told the doc about that and he said - yup, you'll be getting lots of aches and pains. I guess it's better than a Nazi doc...He said the baby can fly internationally as early as 8 wks old (right after the 1st round of immunization shots). So if the baby comes on time, I could make my friend's wedding in Atlanta:) No pressure kid...only that I have a lot of holidays riding on your cooperation!

Still only 1 bun in the oven - Greg's a bit disappointed we're not having twins :) But so far, so good. Got the 12 wk U/S next Monday. Will be happy once the Down's syndrome, etc. results are behind us.

We also hosted the 2nd annual Thanksgiving dinner at our house today. We invited fewer folks (30 instead of 40) this year as I knew all the baking and cooking would totally wipe me out. This year we had 1 less turkey and no scalloped potatoes due to reduced attendees; however, some of the guys had 3rds so we barely had any leftovers! Was sad about that...Turkey Day leftovers are the best! And was too tired to get photos of the event...will need to designate the photographer for next year for sure.

Week 10

2009-11-19T13:51:00.003+08:00

Had my 1st morning sickness on Monday but it was mostly spit and managed to keep breakfast down. I had my blood work done on Tuesday as part of the 1st trimester screening. I practically substituted all workouts for nap time. I can get through the yoga, pilates, and body pump classes at the gym, but can only do 30min worth of weights, swim or running b/c I get pooped pretty easily now. Boobs are looking slightly bigger, as well as my bump. And starting having some CRAZY dreams about all kinds of things! I dream about Duke, friends, and not really so much about babies yet, or that I can remember. Am thinking about getting a body pillow to help me to stay sleeping on the left side.

Week 9

2009-11-08T09:59:00.002+08:00

2 months in and so far, so good. Only symptoms are being more tired and hungry than usual. At least it wasn't as bad as the utter exhaustion I experienced in Week 6 - that's when I went off coffee - the morning and afternoon cups. Had to have a nap every day that week...couldn't believe how much the caffeine withdrawal affected me! I also don't plan to drink during the pregnancy (except for a sip of bubbly on NYE!) so guess I'll be substituting Sprite at the happy hours from now on. And on the food front, I already ate every 3-4 hours anyways, but now I start salivating every 3 hours to signal snack time! This is not good for Greg! He already knows I am grumpy if my belly is empty :)

Greg keeps asking if we could still have twins. I don't think we have any chance, but I tell him that Lisa didn't know til the 12-wk scan to keep him excited :)

I've been taking things slower. I don't know my exact weight pre-preggers, but I know I've definitely lost muscle and put on a pound or 2. I'm usually anywhere b/w 115 and 120 depending on training. Right now, at 118.

We are in Kuala Lumpur. Greg had a work conference here Thurs/Fri so I found a cheap flight to make a wknd out of it. Shopped til I dropped yesterday at a mall 2x maybe more the size of the Galleria! Just tops and dresses - figured my top half will stay mostly the same for awhile. And even though there were a mil eating options in the food court, b/c it was just me and was beyond hungry to think about what I was ordering, did Subway for lunch and KFC for a snack...almost puked eating the chicken nuggets though, but couldn't imagine eating anything with a strange sauce at that point! Was hoping for a smoothie, oh well...

Week 8

2009-11-02T13:53:00.001+08:00

Greg went with me to my 1st ultrasound today and got to hear the heartbeat and get the baby's photo. I cried - a bit of relief and happiness, and thankfulness too.The doctor said my left ovary released the egg. No mention of cysts though. I drank way too much water before the appt. And after we did the first scan, I had to pee 2 more times before she could do the second scan. That's how full my bladder was - LOL! Well, I usually do drink probably a glass of water an hour. So I am 8 wks 1 day. Due date 13th June.

This morning I went to swim practice - haven't been for a couple months. Finished about 80% of the workout - was nice to be around my tri buddies even though I can't be competitive. The coach knows I have had miscarriages and am preggers again so understands why I am going slow. For some reason, it felt like my nipples were on fire after I got out of the pool...pain that lasted for like 5 min...crazy!

Still feel bloated, not particularly gassy. But my hormones are causing crazy moods swings.

Week 7

2009-10-25T09:36:00.001+08:00

Told my parents last wk - had to talk to someone b/c I was going insane keeping it a secret. I asked my Mom about her pregnancy experiences and she said she never had morning sickness, no food cravings, no MCs, and a tilted uterus which didn't cause any problems during the pregnancies. So hopefully I'm as lucky as she was...especially in the morning sickness department!

Not having to take naps anymore, but only exercising an hour a day (including stretching). It wears me out! I am having a cup of decaf in the am to simulate caffeine. Not fooling anyone though! Haven't had sore boobs for a week now, but still bloated and burping.

Week 6

2009-10-18T09:34:00.003+08:00

Still preggers! Taking a test every week to make sure. Praying that this one sticks! Only symptoms I have are sore boobs, some bloating, and a bit of burping. If I can't find these at Borders, I will order online: 1) Mayo Clinic Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy; and 2) Runner's World Guide To Running And Pregnancy: How To Stay Fit, Keep Safe, And Have A Healthy Baby.

Week 5

2009-10-12T09:24:00.000+08:00

Finally took a pregnancy test yesterday as I couldn't hold out any longer. Was nervous b/c last time I did that, I had my MC the same day. So according to the due date calendar on babycenter.com, I am 5 wks! Yay!!! Greg and I are over the moon! However, my fetus is probably drunk and I freaked out for an hour reading all about FAS and then decided that enough was enough. The conception date calculator is also eerily accurate - how the heck did it know we were trying again just 2 wks ago?

Week 4

2009-10-11T08:45:00.000+08:00

Had a booze fest this week...practically a mini uni Spring Break. Thursday drinks and dinner with Greg's boss and a few Accenture guys in town at his "Cribs" house in Dalkeith - it was massive and in the backyard there was his study, a pool, a fish pond, a Bali-style gazebo, and a fancy BBQ area with a dining room table and flat screen. On Friday, we hosted an Oktoberfest party at our house to say goodbye to Nadine as she was leaving Perth for a great job based back in Germany. Greg grilled sausages and I made apple strudel. Tons of Accenture folks came by to send their good luck wishes and we even managed to break out the Sing Star where Caed and I had a "worst singer" sing-off...thank goodness I lost! Then Saturday was our 2nd trip to Spring in the Valley (the wine country in Swan Valley just 30 min from Perth), an outdoor wine festival for the young folk who wear fancy dress, drink copious amounts, and listen to live bands. A group of 20 of us hired a bus for the day and wore cameo gear. Our 1st stop was Lancaster and the 2nd was Black Swan Winery where we also had lunch...eventually! And the party didn't stop once we returned to Perth - everybody got dropped off at our house where we promptly finished off the leftovers from Friday. Was thoroughly knackered by 8pm!

Week 3

2009-09-29T09:22:00.002+08:00

Got the results back and I don't have a progesterone deficiency. Only thing I didn't like was that the tests showed I ovulated before I thought I did (what the ovulation sticks said) - those sticks suck! So just waiting to see if I get my period. I'm thinking maybe the problem is body fat related...even though the docs here aren't saying that. I still don't know my true ovulation date (my cycles are irregular). I haven't been totally basing the timing on discharge, but will be more observant in this next cycle in terms of what my body is doing. My plan is to stop racing and just go easy on the training. Also going to get in some yoga 2x week just to help relax. Things are really getting busy this month with the outsourcing company prep and starting the painting business.

Week 2

2009-09-23T09:19:00.000+08:00

Here in Oz, you see the GP for your annual, initial pregnancy testing, etc. Did my bloodwork yesterday to test my hormones mid-cycle. So once the results come in, they can compare the test from the beginning of the cycle to this one. I also got a referral to a gyno and can't see him until 4th Nov (their 1st available appt). The MTHFR is considered a "genetic test" which the GP can't order.

Week 1

2009-09-19T09:09:00.005+08:00

I think I just had my 2nd MC on 4th Sept - bleeding not as heavy and cramps less severe than 1st MC. It was day 12 since ovulation, which is when implantation bleeding is normal; however, it didn't stop...bleed for a whole week. There's no way to confirm I was preggers, as it takes awhile for me to generate a positive urine test. But that cycle was 23 days and I am NEVER EVER early. So I took a blood test last Friday and will take another one next wk (mid-cycle) to see what the hormones are doing. Hopefully, it's just an imbalance that we can correct with a pill. The 1st cycle after the 1st MC was 35 days, 2nd = 31 days, 3rd = 33 days and 4th = we'll see. Basically my cycle has ranged from 27 to 35 days since I've been off the pill. So I guess the body has adjusted back to its usual irregular cycle :) I've been laying off the amount of training since we started trying back in February; although, I ran the City to Surf 12K race at the end of August. And I did have the 1st MC right after taking a spin class on 4th May...

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T21:55:00.007+09:00

On Thursday night, I dragged Greg into a Coles (grocery store) to ransack the confectionary aisle for whatever Halloween treats I could find to share at our respective offices the next day. Luckily, I grabbed the last snack-sized bags of Mars, Snickers, and M&M's; plus, a box of Jelly Belly's, 2 bags of Starburst, and a bag of Chupa Chups - all for AUD $40. Ok, I got a bit carried away :) Fortunately, the folks at work liked our investment and we even played a trick on my boss (switched 4 letters on his keyboard when he was at lunch...hilarious watching the frustration unfold). Despite the fact that there are dozens of 'fancy dress' aka costume shops, few Aussies celebrate Halloween and there's only a 50/50 chance you might get trick-o-treaters. So instead of dressing up like Mr. & Mrs. Sarah Palin, we went for drinks with friends at the Brisbane Hotel. Before the night was over, we surprisingly saw a group of devils, a Raggedy Ann, 2 skeletons, and a guy wearing a blond lady's wig (or maybe it was his mullet?!).

Today, Scott and Fleur hosted a jack o' lantern carving BBQ party at the park near their home in East Perth. It was a blast and even Duke was a happy camper once Bern and clan arrived with Pink (his girlfriend) in tow. With the exception of Fleur, all the guests were American and very excited about doing something Halloween related. After the sausages, fajitas, cheeseburgers, potato salad, guac, chicken & basil salad, and green beans were polished off, it was time to dig into the peanut butter cake, key lime pie, and pumpkin pie a la mode. Yummy! Then Sherry unveiled her Williams Sonoma pumpkin carving set and we got down to business. The Japanese pumpkin variety is apparently the only kind you don't need a chainsaw to cut and they are hard to get your hands on. The alternative is watermelon, which Scott claims looks even scarier when lit, giving off a 'blood' red glow.

We've arrived...to the land of AUS!

2008-10-09T17:51:00.004+08:00

Today marks our 3-week anniversary in Perth, WA, Australia. A lot has happened since our plane touched down after a 24 hourish journey (Houston - Washington D.C. - New York - Dubai - Perth) without our originally scheduled night of dinner and disco in Dubai - we can thank Hurricane Ike for that!

*We have work visas - even showed the nice lady from Immigration how to Google.
*We have Australian drivers licences - only had to pay $$$ and take a photo, which is actually my best-ever official government portrait.
*We have Australian bank accounts...that are still empty :)
*Duke is back in our custody after spending 10 days in an "outskirts of London" kennel, a Quantas flight to Sydney, 30 days in quarantine, another Quantas flight to Perth, and a week with Greg's boss. He is loving the dog beaches and his new mates...even after stealing their tennis balls. We have even been on our 1st Aussie "Viz Whiz" although here, the humans don't exercise too, just the dogs.
*We are tenants of a rental home in the prime yuppie neighborhood Subiaco, affectionately known as Subi. Walking distance from the bus stop, grocery store, Nando's!, Indian restaurant (doesn't serve Biryani?!?!), King's Park (like Hyde Park, only bush!), Profesionail salon, Toni & Guy...you get the picture.
*We are in the process of leasing a Toyota Cruiser L - very similar to my old 4-Runner, but has cooler, standard features like a moonroof, heated seats, and moveable back seats!
*We have Australian mobiles and next week, broadband and our shipment from London (mainly LBS MBA binders and alcohol).

Anyways, we are pretty much settled by now...fortunately, the British English we learned these last few years has helped us communicate with the locals :) Now where is that cord to download all the photos of Duke surfing...

Madrid-Toledo Holiday

2008-07-24T20:08:00.005+08:00

We had wanted to travel to Madrid during my studies in Barcelona this past autumn, but ran out of time. So now that graduation has past and Greg doesn’t have any business trips on the agenda, we decided to take advantage of Greg’s mass accumulation of BA miles for few days in sunny Spain. It’s been 9 years since I have been to Madrid (a city visited post-study abroad in Barcelona during my junior year at UT), but it was a 2-day visit back then and didn’t include Toledo. The flip-flops were standing by!

Thursday, 10th July: Touchdown in Madrid!
After a short flight, but longer venture to get through the Madrid Barajas Airport and into a taxi, we arrived at our home for the trip: Hotel Husa Paseo del Arte. We walked around our neighborhood to gather our bearings and enjoy our first official day of warm, sunny summer weather. After scouting out the Museo Nacional del Prado, the nearest Metro stop (Atocha is where the terrorist bombing of 11th March 2004 took place), and the next door McDonald’s for a refreshing ice cream break (Oreo McFlurry for Greg and a Hot Fudge Sundae for me), we were ready for a nap.

Two hours later, we visited the inside of the Prado and fortunately came right at 6pm when it charges free admission! We saw the temporary exhibition ‘Goya in times of War’ and several masterpieces that I studied in my ‘Cultura Española: política y sociedad’ class at IESE: ‘Las Meninas’ by Velazquez, ‘The Drinkers’ by Velazquez, ‘The Three Graces’ by Rubens, ‘The Naked Maja’ by Goya, ‘The Third of May, 1801’ by Goya, ‘Adam and Eve’ by Durer, and ‘The Holy Trinity’ by El Greco. Outside of the Prado, was a Catholic church with beautiful outer architecture – after walked around the building, we couldn’t find an open entrance, but I’m sure it was as equally beautiful inside? Next, our stomachs were calling out for tapas, so we settled at an outdoor cafe across the street for some Iberian meat, cheese, and ‘large’ cervezas. Walking down Paseo del Prado, we stopped at the CaixaForum building, destined to be a cultural centre and exhibition space (we looked around and didn’t see much evidence of this except for two guys playing their keyboards for an audience). What was interesting is that a vertical square of vegetation disguises a neighboring apartment block and kids of all ages can snap photos in its cool fountain.

Then after a gym detour (with views of the elevators at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia), we cabbed it uphill to Plaza del Sol where we began our evening tapas bar crawl ala Rick Steves. 1st stop: Museo del Jamon for some croquetes de jamon, dos copas de rioja, y calamares. We were stuffed and it was only the beginning of our crawl! So we decided to skip the food part of the crawl and resort to drinking instead…obviously not a bad decision! 2nd stop: La Taurina Cerveceria for beers – this is the bullfighters’ Planet Hollywood with tons of historic photographs and trophies to wander among. 3rd stop: Oreja de Oro (Golden Ear) – here, the specialty is sautéed pigs’ ears, but we opted for beers and gay Spanish TV. 4th stop: La Casa del Abuela – the spot for seafood-lovers to enjoy gambas (shrimp) or langostinos) prawns. At this point, we called it an evening and walked downhill on Calle Atocha back to our hotel. We were headed to bed just as the 20-somethings were ready to party at nearby Teatro Kapital. I think this is the dance club I’ve been to…Roxanne – can you remember?

Friday, 11th July: Covering a lot of ground!
Most hotels in Madrid don’t include breakfast, but we weren’t the least bit upset that our hotel was included in this policy. We headed straight for Chocolateria San Gines for churros con chocolate (deep-fried doughy treats called churros that are enjoyed by dipping them in pudding-like hot chocolate). The only reason I give the explanation is that as we were sitting at our table, waiting for our little pieces of heaven to arrive along with espresso and café con leche (in Spain they use condensed milk - yummy!), Greg mentioned that one of his colleagues from The Woodlands had never heard of churros. Now, I can’t believe it, but if it’s true – please leave your 2-mile radius and explore the Mexico’s gifts! It was then time to walk off the calories – starting from Puerta del Sol, we investigated Madrid’s 1st post office (now the governor’s office, but formerly Franco’s police HQ), the Tio Pepe sign (Madrid’s 1st billboard advertising the famous sherry for more than 100 years), Spain’s Big Ben (when the bell chimes 12 times at the New Year, the Madrilenos eat one grape for each ring to bring good luck for the coming year), and posed next to the statue of the bear pawing the berry bush (bears used to live in the royal hunting grounds and the madrono trees produce a berry that makes the traditional madrono liquer. We stepped into the Salon La Mallorquina to smell the sweet goodness coming out of the oven before arriving at Plaza Mayor. Here the square is painted burgundy (the color voted by the people after Franco’s death). We stepped inside the Torre del Oro Bar Andalu to view the gory décor of yet another temple to bullfighting. Next, we strolled by the Mercado de San Miguel (farmer’s market that’s under construction), enjoyed the colorful flowerbed in the Plaza de la Villa (former location of City Hall), dropped into Case Ciriaco restaurant (houses photo of 1906 anarchist bombing, a bomb disguised as a bouquet, that killed 23 people as the royal couple paraded by this former hotel on their wedding day), and lit candles at the Cripta de la Catedral Metropolitano de Madrid (we inadvertently chose an alternative way to check out Madrid’s largest church).

We then toured the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace), which is Europe’s 3rd greatest palace (after Versailles and Vienna’s Schonbrunn) according to Rick Steves and seeing all 3 now, we have to agree with him. Our favorite room was the ‘Smoking Room’ – its intricate porcelain tiles and silk tapestries imitated a Chinese opium den, which, in its day, was furnished only with pillows. Leaving the palace, we ventured through the Plaza de Oriente to settle at the Café for a lunch of pizza for Greg and a tuna salad for myself. Under each table’s umbrella were misters, which made the sit-down even more relaxing as we watching an Asian group trying to sell neck and foot massages, then get shooed away by the police, and later to reappear in Plaza Isabel II on our way back from Calle Fuencarral (the heartland of Madrid’s street fashion boutiques).

Our next tourist stop was the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza – here is the impressive collection that Baron Thyssen (a wealthy German married to a former Miss Spain) sold to Spain for $350 million. Not a whole lot that we recognized, but we did see ‘Charing Cross Bridge’ by Monet and a couple of Picasso works that were new to us. A quick nap and a gym workout later, we dolled ourselves up for an exclusive dinner at La Broche, a two Michelin star restaurant serving a chef’s selection in a minimalist setting (read white walls, tables, chairs, floor…you get my drift. We started the feast with the copa de kripta, pan de jamon with 3 different salts (seaweed, pepper, and pizza) and oils from 3 different Spanish regions. By choosing the menu degustacion, we were in for a marathon of delicious dishes, which we critiqued over a bottle of Tierra Fidel:
Course 1: Dressed Potatoes
Course 2: Seafood soup
Course 3: bienmesabe
Course 4: crayfish carpaccio, broad beans with white cured sausages and iberic pork chin
Course 5: mackerel milles feuilles and avocado, yoghurt, chilli and coriander
Course 6: sauté duck liver with cock crumbs and asparagus
Course 7: san simon cheese on nuts and orange biscuit
Course 8: plato queso
Course 9: earth, sea, and air
Course 10: egg yolk pie

Saturday, 12th July: Holy Toledo!
After buying our AVE (high-speed train) tickets at the Atocha station, we strolled back across the street to tour the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Originally Madrid’s first public hospital, the museum is famous for Pablo Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ – an epic painting showing the horror of modern war technology, the vain struggle of the Spanish Republicans, and the cold indifference of the Fascist war machine. We also visited works by Dali and the shady courtyard before a quick American-style breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, OJ, and café con leche served by the most efficient wait staff I’ve ever seen outside of the States!

A quick 30-minute ride and we were in a taxi driving uphill in this medieval town to be dropped off at the Cathedral. Quick history lesson: While Jews were commonly persecuted elsewhere in Europe, Toledo’s Jews (called Sephardic Jews) were educated, wealthy, and cosmopolitan. ‘Holy Toledo’ likely originated from the Sephardic Jews who eventually immigrated to America…to them, Toledo was the most holy Jewish city in Europe – hence, ‘Holy Toledo.’ The Cathedral is primarily Gothic, but since it took more than 250 years to build, it’s a mix of styles. The finely worked gold-plated iron grille that encloses the High Altar is considered to be the best from 16th century in Spain. Our most interesting takeaway was learning the perk that only a cardinal enjoys: to choose his burial place in the cathedral by hanging his red hat over that spot until the hat rots.

Next, we walked to Plaza Zocodover – the main square and route to the Santa Cruz Museum. In this former orphanage and hospital that charges free admission, we viewed a collection of 15 El Grecos, including the impressive ‘Assumption of Mary’ and colorful tile and ceramic exhibit.

With 3 more hours to kill, we followed the city map to the Iglesia de Santo Tome…or at least that’s where we planned to travel. Yet, the god of orienteering had different plans for us as we ended up at the San Juan de los Reyes Monasterio (the intended burial site of Isabel and Ferdinand) – a 30 minute detour before making our way to the simple chapel that holds El Greco’s most-loved painting, ‘El Entierro del Senor de Orgaz.’ The scene symbolizes heaven and earth; and even the artist and his son’s faces appear in the work, which lies in the original site that it was placed 400 years ago. For lunch, we retraced our lost steps to a tree-shaded plaza for a rather overpriced, bland meal of grilled chicken and vegetables – the only highlight was the ice-cold Coca-Colas we devoured…the two bottles each we drank hit the spot. On Greg’s luck, we found a taxi and took in the sites from another side of the city: the series of escalators that run outdoors, the tacky tourist train without on/offs, and the city of this first political capital of Spain. On my luck, we arrived 45 minutes early for the train so we strolled near the world’s squeakiest water feature in a roundabout and I posed for pictures at the incredibly photogenic station.

A long run in the park later (found a dog park, saw newlyweds pose, and kite-flyers), we arrived at La Trainera for a seafood extravaganza alongside many other hungry locals. After 2 glasses of house cava and appetizers of seafood soup for Greg and mussels for myself, we got to work on the mains. Greg taught me how to eat crab (it must have been a sight to see as I left the restaurant with bits of meat in my hair). I don’t think he planned to offer so much assistance, but once he finished his sol, and drank most of the bottle of rioja, he figured that it would be a long wait if he left me to my own devices. I am forever indebted to his kind gesture. On the cab over, we spotted the crown jewel of the trip: a Giangrossi outlet! Greg’s ice cream of choice was the merenguete mascarpone and mine – the selva negra. Fortunately, even though the store was about to close (it was nearly 1am for goodness sake!), the manager allowed us to take our dessert to go. And so we did, all the way back to the hotel on foot. Past the Ritz, the Reiro Park, and the Prado – we strolled through the wee hours of a cool and peaceful summer night…not even noticing that it took us 30 minutes to reach our beds. Vivan los Mephistos (my favorite brand – comfortable, and I mean comfortable, don’t care if I’m their youngest customer – of shoes)!

Sunday, 13th July: Soaking up the rays!
Did I mention we were catching up on our ‘Lost’ shows…we are currently going back (for me the 1st time) and watching Seasons 1 and 2. So every day, we check in on Sawyer, Kate, Jack, and co. to see what’s happening on the Island. Even during our vacation – we are pretty religious about our ‘Lost’ programming…maybe even more committed than our gym workouts, but this morning I managed to survive an hour in the mirrorless, waterless, musicless, airconless, room of a fitness facility affectionately known as the gym. Next, we hopped on the Metro (the routes are vast, cheap, and usually uncrowded) to Plaza Mayor to check out the stamp and coin fair. Tables line the perimeter of the square on Sundays so folks like us can rifle through albums and boxes for personal finds. Greg was hoping to come across a black and white post card of a matador during his bullfight performance. After debuting about buying a poster of a similar scene at a souvenir shop, we finally found what he was looking for and off we went to fill our bellies. My pick was Sobrina de Botin restaurant (a hit with many Americans because Hemingway ate here) for their specialty of roast sucking pig and lamb with potatoes and bread. Oh yeah, it was worth every touristy cent and so was the jug of sangria that we split which kept me happy for the next 2 hours as we walked to Retiro Park. Here, we saw trees in shapes that we’ve only seen in video games with Mario and Luigi and a lake packed with families in row boats. Then we got the bright idea to use Google maps on Greg’s Blackberry to search for a Giangrossi outlet, which the mobile declared was in the middle of the park. Thus, we searched high and low, including the tennis courts, in search of our favorite Spanish ice cream parlor. An hour later, we called off the search, which ended with a queue at the walk-up window at McDonald’s for another sundae (strawberry) for me and McFlurry (Kit-Kat) for Greg. We followed snack time with an hour of sun bathing at the solarium for me while Greg lifted weights in the next room.

Following a metro ride, walk, and another metro ride, we arrived at Plaza de Toros – an enormous building with plenty of souvenirs, food, and drink for sale outside. Walking up to the queues, I first saw one for billetes (tickets) of 5 euros and then followed Greg to the queues for the ‘unmarked’ tickets. He was willing to spend up to 100 euros for quality seats close to the action and in the shade. When I got to the ticket window, I asked for the prime sections 8, 9 or 10, holding my two 50 euro bills in my hand. Surprisingly, the man responded with “10 euros” – his best available seats were in section 10 and priced exactly the same as the others. I guess nobody waits until the day of the event to buy the best seats! After buying a mixto of frutos secos (nuts) and a large bottle of water for more than the price of our 2 tickets, we headed inside (no security check), straight past the cushion rental, and walked up the stairs to the 2nd level (alta), showed our tickets, and a guy personally directed us to our “seats” marked by numbers on the concrete bleachers. Our seats were advantageously below the royal box (or judge’s box?) and disappointingly in front of a cigar-smoking old-timer and 2 cigarette-smoking 20-somethings. The opening ceremony began promptly at 8:30 as the costumed men on horseback paraded in our direction to bow towards the box.

The first bull came out. After a few waves of the cape, two men on horseback surrounded the bull to poke and prod him. This only made the bull angry and he tried to gore the horses, which were covered in protective material; however, the horses were blindfolded and were obviously terrified to have the bull push their upper half into the air. Some 15 minutes later, the bullfighter was still trying to kill the bull by spearing it. The crowd booed and shouted at him as the bull continued to get bloodier without keeling over. The animal took forever to die; thus, it was not as exciting or artistic as I thought it would be. In fact, it was a bit underwhelming athletically and downright gruesome to watch. Even the 3-year-old boy who sat night to me quickly bored of the fight and became more interested in his juice box. Yet despite how poor the bullfighting is, the locals are serious about respecting the fight and gave dirty looks to the two college students who sat gossiping in front of us until the second bull ran into the ring. This bull was even larger than the first, but the bullfighter who challenged him was more experienced – he seduced the bull was his cape in such a way that the bull did a flip before he died! This bull’s death was twice as quick and twice as skillful; nonetheless, I had seen enough and was ready to leave. Thankfully, Greg obliged me, as he had noticed that I couldn’t even eat, much less look at the ring during the 2nd fight.

From the Banco de Espana, we walked to Puerta del Sol, hopped on the metro to Tirso de Molina, and then walked to La Latina – the location of the ‘House of championes’ according to Soledad. And then we walked some more, not that we minded because it was another beautiful summer night, but it was obvious that we were not in the right place. I eventually popped into a convenience store to ask for directions. Yes, I inquired about the ‘House of championes’ from an Asian clerk who promptly directed me to the can of championes on the last aisle of the store. Then her husband quickly corrected her and confessed he didn’t know what I was talking about. My next attempt to find this favorite eatery of my MBA friend was more successful – the bar owner walked us outside and pointed out on our map where we should go. A very short hike later, we were at the entrance to ‘Meson de championes’ and took a seat at the bar to partake in the best, greasiest mushrooms I’ve ever tasted…then wash them down with rioja. It was a cozy place – a keyboard player entertained the patrons and they in turn, sang along with him. Next stop: ‘Meson de tortilla’ – here we split the egg and potato delicacy alongside another jug of sangria. Delicious! Then, you’ll never guess, but we found another Giangrossi outlet for some more infamous take-away ice cream. We have a knack for craving dessert at closing time J With our Styrofoam containers in tow, we cabbed it back to the hotel for a late-night Lost viewing.

Monday, 14th July: Adios España!
Tanned, stuffed, and happy, we slept in (yes, our flight was not at the crack of dawn for once) and waited our turn at the BA counter. We amused ourselves watching locals queue for the machine, which sealed their luggage in neon green film at the cost of 5 euros a piece. I, however, have been using the same Travelpro roller since 2000 and use a Samsonite neon green belt to keep my suitcase intact as the zipper has been broken for the last 4 years. It’s a fighter! After a mini obstacle course, we discovered the secret location of the BA lounge in time for Greg to appreciate gazpacho in a bottle and for me to grab a packet of galletas. Following an hour delay onboard the aircraft due to the break down of an electronic gadget required for operating the ovens on the plane, we were soon back into the gray comforts of London. This was definitely not the last trip to our beloved country of Spain!

The perfect week

2008-07-07T21:31:00.012+08:00

This post isn't about travel, but last week's events were good enough to talk about regardless. It started with a 30th birthday party for our roommate Danny and ended eight days later at the Counting Crows show in Hyde Park. In between we saw the Williams sisters at Wimbledon, attended a Roaring 20's bash, partied at the top nightclub in London and watched as Karen walked the stage at her commencement. It was a great week.

Saturday night

Everything started Saturday at our favourite Tapas place in London, The Providores on Marylebone High Street. We took Danny for his birthday and began the night with tapas and sangria! We followed this up with a VIP party at Red Rooms until 2:30, probably not the best for my jetlag, but there were no complaints.

Tuesday Night

Tuesday night found us at Meza for dinner with Karen's study group and then on to the Cuckoo Club near Piccadilly Circus where the party didn't slow down until 3:30. The festivities were helped along by plenty of drinks and great music from one of London Business School's own, who happens to spin discs in Ibiza when he's not entertaining MBA students in London. The girls were defintitely having a good time, see Nivi, Hannah and Karen above.

Thursday

Thursday's semi-finals at Wimbledon had each Williams sister playing on the same day. We scored tickets and were able to catch both matches. Venus and Serena did not dissappoint both winning 2 sets on the way to a Williams v. Williams finals (Venus eventually won) and giving the Wimbledon crowd a great show, with limited rain delays to boot!

Friday

Of course, the pinnacle of our week was Karen's graduation definitely our happiest moment since we've been in London. Let me take this chance to say how proud I am of Karen. A school as good as LBS is not easy to get into and its curriculum was no walk in the park. Especially when dealing with a husband who is always traveling and trying to raise a hunting dog in central London. Congrats babe, you set the bar high. After the ceremony and champagne reception we met some friends for dinner at Skylon to top-off a wonderful day.

Saturday Night

The Summer Ball on Saturday had a 1920's fancy dress theme which included a big band, flapper dancers, and gambling along with a lot of long faces as students realized this may be the last time they will all be together. Thankfully the music and dancing lifted the mood and we were soon enjoying our third party of the week. Karen killed at the craps tables but I lost it all back playing Blackjack, I justify this by saying that we weren't playing for "real money".

Sunday Night

On a ticket that included the Goo Goo Dolls, Powderfinger, and Ben Harper the Counting Crows played a great show Sunday night at Hyde Park to finish the four day festival. The summer weather wasn't very, uh, summery (66 with intermittent showers) but we had a good time snacking on pizza and jamming out with the crowd. Bonus: we saw a really good band from New Orleans called Galactic, check them out if you get a chance. Luckily the festival started and ended early, we needed some sleep after a long week...

Madeira

2008-04-27T02:21:00.005+08:00

Overview

We had two goals for this trip: 1. Sun and 2. Relaxation I'm happy to report that we succeeded on both accounts. Madeira is a small Portuguese island closer to Africa than Portugal. We spent our time in two different cities, Funchal and Porto Santo. Porto Santo is known for its sandy beaches while Funchal is a larger city with a commercial airport and small NATO Naval base.

We flew into Funchal direct from Stansted, from there we took a small jet to Porto Santo. Greg continued his brush with celebrities by spotting Portuguese President Anibal Silva on the bus to our plane. Apparently he was in town to help celebrate the opening of a new resort. Unfortunately, his party was eating at the restaurant we had ear-marked for that evening so we had to make other plans.

On Friday we checked into the Hotel Porto Santo (or Hotel Santo Porto as Greg tried to convince the cabbie) a good hotel with great location on right on a sandy beach, unfortunately the spa and gym were being updated for the summer rush so not all of the services were available. Upon arrival we went straight to the beach and soaked up the waning sun. Saturday provided some shopping in town and more sun with a few finished books and more than a handful of empty caipirinha glasses to show for our efforts.

Sunday morning provided our shortest trip to the airport ever as we left the hotel about an hour before our flight and still ended up waiting at the gate. This time the flight was not shared with any political leaders, but with a 14-and-under boys field hockey team trying to read Maxim magazines between giggles.

Reid's Palace

We cannot say enough about our hotel in Funchal. Pictured above and perched on a cliff two minutes from the city centre this hotel is magical, the staff were amazing and the food was impeccable. We quickly wished that we had stayed in this hotel for all three of our nights. This is truly a destination resort, read: you could make a trip to this island purely to stay at this hotel and will not be disappointed.

English Breakfast and English Sunburn
Having lived in England for two years now we have started to pick up some English customs. Some we are glad to have learned: English Tea, longer holidays, Pims, and warm beer. Others we enjoy less: extra U's in some of our words, constant complaining about the weather, and pale skin that burns in a matter of minutes once exposed to the sun. This trip was no different we both came away pink and happy having only two full days of good sun.

Still Texan

Rest assured once a Texan, always a Texan. Greg spent Saturday night in Porto Santo checking his blackberry every 30 seconds watching the San Antonio Spurs score. Thankfully they won so that Greg could enjoy the rest of the trip. (Update: The Spurs are up 3-0 as of this posting, Go Spurs Go!)

Cairo and the St. Catherine's Marathon

2008-03-09T20:50:00.006+09:00

Overview

Karen wanted to run in a marathon before her 30th (Jan 12th) so Greg scoured the internet and found a race in Egypt on New Year's Eve near Mt. Sinai. The race's namesake is the 1500 yr-old St. Catherine Monastery. Where Mose's Burning Bush still lives today.

Fortunately for us there was a travel tour that started in Cairo, made its way to St. Catherine's in time for the marathon and then back to Cairo for a few more days of sight-seeing before our flight home.

Learnings

The suburbs: Cairo is a huge city (population 20M with another 3M commuting in everyday) in order to accomodate this amount of people the city has spread, so don't expect the pyramids of Giza to be in the middle of the desert like Hollywood shows it, there is a metro stop nearby...
Frogger: Watch yourself as you cross the street, few stoplights and cross walks exist, so find a nearby Cairene to shield you from the traffic.
Bring sanitary wipes.

Recommendations

The street food in Cairo is very good and very cheap, we had some incredible falafel and the street vendors are always cooking something special.
Sabaya Restaurant. A Lebanese restaurant that could hold its head high in Beirut.
Egyptian Museum. Although not up to Western museum standards, it is a must see. Do not hesitate to pay extra in order to see the mummies.
Make time to get to the Sinai Peninsula. The St. Catherine Monastery, Bedouin people, and scenery are amazing.

The Trip

The first post and FYI

2008-03-09T20:10:00.002+09:00

This is the travel blog for Karen and Greg. We currently live in London and travel as much as possible throughout UK/Ireland and Europe with an occasional trip to America, Africa, or Asia.

We'll use this blog as a diary of where we've been and what we've done. But, it should also serve as communications to our friends and families and, hopefully some learnings from mistakes that we've made and luck that we've had.

Feel free to comment, enjoy!

-Greg and Karen