Frauenklinik Dr. Geisenhofer

The hospital that I delivered Gideon at is in the middle of the English Garden in Munich. This is basically like the Central Park of Munich (but it is actually bigger than Central Park). The hospital is lovely. It is a converted estate.

I took this the day that we left. Of course, it was raining but surprisingly had only rained once during my stay.

This is a picture from the hospital web site. It will give you some perspective. That is the city skyline of Munich in the background.

This was the back patio. It was lovely to go and sit with the baby and eat some cake. I didn't take this picture. It is from WikiCommons user Ahert.

This was the cafeteria. They had great cake. It leads out to the back patio. I would guess that this used to be a ballroom. I was really impressed by how much of the character of the old estate that they were able to keep. They built large glass wings on either side of the estate to house the more modern facilities. Throughout the hospital, there were many lovely statues and fountains outside.

This was my room #31. I had a roommate for the first few days. That was an interesting experience as she was a bit of a wreck. She was a nice lady though, but honestly, I was happy for the quiet once she left.

The nurses in the hospital were great. There were two nursing teams, one for me and one for the baby. As many of you know, Germany has socialized health care. Claron and I are on a public plan. I could have chosen a single room, but it would have cost about 100 Euro/day. I had a great experience with having Gideon in Germany. I thought my care was excellent. An interesting note though... the hospital didn't have air conditioning. Thankfully, it was beautiful Spring weather while I was there. I asked the nurses about it and I was told that air conditioning is "unhealthy."

Gideon's Birth Story

For days I had been having crazy contractions. For two days, I had contractions that lasted 14 hours. They ended when I finally laid in the bathtub for awhile. I didn't think they were labor because they were not intense enough and they never ended. It was solid contraction.

On Tuesday, May 22, I had an appointment with my Hebamme (midwife). She checked my cervix and said I was 3-4 cm dilated. She told me if I thought I was in labor to get in the bathtub. If it wasn't true labor then the contractions would stop.

That night Claron and I walked (partially in the rain) to the Garchinger See and back. It was about 2 miles. By the end I was having pretty strong contractions. We walked every night and this was pretty much par for the course. However, the walk this night was longer than our normal. We arrived home around 7 p.m. Normally, I would have contractions until about 2 a.m. and then they would just turn off. I decided to take my Hebamme's advice and get in the bathtub. At around 10 p.m. the contractions were about 8 minutes apart and began to regulate. I read a Georgette Heyer novel (again!) and timed my contractions.

By midnight the contracts were 6 minutes apart and I think my water had broken. At about 2 a.m. they were 5 minutes apart and then all of a sudden 3 minutes apart. I woke every one up, got Eliza ready and called my friend Tamsyn to ask if I could drop her off.

The drive to Tamsyn's was interesting. My mom drove and I had to give directions but also deal with contractions. As the contractions were really regular, I would know when they were coming so sometimes the directions were condensed i.e. "Take the next exit, go to the end of the ramp and make a right. Then go straight for awhile" all in one breath.

We dropped Eliza off and drove downtown to the hospital. Of course, as it was now almost 3 a.m. there was no traffic. We arrived at the hospital and I rang the bell. The lady told me in German to come in and take the elevator to the next floor. There I met Hebamme Oda. She took me in a room and put a external fetal monitor on the baby. The heartbeat was strong. My contractions were regular.

We filled out paperwork and she checked me. She said I was only about 4 cm!?! I was a bit distressed by this news. She said we would finish the papers then a doctor would check me and start my IV for antibiotics (I was Strep B positive).

The doctor came in and looked at me, started the IV and said we would wait a few minutes to check me. Mom and I took a field trip to the bathroom. By now, the contractions were HARD. Everyone was telling me to "breathe." Really? Obviously, I was breathing. The doctor came in and checked me. She said I was 7 cm, but the baby was not descending. She suggested an epidural. At first I was hesitant; however, by the time the anesthesiologist came in my contractions were about 1 minute apart and strong. It was really difficult to stay completely still while they put the epidural in.

The epidural was magic! Oda also gave me an herb to keep my contractions steady. It worked well. They checked me about an hour after the epidural and I was 9 cm. Half an hour later, they called my doctor because I was ready to go.

My doctor arrived around 6:45 a.m. and got dressed. We started pushing around 7 a.m. Four real pushes later and Gideon was here! He was born at 7:11 a.m. with a full head of dark hair. His apgar scores were all 10's! The bad news is that I tore. The doctor said it was a second degree tear inside and out. She sewed for about 45 minutes. Most of the time, she just used acupuncture but later administered a local.

After she was done sewing, I was sent to recovery across the hall. At that point, I heard my friend, Jen (also an American Mormon from Garching) come in. They gave her the room that I had just come out of. The nurses declared it, "American day." Jen later told me that it was lucky that I had just had Gideon because otherwise, she was so far progressed that our doctor wouldn't have been able to get there and Samuel (her baby) would have either been delivered by a Hebamme or whoever could get there fastest.

A few days later, they doctors also realized that my pelvis separated during the birth. However, I'd still say that natural birth is way easier than a c-section.

Here is Gideon's 1st picture. This was in the recovery room.

The lady with Gideon is my mom.
Stats
Name: Gideon Clark
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Weight: 3690 g (8 lbs 2 oz)
Length: 52 cm (20.5")
Apgar: 10/10/10

Adventures of the Tiny Cat

Adam was here less than 24 hrs when he had his first "incident." He had diarrhea (with blood) in the middle of Eliza's bed. Claron was furious! I texted the breeder. She said (translated), "Oh, its just because of the place change. Give him some time, and he'll be fine." So, Adam was locked out of the bedrooms in case of future problems. A week passes. No end to the diarrhea. Thankfully, Adam never fails to hit the box. I try to feed him rice with a little chicken. No improvement.

I take him to the local vet in Garching. She is convinced that he has parasites. She gives him a dewormer, gentle food, and probiotic paste for us to put in his food. She insists that he be neutered ASAP to "reduce the stress on his system." I bring a stool samples. She only does a giardia quick test, which was negative. Adam only weighs 2 kg and is classified as underweight. She is also concerned about the condition of his skin. We are 100 Euros poorer. Adam pukes that entire night. The diarrhea doesn't stop. He is scheduled for his neuter for the next week.

During this week, I start thinking about all the horrible things that Adam could have... FIV, Feline Leukemia. I do massive amounts of internet research on feline diarrhea. I take Adam for his neuter. I tell the vet that I would like Adam tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV. I ask her how much it will cost. 20 Euros. Ok. She suggests that we do a full CBC on him. I ask how much this will be... about 60 Euros. What can we learn? She gives me a very vague answer. I say no. I was told the neuter would cost 80 Euros. A couple of hours later, I get a call. Adam is ready. I go to pick my little guy up.

Poor Adam is a mess. He apparently had diarrhea all over the table while she was working on him. He is woozy. She said, "Well, since I already had a sample of the diarrhea, I did a Parvovirus test." I wanted to say that she'd already had a sample of the diarrhea last week and if he had Parvovirus, he'd be dead by now, but I held myself in. She also says that since she was already pulling blood for the FeLeuk and FIV, she did a CBC. I ask the results. Negative for FeLeuk and FIV. The blood test shows high blood cells, so it probably is parasites. Also, she did a fungus test because she is convinced he has fungus, and it will most definitely infect my whole household. She says she is 60-70% sure he has a skin fungus. I'm pretty upset by all of this. She did tests without my consent. My cat is a mess and probably contagious! She gives us more food to try. I get the bill. 240 Euros!! Finally, I protest. I tell her that I didn't request these tests, etc. She takes off 60 Euros, but still we are way above the estimate she gave me.

I do more internet research. To me, it doesn't Adam doesn't look like the skin fungus pictures. I start a spreadsheet with all the possible causes of diarrhea. I find that pectin can help with diarrhea. I trek down to the Apothek (pharmacy) and get some pectin and chamomile. This helps a little, but the diarrhea is pervasive. I try giving him yogurt with probiotics. I call the vet again. We discuss that have dewormed for all the normal parasites. He was negative for giardia. Maybe we should try something against coccidia... a sulfa drug? She suggests Metronidazole. I know that this isn't a sulfa drug but it has been known to stop diarrhea because it is anti inflammatory to the digestive system. So, I pick it up.

In the mean time, I talk to my neighbor. She says the vet in Garching is a quack and suggests that we go to the vet in Oberschleissheim. I finish the two weeks of metronidazole. No change. I call the vet in Garching to get Adam's records. They tell me, "Well, you have all of your bills. They list everything." Actually, no they don't. Every time she gave him medicine, it just says "Angewandte Medikamente" (Applied Medicine). I need to know what she treated him with (partially for my spreadsheet and partially for the new doctor).

After Eliza's ballet class, we go to pick up his records. What do I get? A photocopy, right?! Nope, enter the passive aggressive vet letter. The letter is very defensive and while it does list the medication she gave him, it details that I was unwilling to pay for tests. Nice! Oh, and the fungus test? Negative!After all of this, I'm naturally nervous about the new vet. I'm 8 months pregnant. I really shouldn't be dealing with this! Unfortunately, Adam is the sweetest cat on earth. I don't want to send him back to that horrible breeder. One more chance!

Adam and I load into the car and off to Oberschleissheim. There are two vets at the new place. I print out my spreadsheet and bring it along. I also bring TWO stool samples, the infamous letter and the bills. The vets take the stool sample and do an extensive fecal flotation and microscopic evaluation. They take over an hour on this. Surprisingly, no parasites! Bad news, there is no easy solution. Good news, he is not dangerous to me, Eliza or the baby. They take Adam's temperature. 102!!! The discuss this case for a while and review my spreadsheet (which they say is incredibly helpful). They want to take an xray to rule out cancer, tumors, etc. After my Garching experience, I hear the sound of Euros going down the drain. I, however, consent. Last chance! Xray shows no tumors or irregularities with the exception that he doesn't have any hard stool in his entire tract. All major organs look good. They think it might be an overabundance of bacteria in the small intestine. They give him a shot of antibiotics, B vitamins, antibiotics for two weeks, more stuff for his food and instructions to call if he doesn't start to improve in a week. Oh, and how much did all of this cost? An Xray, two fecal flotations, antibiotics, two shots, a consult with two vets, paste for his food... Less than the first visit with the quack! 90 Euros!

We start the antibiotics. A day later, I have a new cat. A new cat who is driving me crazy. He has so much energy, he is being so bad. He knocked over a full glass of water. He's running around like he is possessed. The next day, we have our first semisolid bowel movement. For the next few days, he goes up and down. He has a good day then a bad day. Two weeks pass. The antibiotics end. The poop storm begins again and, Adam is miserable.

I call the vet. Maybe we didn't give the antibiotics for long enough. She says to stop by and pick up more medicine. He is now on more antibiotics (3 more weeks), more paste and a new fiber supplement. I know I probably should give up on him. But really, can you resist that face? He's been on the antibiotics a day. The poop is firming up again.

After this set of antibiotics, he is in great spirits, but his poop is still diarrhea. I take him back to the vet. Good news is that he's gained 1/2 a kilo (over a lb). Bad news is that they are really frustrated. They order a battery of blood tests to determine whether his organs are functioning correctly.

The phone call comes back a few days later. Adam is 100% healthy... oh, besides the fact that he poops puddles. He seems much healthier. His hair looks better. He is energetic.

So where do we go from here? I'm trying different foods. We are now trying a new medicine that is fiber based. We've had some success so far. Sigh!

A Bit of Change

Can you believe this picture was taken almost exactly one month after Easter?!

**P.S. For those waiting with baited breath for baby posts. They are coming. I need to do some catch up first. :)

Itsy Bitsy Adam

Can't you tell that Adam is *thrilled* that Mimi came and brought him a spider costume?

Eine verschneite Ostern

Happy Easter! You may remember the verdant beauty of last Easter. This Easter, however, was a different story:

We made due though. Eliza was very excited about her Easter basket which included such treasure as Princess Scotch Tape, Hello Kitty bubbles, books, sand toys, a game and of course, candy! We had a good day at church. It was an exciting day as Primary President as ALL of my teachers (and substitutes) were out of town. Thankfully, we only had 5 kids. So, we made a party of it. But enough of my babble. You want pictures, right?

In other news, happy birthday to my baby brother, D! Here is a picture of him looking like a cave man. Love you, brother!

Schokotraum

Lately, it seems like the trend is to add Oreos to everything. On Pinterest, I've seen Oreos added to cookies, brownies, pies, candy... Here in Germany, Oreos come in packs of 16. Yes, I'm serious. You buy a box of Oreos and there are only 16 cookies in there. Plus, they are packaged differently into 4 individual packs of 4. So, you feel like a complete cow if you eat more than an individual pack. Also, they taste different. They are a bit harder and less sweet. Needless to say, I prefer to US Oreos. However...

Last week in the Rewe, I came across this:

Normally, I'd pass by, but I was feeling frisky; so, I bought one. Oh.My.Gosh!!! They are sheer deliciousness. I hid this in the car and was savoring it every time I took a trip. One day, I was feeling generous and offered some of my stash to Claron. In less than a kilometer, Claron devoured the entire thing. I bought him one for his birthday and again, GONE! Trust me, either find a German to send you one or start sending Milka emails to bring them to the States. They are so tasty!

Announcing the Newest Ridge...

Let's welcome Adam "He-Man" Ridge, Prince of Eternia, Master of the Universe (Eliza obviously named him).

Adam is an 11 month old British Shorthair Colourpoint Seal. He is NOT Siamese. He is ridiculously loving and sweet. We got him from a breeder here in Germany.

We are hoping that he will be Kitzel's boyfriend. We still have not secured a flight for Kitzel, so things are up in the air with her.

Adam is TINY! I would bet that he currently weighs less or the same as our baby (4.5 lbs). We are hoping to fatten him up a bit.

Eliza loves Adam. She chose him. They are very gentle with one another (if there is any roughness, it is almost always on Eliza's part).

He is very playful. He wasn't sure about the camera. He wanted to rub on it.

**How many of you thought I had the baby?! In due time... Still two more months!

Spending Fast Wrap Up & An Announcement

The spending fast closed up successfully. Here are our results (not counting roll over).
Week 3: 30.30 Euro
Week 4: 24.46 Euro

In full disclosure, week 3 we were staying with our friends' kids while they were out of town, and they supplied groceries. Also, I did take the kids to McDonald's once and the pool, but our friends paid for their kids and I had some pocket money for us (<10 Euros).

I really enjoyed doing the spending fast. It was a perfect time for us to practice our saving skills, and it just so turns out that on March 1, we used our savings to buy a little beauty like this:

Her name is Peppi (short for Josephina). She is a 2004 Honda Fit (Jazz in Europe) with 60k mi. She was an excellent price and came with two sets of tires (required in Germany). She has new brakes, batteries, etc. We have gotten her registered and drove her to church on Sunday. She runs great!

Schönen Valentinstag!

Germany hasn't fully yet adopted Valentine's Day. In the stores there is chocolate and cards for your loved ones, but the practice of giving out valentines at school hasn't yet crossed the pond. However, Eliza wasn't hearing it! She wanted to make valentines for her class. So, we did! She personally cut and decorated all the valentines. I did draw the patterns to help her. I also wrote on the backs. But otherwise, she did everything!

**I bought the candy before February. In full disclosure, it took one bag of mini Chupa Chups that I bought off the clearance rack for 1.69 Euro. Shout out to Tamsyn for finding the paper! She is really the best!!! We had the other supplies on hand.

Spending Fast: Week 2

As I've already given myself away... Yes, this week was WAY more of a challenge. Last week, I was 24 Euro under, which may have contributed* to this week's overage (of exactly 24 Euro including the snow pants!) So, if you are a good mathematician, this week's total was:

74.06 Euro

But, the accountant in me wants to reconcile. So, let's take out the snow pants. That leaves 62.06 Euro, and then roll the previous week's surplus of -24 Euro. That gives us 38.06 Euro, and we allotted 50 Euro for the week; therefore, we have -12 Euro to roll to next week. So, for the month, we are still under.

*I say that last week may have contributed because when Monday came, we were out of everything!

**In full disclosure, I also bought a stroller, car seat and bassinet this week. I am not counting it because 1) It was a previously budgeted item that was WAY under budget (by 450 Euros!) 2) I've been searching for these items for months, and when the deal came up, it could not be resisted.

***Claron also bought a new hose for the shower this week. It broke and had to be fixed in the interest of hygiene and water spraying all over my bathroom. It was 15 Euros. But, do spending fasts extend to husbands fixing necessities?

Cheater!

I was bad. I cheated yesterday... well, kinda!

It is COLD here. Like -20 C cold and windy. As I was walking to church on Sunday, I swore to myself that I was going to buy a pair of snow pants... and soon!

Monday, I walk into our grocery store, and there among the clearance items.... only one pair of snow pants... the right color... in my size.... with room for a pregnancy belly... 70% off!!! So, I put them in my cart. They were a whopping 12 Euros! Considering I was under budget last week, I thought it might be okay. I felt guilty that I didn't put them on to retrieve Eliza yesterday. But today, I woke up to this:

I don't feel so guilty now... (By the way, it is still snowing out there and is supposed to continue until possibly tomorrow!)

Spending Fast: Week 1

I know many of you are curious to know how the spending fast is faring.

I would be lying if I said that there hasn't been temptation this week. I've had many times that I've had to close Amazon (and other websites) with a cart full of stuff. But....

Here are the results:
Amount Spent Week 1: 26 Euro (all grocery)

Also, I did our US Federal taxes and scored us over $1000. I'm trying to decide whether it is worth it to file our California Non-Resident taxes. They owe us a cool $52. Normally, those 52 big ones would already be in process of transferring to my bank account, BUT I have to file on paper or pay one of the stupid services. I'm sure I'll file, but for now a break. I still also have to file our German taxes on Elster (translates to Magpie... you know... the bird who likes shiny things. Clever, no?).

One thing that is exempt from the spending fast is the search for a car. It continues. Especially as temperatures have been hovering around -20 C, a car is needed. Also, no big deal, but the doctor has put me on "regular activities only." My cervix is measuring a little thin. As I said, no big deal, but she said I need to be careful with the walking. It would be really nice if we could find a nice car...

Spending Fast

I'm joining my friend, Jeannie (who is awesome, BTW) on a Spending Fast for February!

Here are the rules from her friend, Cammie:
"You don't buy anything for the month of February. Okay, there are a few exceptions. You can pay your rent and other bills and you can buy gas. You can also buy food, but you should limit and stretch in this area. For my family of three I spend $50 a week during the Spending Fast. You can choose what works for your family."

We are doing 50 Euros, of course. I'll keep you updated and let you know how we do.

Kitzel vs. the European Union

This is Kitzel:

While in this picture she may look calm and serious. It is a lie! Don't believe it for a second. She is very playful and silly. She has amazing musculature and a tail that goes on forever. She is very tolerant of Eliza (as seen here)...

Kitzel was bought for Eliza for Christmas/Birthday. She is fully vaccinated/microchipped.

We took her to the vet for her last appointment, filled out all of the paperwork and were assured that the vet had done this before, and all the boxes were checked and completed correctly.

Later that week, my mom and I went to the USDA to get Kitzel's official stamps to enter Germany. Already, it had been a horrible day. We should have known. Mom had (another) disappointing appointment at Hopkins. We then drove down to Annapolis for our USDA appointment. We arrived way early (12 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.). I gave them a quick call to see if there was any way that we could move our appointment forward a bit. "Nope, sorry. We are completely booked." Really!? All you are doing is stamping a freaking paper (which costs $40!). So, mom and I treated ourselves to a delicious lunch and some shopping. The only success of the day was at Kohl's. While walking past a clearance rack, I saw this coat that screamed "Dad." It was on sale from $140 to $14! Score! Dad does love it.

We arrive at the USDA and are greeted by a man at the desk. We give him the papers. He is aloof. We ask him whether they are in order. Does he need anything else? He seems confused. He give the papers to the vet. She looks them over and then comes out and says there is a problem. Kitzel was microchipped AFTER her rabies vaccine. So, how can we be sure that the rabies vaccine was given to the correct cat? Really!? There is only one tiny Siamese cat in my parents house. My mom starts crying (and cussing a bit). The vet says that if Kitzel can get another rabies shot, Germany almost always will waive the 21 day waiting period. My mom calls the vet immediately and schedules the shot for Saturday morning. We schedule another USDA appointment for Monday morning 9 a.m. We fly Tuesday.

Saturday comes. It snowed heavily and is now icing horribly. I load Kitzel into the car and drive SLOWLY down Turkey Point Road. The vet feels horrible and barely charges us for the rabies vaccine.

Monday morning at 3 a.m. I get up to call Germany to assure that the Munich Airport Customs will waive the 21 day waiting period. I'm told to scan her documents and email them. I fight with my parents scanner. Apparently, overnight the USB port died. I end up scanning them to a SD card then loading them to the computer. I call multiple times to make sure that they receive my documents. We need a decision by 7 a.m. to be at the USDA in Annapolis on time. At 6 a.m., I receive the first decision. NO! Sorry, according to EU regulations, blah, blah, blah. I call the office again to speak to a supervisor. I tell her that I'm pregnant, that we made this flight specially and have spent tons of money, that our normal airline will not carry her, and on and on. "Oh, I'm not the supervisor." She'll be back in about 45 mins. Can you call back then? It will be cutting it close, but I call back again. I get the supervisor, who (of course) is even worse than the other ladies. She tells me that if I was entering another port of entry into Germany (or the EU) they would probably do the waiver, but Munich sticks the to rules. I resist the urge to swear. I'm told that if we bring Kitzel, she will be quarantined (and it will cost approx. 500 Euros). We ask about a rabies blood test, that is acceptable but will take a few days. She will still be quarantined (at least 250 Euros). According to them, she is ineligible to enter the EU until 11 Feb.

I call the airlines. I try to change my flight. Flight is not changeable unless I have a doctors note saying I'm ineligible to fly. Considering that my sinuses (and soon to be my ears) are filling with snot, I think this might work. But then, she tells me the change fees: 300 Euros per ticket!!! My dad offers to pay it, but I feel back for poor Claron who hasn't seen his wife and daughter in two weeks. I really don't think he could deal without us for a month.

I have been told by my friends over and over that Customs barely checks animal paperwork. As long as it has the stamps, they generally waive you by. I'm aware that with my luck, Kitzel will probably be quarantined. I know I probably should have never even called the vet office in Munich (as now they are looking for us) and just let it be. I just have really, really bad luck.

So, I called the USDA and cancelled our appointment. When Eliza got up, I told her that Kitzel won't be coming to Germany yet. She was devastated.

Tuesday afternoon with a head full of snot but no cat carrier, Eliza and I board a flight back to Germany. On Wednesday, Eliza and I go shopping at the market. She asks to buy cat food for Kitzel. I almost start crying.

We are looking for a cat in Germany in the mean time. Unfortunately (due to the LD situation), we are pretty picky. We are hoping that someone will be able to bring Kitzel over. My mother is coming in May for the baby. Claron's parents are coming some time during the summer. She is eligible to fly as soon as 11 Feb. The USDA still has to stamp her papers though. One of the biggest problems, though, is that US Airways (who runs a direct from PHL to MUC and is often the cheapest) does not accept animals on transatlantic flights. So we wait (again)...

It's a....

TRICKSY BABY!

No skipping to the end. This is a funny story. Also, you might not want to finish reading in the middle. This story has many, many twists and turns.

In Germany, I get an ultrasound at each appointment. So, I've become quite familiar with the antics of crazy baby. Often when the doctor is trying to look at its hands, it hides them. When the doctor is trying to look at the face, it covers it with the hands. One day, tricksy baby kept posing with its hands under its chin. The doctor kept moving it around but back to the pose it went. For FIVE ultrasounds tricksy baby hid the goods.

On an aside, old german ladies have been stopping me in the street to tell me that I'm having a boy. "Okay, thanks," I politely say and move on. My kids at church voted and all but two (the germans) said it was a girl. This pregnancy has been completely different than Eliza's. I was sick with Eliza, but not like with tricksy baby. I puked my guts out with this baby. I think I have puked behind every bush in Bavaria. I have barely gained any weight. I look like I stuck a basketball (wait this is Germany, a Fussball) to the front of me. Because of the old ladies and the difference, I convinced myself that it is a boy.

So, to ultrasound appointment #6. Tricksy baby finally shows the goods.
Doctor: "It's a girl!"
Me: "No, it's not."
Doctor: "I've been doing this for 35 years, and it is a clear shot."
Me: "I have to go home and tell my husband, and I don't want him too excited. How sure are you, in percentage points?"
Doctor: "90%"

I called my husband. He is overjoyed at the thought of two girls! I call my family. My awesome sister in law offers me all of her baby clothes. Too easy, right?

The next week we have our 3D Ultrasound appointment downtown. The doctor put the wand on my belly. There is the head and...
Me: "Holy crap! That is a PENIS!!!"
Doctor: "What did you do before having children?"
Me: "I was an accountant, but I am right. That is a PENIS!?!"
Doctor: "Yes"
Me: "...and you are sure that is a penis?!"
Doctor: "For sure."
Me: "So, that means it's definitely a boy?!"
Doctor: "Generally, when humans have a penis, it is a boy."

Later, walking on the street on my cell phone....
Me: "Claron, they saw something on the ultrasound that you should know about..."
Claron: "Is everything okay? What's wrong?!"
Me: "Honey, I'm sorry to tell you this... but your daughter has a penis."
Claron: *Silence*
Me: "Honey, are you there?"
Claron: "Can't we still raise him as a girl?"

So, we have no idea what to name baby boy Ridge*. Leave me some comments with suggestions. Also, those of you with boys, any advice would be helpful.

*Amanda's crazy naming rules:
1- No place names
2- No occupation names
3- No crazy spellings
4- No top 100 names

I'm sure there are more that I can't think of right now...

P.S. Eliza is now fine with the thought of a baby brother. At first, she was convinced that I was having TWO babies-- a girl and a boy!

Berlin Day #1

For the New Years holiday, Claron, Eliza and I rode with Claron's labmate, Florian, to Berlin. We stayed in Rohrdamm, which is in the former West Berlin.

The subway stations here are really quite bright; however, they are much dirtier and less accessible (fewer escalators and elevators) than Munich.

 Yes, I look really prego here, but it is to be noted that I am wearing two bulky sweaters in addition to my coat.

 This is the Fernseherturm (TV tower). It is the former East Germany. We waited in line for quite a while to go up.

 Views from the Fernseherturm. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy.

 This is the German Reichstag (Congressional building). See the dome on the top? To enter the Reichstag and walk the dome, you have to have an appointment. We had a 1:15 p.m. appointment. After the lines at the Fernseherturm, we had to RUN to our appointment here.

 This is walking up the dome. See Eliza?

After the Reichstag, we went to a festival at Brandenburg Tor. Unfortunately, I was too tired to take pictures by then. Eliza enjoyed TWO nutella crepes (aka "chocolate tacos"), hot chocolate, fries, and a bratwurst. It started to get cold, so we went back to the hotel and rested for awhile. We had noticed a steak restaurant by our hotel. I looked at the menu and it was only 10 Euro for a filet! So, we tried it, and surprisingly, it was excellent!