Minor Complications

Well, it's been four days since little Samuel was born, but both he and Ann are still in the hospital. Ann is perfectly fine, but there are a few minor health issues that have caused Samuel to keep them admitted.

First, we mentioned the umbilical cord around the neck. From this experience, he seems to be completely fine, except for a reddish face that we're told will heal (and is getting better every day).

Next, he has a small issue with one of his kidneys. Before he was born the doctors could see that small amounts of his urine were flowing backwards from one of his kidney into his bladder. The doctor hoped that this would correct itself prior to birth, but it did not. Apparently, this is a common condition with some newborns, and we're told that it is more common with boys. It is called reflux. The doctors have told us that this reflux is not bad in Samuel, and that it should correct itself as he grows. However, it is a potential cause of infections, so they're placing him on once-per-day antibiotics until his body grows to correct the problem. They wanted to keep him in the hospital for another few days to monitor him, to ensure that he doesn't get an infection.

Also, the doctors had been watching Samuel for jaundice. After looking at his bilirubin levels today, they determined that he needed to go 'under the lights'. He'll have a minimum of a 24 hour light treatment.

All in all, each of these issues is minor, but Ann is feeling a little stressed because of staying in the hospital for so long. There are only a few hospital personnel on her floor that speak English, so it's been a long and trying week. Still, we're so excited and happy to have our little baby boy. He is alert, happy, and is a very good eater. We can't wait to get him home.

This has been an unforgettable experience (with both positive and negative aspects). We'll post more details shortly, including some observations about the differences between our experiences with hospital births in the USA versus in Italy. In the meantime, please wish us luck that Samuel and Ann will come home soon!

Thanks also for all of the e-mail messages that we've received over the past few days.

Samuel Kelsie Bedell

Last night, December 24, our son, Samuel Kelsie Bedell was born. What a Christmas Present! He arrived at 9:13 pm local time, and weighed 3200 grams (a little over 7 pounds). Ann delivered by completely natural childbirth (no medicines or painkillers at all). Through the entire delivery, there was a small scare. Samuel had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. He arrived quickly, however, and deslpite a little concern right after birth he is just fine. Mother and child are now resting comfortably in the Hospital, where they'll stay for the next few days. We'll post more details soon. In the meantime, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
Buon Natale!

Christmas Preparations - No Baby Yet

Happy Holidays!!

Another week has slipped by, and it seemed to go very quickly.

First off, we don't have any news to report about the pregnancy. Ann is feeling very tired, but the baby doesn't seem to be ready to make an appearance right now. We're anxious and ready, and expect the arrival any day. We will let our friends and family know as soon we have news.

Next, the week was pretty uneventful, except for Thomas' school concert. Early this week, his school held a Christmas concert for children in his class. All of the language sections performed, so we heard holiday songs in a variety of languages, including Dutch, French, Italian, and English. It was a lot of fun, and Thomas was very excited to show his parents around his school. The class had a little party after the concert, so we got to meet a lot of other parents.

Other than that, we had our first real snowfall since we've been in Italy. It only amounted to a light dusting, but it was sort of exciting to see snow again. We've heard that the Northeast in the USA has been hit with many storms already. Here, we've only had a few cold days, but nothing that's like a Pennsylvania December.

Lastly, we're in full holiday swing. Although John's been working hard (trying to get as much done in the office before the New Year), we've found time to do a little shopping and make some cookies. We've had to use our Italian Dictionary a lot in the baking aisle. For some reason, it seems more difficult to find (and learn the Italian names for) baking ingredients than other foodstuffs.

That's it for now.

Hospital and Strike

Here's a quick update on this past week:
Ann and John visited the hospital were Ann will give birth today. While there, Ann had yet another exam and ultrasound. We think that this brings us up to 7 or 8 separate ultrasounds. This still seems like a huge number of such exams to us, and we have to say that the treatment that Ann's been given by the medical professionals in Italy has been first-rate. The bureaucracy is seriously trying, but the helpfulness of the health-care providers is simply great!
We considered posing the newest scan of the ultrasound, but since we again couldn't decipher the image, we decided against it.
This week John had his last business trip of the year. Ann and Thomas are both glad that he's stying close to home for a while.
Lastly, Italy endured a three-day strike by freight carriers this week. The caused serious problems for commerce and industry. It also caused a lot of inconvenience for many people. Gas stations in our area ran dry, and the supermarkets were emptied of produce by the time the strike ended. It's interesting and quite new to see this as Americans. It's the first such strike that effected us at all (the transit strike earlier in the year didn't have any impact on our routine). It gives a new perspective, and is something that we never saw back in the 'States.

Deck The Halls

'Tis the Season

Baby Picture

First, we apologize for the lack of blog posts recently. John's been away for almost a week on business, and Ann's awfully tired. In fact, right now she's at the stage where she just wants the baby to be born. Luckily, her doctor told her this week that we can expect the baby to be born around (or maybe even before) Christmas. What a present!

Other than that, things are normal. We've had some problems navigating some of the health system and social system over here, but thankfully we have a lot of help.

By the way, the ultrasound above is from Ann's doctor visit earlier this week. We have no skill whatsoever at reading these pictures, but we think that it's the upside down baby. If anyone knows what we're looking at, please let us know.

More to follow soon.

Preparations Complete

We're now nearly completed with all of our preparations for the baby. Ann's visited and decided on a nearby hospital for the delivery. We've moved Thomas' bedroom to a different part of the house, turning his old room into the baby's room (it's closest to our bedroom). We've now acquired all of the necessary baby-raising tools. Yup, we're essentially ready for the arrival. The only small item left to accomplish involve addressing some last-minute registration and insurance issues.


In other news, we're getting into the holiday season. Thomas' school is beginning to prepare for a variety of European Christmas traditions. Since his school has students from all over the EU, it will be very interesting to see the variety of customs to which he'll be exposed.



Oh...and here's a neat picture. We often get a lot of fog in the morning. We're told that this year isn't as bad as many, but some morning's it can be really thick. We snapped this photo over the weekend, as the fog was lifting off of the lake. Just thought that you'd enjoy.

Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving to our friends and family back in the 'States!

We did our best to keep some of the American holiday here in Italy. John worked, but Ann stuffed and roasted two chickens (in place of turkey). Those chickens, along with mashed potatoes and some of the usual fixings, were our Thanksgiving dinner. No extended family, football, or parades, but it was a nice meal.

Belly Shot

Strollers and Cheese

This weekend our travels were more mundane than usual. Instead of visiting historic castles and churches, we went to the baby superstore. We spent outrageous sums of money, purchasing a wide array of tools for dealing with infants. The crown jewel of our baby-shopping treasure is a futuristic stroller. It's got inflatable tires, a bicycle-like hand brake, an aluminum frame, and (after the assembly work) we've affectionately named it 'franken-stroller'. Actually, the stroller will come in very handy when navigating the steep hills near our house.

To change subjects, John is still exploring the world of Italian Cheese. Here's a few photos of the newest cheeses. One was a Laurus Cheese, which is made with bay leaves. Another is a Tuma cheese, was soft and a little sweet. The Panerone was a bit sharp and dry. So far, all of the cheeses have been pretty good, and we've only just scratched the surface of the supermarket's cheese isle.

We don't have much else to report. The weeks are flying by, and we're counting down to the baby's arrival.

Towers and Bells

As Americans, some of the things that we find most fascinating about Italy are all of the Bell-Towers. Whether you call them bellfrys, campalines, or something else, they're everywhere in Italy. Every little village has at least one of these towers. They're often free-standing, but are sometimes attached to a church or public building. What's remarkable is that they're usually the tallest structures in view, that they have working (and accurate) clocks, and that the bells ring on a faithful schedule. These things just don't exist back home in America (outside of a college campus or occasional church...but they're just not the same).

We have such a tower that can be seen from our patio. The bells toll every half hour, and play a melody at noon. On Sunday at noon the tower plays Beethoven's Ode to Joy. The constant ringing of the bells was a little annoying and intrusive when we first moved here, but now hearing them provides a sense of comfort.

We made a recording of the bells, attached here as an MP3. We have to apologize for the sound quality...the microphone on the computer is a little crude.

Touring to Nove and a Baroque Villa

A few months ago, Ann joined an English-speaking women's club. The club has a number of meetings, activities, and events. They also sponsor occasional tours, one of which was this weekend. Ann signed up for our family to take a bus tour this weekend. So, near our home, we met with about 50 people and boarded a bus that took us to Nove, a city that's renowned for its ceramics. There, we toured a ceramics factory and bought a few pieces. We next went to a beautiful baroque villa that's just a short distance outside of Verona. The Villa Arvedi is an historic and huge house, located on a dramatically picturesque hill. Here we had lunch and toured a working olive press. After watching the making of olive oil, we naturally had to buy a bottle. The day finished in Verona, where we visited Roman Arena for our second time (we took a trip here in August). It was just after sunset, and the scene was particularly eerie from center of the unlit arena (imagine the ghosts of gladiators dead for two millennia). It was a fantastic Saturday (not just the tour, but also meeting some nice anglophones on the bus) and we're glad that Ann's joined such a fun club.

We don't have much news other than our trip, but we're staying busy. Ann's doing well with the pregnancy, although we still haven't settled on a hospital for the birth. Thomas is still having fun at school, and John had an overnight business trip during the week. So, life is hectic but good.

Hello Baby!

Ann had pleasant visit with her doctor today. The doctor did a thorough check-up on the baby-in-the-belly. We're pleased to report that everything's fine, and is going according to plan. The baby was moving around, and his head is facing down. So, everything is still on target for delivery in a little less than two months.

We thought that you'd enjoy this picture. It's supposed to be a portrait (and the baby's sticking his tongue out!).

Nesting

Well, this was a stay-at-home weekend. It was a weekend when we went shopping in the outskirts of Milan, searching for baby-related items. We only have a short two months left, and we're now rushing to get the house ready for the new arrival. The process of re-organizing the house (moving Thomas' room to make way for a baby room) is in full-swing.

Our tasks were helped a little by the fact that this had been a holiday week. Thursday was All Saints Day, a national holiday. Businesses, government offices, and nearly everything else was closed on this day. John went to work on Friday, although nearly everything in the country was also closed on this day. Also, Thomas had vacation from School for the entire week.

It felt good to be home-bodies for once, but we'll soon be day-tripping again.

(The photo is of John and Thomas assembling some of the items that we bought to get the house ready for Baby).

Happy Halloween!

Charmed and Soggy in Venice

John took Friday off from work, and our family headed to Venice for the weekend. We rented a hotel room for a few days and made the most of this fabulous city. This was likely our last real vacation until the baby is born, so we were really looking forward to it. Also, it was our first trip to this amazing city.

Unfortunately, Friday was a water-logged day. The weather fluctuated between slight drizzles and inundating downpours. We drove straight to the Tronchetto, a huge island parking lot, and took a water-bus down the grand canal. We got off at one of the stops and had a lot of fun navigating the narrow little streets and bridges. We had a rough time keeping our bearings. It's easy to make a wrong turn and get lost (but that's half the fun). We saw the Ponte Rialto (the famous bridge), fed the birds in St. Mark's Square, toured the richly adorned Basilica, and went through the Palazzo Ducale. We were tired, hungry, and cold by dinner time, so we found a nice little restaurant for dinner. Venice is amazing at night, and we had a lot of fun walking off dinner. We even stopped into the historic Harry's Bar for a nightcap (fizzy water for Ann and Thomas).

After a good night's sleep in the hotel, we started our next day at the Piazzale Roma and quickly proceeded to get lost in the streets and waterways of Santa Croce, San Polo, and Dorsoduro. We bought a pass to tour Churches, and had a great time going through the historic buildings. The weather was much nicer on Saturday, and city was much more inviting and charming without the rain. We walked all over, and especially loved the bridges. Naturally, we also took lots of rest stops, sitting a little cafes and watching the people pass (Thomas loves the hot chocolate over here). Also, with the improved weather, we took a gondola ride. It lasted for about 40 minutes, and went through lots of little water alleys and under bridges. We thought that we'd be underwhelmed, but the experience was truly charming. Thomas couldn't wait to go back to St. Mark's to see the pigeons. He loved feeding the birds, and the way they flock all over you. We saw the Rialto Bridge at sunset, which was a beautiful sight. After dinner and some more night-time sight-seeing, we were ready to get back to the hotel and sleep (we're thankful that water buses are fast).

We really loved our trip to Venice. We met more Americans here than anywhere else in Italy, which goes to show that it's a huge tourist draw. Also, the food in Venice was probably the worst that we've had in Italy...not bad, just not as good as the little little towns we've visited. Still, Venice was a truly unique and beautiful city. It was an unforgettable and wonderful trip!

Birthday!

We recently celebrated Thomas' birthday. It's the first birthday that we've celebrated since moving to Italy. The birthday-boy received a huge Lego castle, and he soon had it put together (with a little help from Mom and Dad). It's a gift that he really wanted, especially since we've been visiting so many real castles on our little weekend trips. He also received a variety of other toys, but the Lego's are tops. At school he got to blow out candles and have a little party. All in all, it was a great b-day!

Return to Sasso del Ferro

It was another crazy week for the Bedells in Italy, with lots of work and running around. Ann had prescriptions to get from the pharmacy, several meetings of her club, and we all started preparing for Thomas' birthday.

At the end of the week, we went back to Laveno for a trip on the Funivia. It was Ann & Thomas' second trip, and they really wanted John to experience the little cable-lift buckets. Plus, it was an absolutely clear day, so the views were stunning!

Brescia Adventure

This was another week that streaked by without any chance for rest or reflection. Ann had doctor appointments, administrative issues, her club meeting, and lots of miscellaneous work. John had a long week at work, staying at the office very late nearly every day. He also had a short, one-day business trip to Rome. Thomas' class gathered, roasted, and ate chestnuts. In fact, chestnuts are a huge thing around here. They're everywhere and many towns hold chestnut festivals. Lastly, this week we learned that John's nephew and his wife had a little baby girl. Congratulations and good wishes to them and their families.

For our regular Saturday day-trip, we drove about two hours to the west to visit the town of Brescia. There was a huge street market in progress when we arrived, which made parking nearly impossible. So, we found a parking garage some distance from the sights of the city, and had to walk through a seedy area (through a drug-deal in action). We survived, and had a fantastic time walking through the market and visiting the historic city center. A mammoth castle sits on a hill that overlooks the city. The castle contains an interesting museum of medieval armor, but the views from the castle towers are the real draw. We also visited the city's duomos and ancient Roman ruins. They were amazing. For lunch, we ate outdoors at a small restaurant, where we had some local dishes. By the end of the day we were exhausted, but quite happy.

Baby Update

Ann had a doctor appointment this week to review the progress of the pregnancy. We thought that our family and friends would like to see the latest ultrasound picture. Unlike Ann's experience in the States, it seems like they do an ultrasound with every office visit here in Italy. Everything's going very well, and Ann's starting to look into local hospitals now. We'll need to choose a hospital for the delivery.

Critters - Part 2

We have a new critter to add to our Italian animal experiences. This time it's even more creepy and disconcerting than the spiders and centipedes.
Last night Ann hopped out of bed and stepped on something strange. She looked down and let out a shriek. It was a Scorpion! Having spent our lives in the American Northeast, we'd never seen one of these creatures up close, and they certainly are frightening little buggers. John quickly squashed it with a shoe. We'd have taken a photo to post on the blog, but there wasn't much left after the squashing.
After we determined that Ann wasn't stung, we did some research. Apparently scorpions are not common in our part of Italy, but they're not rare either. When the weather starts to get cool, they'll often try to come inside homes because of the heat. Luckily, these ones rarely sting, and are pretty harmless if they do. Regardless of their reported benignity, they're darn ugly and scary!
We'll be wearing shoes around the house for a while, for sure.

Cheese Time

It's been a little while since we've written anything about John's adventures in the world of Italian Cheese. He's still at it, trying a new cheese every week.

Here's a few photos and comments from two recent samples. Salva cheese is a very white and very mild cheese from Lombardy. Made from cow milk, it has a very delicate flavor, along with a slight acidity.

Everyone's heard of Gorgonzola, which is a standby cheese here. It's simply everywhere. Most of it is young and pretty soft. John prefers the aged, mature Gorgonzola, which is significantly sharper and more pungent. It's a little crumbly, and is great stuff.

Varallo and a Busy Week

It's been an exhaustingly busy week for the Bedells. John's had to work late every day this week, and Ann attended a book club meeting and an outing with her club. Meanwhile, Thomas has been really enjoying school. He says that his favorite parts of the school day are singing (which they do at the end of the day), gym class, and riding the bus.

With such a busy week, we were ready for a day off. We also decided to stay relatively close to home for our weekend day-trip. So, this week we travelled about an hour to the pretty little town of Varallo. It's a beautiful and well-kept city that's in a historic valley. Unfortunately, while it wasn't raining at home, it was downpouring in Varallo when we arrived. We decided to tough-out the weather, though, and walked around the city before lunch. We're glad for our choice, because after we finished lunch, there were breaks in the clouds and periodic streaks of sunlight for the rest of the day.

We had lunch at a great little hotel restaurant. The food was fantastic. Mushrooms are hugely popular in Italy at this time of year, and Asparagus is big in Varallo, so nearly every meal featured mushrooms and/or asparagus. The food was delicious.

Varallo is another town that's famous for its Sacro Monte. This one has a series of over 40 chapels, and many are located in a beautiful wooded area. The rest overlook the town and valley. It was another great short trip.

Ciao!

Laveno Bucket Ride

We haven't done a blog post in a little while, so here's a little update on recent happenings.
John had to travel back to the U.S.A. for a little over a week to obtain his Work Visa. Ann and Thomas stayed in Italy and went about their daily routines. Thomas is really enjoying school, and Ann is meeting new friends through an English-speaking woman's social club. We're all back together again, and looking forward to more great adventures.
While John was gone, Ann and Thomas took a short boat ride on Lago Maggiore, and spent a nice afternoon in Verbania. They also took an exhilarating ride up an open gondola lift in Laveno, a fun little village on the lake. The cable carried them up to the top of Monte Sasso del Ferro, a steep mountain that rises over the lake. It's sort of like a bucket hanging from a wire. Many people hang glide from the mountaintop (not us). The views were amazing, but unfortunately the day was a bit hazy.

Oh Baby!!!

Here's a few 'portraits' of the baby-in-the-belly.

They're from the morphological exam that the doctor did today. One is of the baby's face, although we really can't identify more than the eyes, mouth, and chin. The other is of the baby's legs.

Of course, the doctor points to the ultrasound screen and says, "here's the baby's spleen, left heart ventricle, kidney"...and several unpronounceable Latin phrases (we assumed they're body parts). We just see white smudges on a computer screen.

Actually, we're very impressed with Ann's new Italian Doctor. After two visits, she seems to be the most thorough and thoughtful doctor that Ann's ever had. The exam was very impressive as well. The exam and measurements were far more sophisticated than they were in the US (when Thomas was born).

Both baby and mother passed this check-up with flying colors. The baby's due in early January, and so far all things are going great!!