Viva Las Vegas!

The next stage of our adventure was Las Vegas! In itself, Las Vegas probably wouldn't be top of our list of places to go but Candi had agreed to meet us there so we were very excited! Candi lost her baby daughter, Avery, 3 days after we lost Theo and she's written about it on her blog. (Please pray for her right now as she's going through a really hard time.) She brought along her good friend Katie. Here they both are outside the New York, New York casino.


Candi took us to the Cheesecake factory in Caesar's Palace. This is an amazing place because not only are the main courses gorgeous but they have about 50 different types of cheesecakes to choose from! Coming to a decision is not easy!

We took it in turns to relate our stories to each other and it was comforting to talk it through with someone who could really understand where we were coming from.

After the meal, we went for a walk along the strip, taking in the sights, sounds and most of all the heat! Even though it was night time, the temperature was still about 100 degrees. We stopped to take in several of the fountain shows outside the Bellagio. They play every 15 minutes and are set to music. The grace and movement of each water jet is incredibly spell-binding...Highly recommended.


The next day, we met up with Katie and Candi again for lunch at the hard-rock cafe. This was a definite favourite of mine because of all the rock memorabilia lining the walls.


One whole day of our Las Vegas leg was spent on a Grand Canyon tour. This was easily the most breath-taking sights in all of our trip. We flew 45 minutes in a 10 seater aeroplane from Las Vegas to a landing strip on the West Rim of the Canyon. This is one of the fantastic views from the air.

From there, we took a 5 minute coach journey to Eagle point and then to Guano point. The scale of the Canyon is beyond belief and in many places there are no safety rails so we felt like quite the adventurers!

On the way back we flew over the Hoover Dam. The trip included a sizable buffet lunch, making it a great day out. If any one is thinking of visiting the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, we would definitely recommend the tour operator.

More of our Las Vegas pictures can be found here.

All too soon, it was time to move on again. But there were still two more cities to take in before heading back back home. Next stop: L.A.

All that Jazz!

Having left Tonya's, feeling quite sad, we took a 5 hour train journey to our next location... Chicago! Of all the places on our itinerary, this was the biggest unknown. We'd picked it because it was close to Tonya's but probably knew the least about this city.

We were pleasantly surprised! Chicago is an amazing town with loads to do... but the most amazing and surprising thing about it was that everything seemed free! Free trams, free fireworks, free Jazz , free dance lessons, free zoo, free open-air cinema, free fountain display... this list just went on!

Although home to the Sears Tower, a few people had told us that the best view was from the Hancock Observatory. It costs about the same as going up the Sears tower but you get an excellent audio commentary (narrated by Friends, David Schwimmer) which gives you extensive information as you walk round the 360 degree vista. Here's one of the views from the top.

Chicago is on the edge of Lake Michigan (which to us looks more like an ocean!). In the centre of the picture is Navy Pier, which has all sorts of entertainment including a big Ferris Wheel and free firework displays on some nights.


This is a view, looking back at the city, as we went round the Ferris wheel. There were many boat tours operating from the Pier and we opted for the Sea Dog speedboat tour!

The picture above is the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, affectionately known as "the bean" It's quite an impressive piece and provided lots of opportunities for taking warped photos! The park also offered a free, open-air showing of Hitchcock's "Touch of Evil". Here is our view of the Chicago skyline at dusk just before the film started.


And as if all this wasn't enough, we went to visit Lincoln Zoo (also free!) to get close to some fantastic animals including Gorillas, Pygmy Hippos and this Polar Bear. He liked to show off by swimming right at the glass and then darting away at the last minute.

So although we were only in Chicago for a few days, we managed to pack a lot in! You can see the rest of our Chicago photos here.

Next stop: Las Vegas!

The Party!

First of all, apologies for taking so long to post the next installment of our trip to Tonya's. We all know how hectic life can be but there's really no excuse to keep you all hanging. Sorry!

On the second day we were with Tonya, she organised a party for us and invited some of the people we'd been in email contact with. This was great fun and certainly another fantastic highlight of our trip. It was really nice to be able to finally meet in person all the people we had been emailing.

So here are some quick introductions!

First up there is Cat, Dan and their son Owen.


Cat has a blog which we started following very soon after we found out Theo had Achondroplasia. If you haven't check out their story, please do (or at least check out the latest set of pictures they've posted... Owen is so cute!). Just to prove the point, here he is!


Next there is Jennifer, Cat's mum. Jennifer has been tremendously supportive and regularly checks our blog. She always has time to send us a thoughtful email or post an encouraging comment. Unsurprisingly, she bought us a little present of a Willow Tree statue to add to the many in Clare's collection. We were very touched by this gesture. It was also lovely to meet Jennifer's mother who, just like her daughter, kept us entertained with humour and wit!


This is Clare with Sarah and Kaela. Check out her blog here. Kaela is such sweet little girl and it was nice to meet her family (including Dad and brother Will) and talk through their trials and joys.

We also got to meet Aiden's family and so, all in all, it was quite an overwhelming experience!

The party was fantastic! As you would expect, there was a fair amount of eating done. My personal favourite was the giant cookie that Jennifer had made for us (but then it would be!)

It was great to get to know all these people a bit better. We all talked the afternoon and evening away, comparing our stories and discussing the differences between America and the UK... hours of fun!

A big thank you for all those who travelled to see us and to Tonya for organising and hosting the day. We were incredibly touched by your hospitality and friendship.

Next stop: Chicago!

Visiting Tonya!!

There were so many highlights of our American trip but one of the major ones was definitely visiting Tonya. When we found out Theo had dwarfism at his 20-week scan, it was Tonya's blog - and the delightfully cute pictures of Knoah - that convinced us that everything was going to be ok. We've communicated a lot over the last year but it was an amazing experience to finally meet her and her family face to face.

I can't believe that anyone reading this blog doesn't know who Tonya is because she seems to be the social and information nerve centre for so many people who have kids with dwarfism. But in case you haven't heard of her...

From left (going clockwise) we have Will, Jacob, Tonya, Knoah, me and Hannah

Here's Knoah again!

Clare and I arrived at Detroit airport and found a welcome committee waiting for us.

Tonya's family live in Monroe, Michigan which was about a half hour drive from the airport. They live in a lovely house which Clare and I decided was typically American... all that was missing was the swing-chair on the front porch.

The first evening was spent at their favourite restaurant (excellent Italian food!) followed by a Jazz festival which was running over the weekend we were there. Much to my delight, we ended up at a lovely ice-cream place where I enjoyed what I thought was the best ice-cream ever (my opinion would soon change when we went to Maggie Moos the next day!)

The next day, we were lucky enough to have a party to meet lots of other people who we've met via the blog and who have supported us tremendously over the last year. I'm not going to say anything more about that... it's the subject for another post!

After the party, we went to the ultimate ice-cream experience! Maggie Moos serves the most amazing ice-cream ever. They make it on the premises and you can choose not only which flavour you want, but also from a whole array of sweets and goodies to have with it. I eventually decided on Peaniut Butter fudge with pieces of Reese's peanut butter cups and snickers. Definitely a peanutty extravaganza!

During our time in Monroe, we got to know the family really well. It was fantastic to finally get to meet people we had been emailing for so long. The experience was every bit as amazing as we thought it would be. Even though we were only there for a short time, we found a really close bond, especially with Tonya and Knoah.


How could you not love Koaah? Here he is doing "Monster Baby"!

I think this video captures the essence of Monster Baby a bit better!

Overall we had an superb time! Both Clare and I had a little cry once Tonya and Knoah left us at the train station. We missed them already! But I don't want to end on a sad note... tune in next time for details about the fantastic party Tonya organised for us where we got to meet even more people we had made contact with through the blog!

If you want to see more of our time with Tonya, check out the pictures here.

Voluntarily Mugged in Times Square!

Tonya has just posted a comment saying "What is the CD picture of Andy?". I'm glad I have become good friends with Tonya as otherwise I might be offended by the fact that she has expertly managed to detect the one picture associated with a ridiculous story and highlight it to the world!

The picture I think she is referring to is this one:


I'd like to say that this was a picture of me with a famous rap star...Fifty Cent...P Diddy....some one like that... but we all know the story isn't going to pan out like that.

I'd just like to start by saying, in my defence, I had just stepped off a plane so I was tired, jet-lagged, etc.

So we were in times square and the guy in the picture stops me in the street. Clare knew right from the start where it was heading but what you can't see in the picture is the oblivious bubble I'm standing in! The guy tells me he's DJ BlingMan (or something). He's filming for MTV and can I look up at the top of the tall sky-scraper, where there's a camera(!), and repeat a message along the lines of "Yo, whasup, this is DJ BlingMan on MTV!" I do this, and then he puts his cap on my head and gets Clare to take a picture.

I'm having a great time, grinning like an idiot. Clare is rolling her eyes up and giving me a look that says I know what's going on but you are clearly clueless. Passers-by just think I'm a moron.

So then he thrusts two of "his" CDs in my hands and says I can have them. "What a lovely, generous man!", I think. THEN, he says that they would normally cost $10 each but he'll let me have them both for $10. I tell him I only have $5. He takes one CD from me and packs me on my way. "His" CD is a load of other rappers tunes he's downloaded and burnt onto CD. I haven't listened to it yet!

Of course, Clare tells me how she saw it all along and what a muppet I am! But you may be wondering where she got this lovely cap from!


Later in the holiday, we get stopped by another guy. Admittedly, this guy is funnier and working for a charity. After exchanging a few witty comments, he asks Clare if she'd like to donate money for the kids in exchange for a cap (I think this guy was legit....he had a pass round his neck and there were a few of them standing around). So although I payed $5 for a copied CD, Clare paid $10 for a (dirty) cap which she could have got for $3 from a street-seller. At least it was for a good cause!

New York, New York!

Although I am dying to blog about meeting Tonya, Cat, Jennifer, Candi, Elise et al - I have decided to be disciplined and start at the beginning - New York!

(View of New York sky-line from Liberty Island)

The first week of our three week holiday was spent in New York. Despite getting caught in quite a heavy rainstorm when we first arrived, the temperature was generally very hot. We'd managed to get a very small apartment close to the subway and it served as a useful base. From here we took in all the sights New York had to offer - the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Central Park and the Natural History Museum to name but a few.

We especially liked the food in New York (and just about everywhere else!). Here we are in Bubba Gump on Times Square.

I was particularly excited about the Alabama Mud Pie on the desert menu!


It turns out that American portion sizes are very large - This cake was meant for two to share but could probably feed a small family for a week!


It was an excellent start to the holiday - because we had a whole week, we had plenty of time to relax and recover from our busy work lives.

Anyway, I've only posted a few photos - if you are interested (and have a lot of time!) the rest of the New York pictures can be found here.

Next stop - Tonya's in Michigan!

We're back!

Hi all,

Clare and I have finally arrived back from our American adventure! We've had an amazing time and met some even more amazing people. I will blog in great detail over the next few weeks but, as we're both very tired from all the travelling, I'll leave you with a few statistics from our travels to whet your appetite!

Number of miles flown: 11,417
Number of planes taken: 8
Number of hours in the air: 30
Number of states visited: 5
Number of cities visited: 6 (if you include Monroe!)
Number of times Andy has packed the suitcases: 7
Number of near death experiences: 2
Number of burgers eaten: Too many to count!
Number of pounds of weight gained by both of us: Too embarrassing to tell!
Number of pounds of money spent: Will have to let you know when I've put out my burning bank statement!
Number of hours sleep in the last 24 hours: 0
Number of amazing people we finally got to meet in person: Loads!!!!

That's all the energy I have! I'll be back in a few days to update you all a bit more. But finally, thanks to all the amazing people that made this trip one that we'll remember always!

We're going to America!

Well, it's been over a month since I last blogged for two reasons; we have no further news on our baby situation and we have both been unbelievably busy with our jobs. I think it's fair to say that the work/life balance in the Dungey household is definitely off-balance!

We do have some good news though! We are taking a three-week holiday to America and we are going to meet up with some of our new blogging American friends! Our schedule is pretty hectic but here's a little breakdown:

New York - to see the sights
Monroe via Detroit - to spend some time with Tonya, Knoah and family
Chicago - whirlwind tour
Las Vegas - to meet with Candi who's flying in from Utah
L.A - Hollywood fame at last!
San Francisco - to soak up some American culture
Home - to sleep off the jet lag!

Tonya and Candi have both been incredibly supportive of Clare and I throughout the whole process of the pregnancy, birth and loss of Theodore and we are thrilled to have the chance to meet them in person at last! We may also have the chance to meet Jennifer who is Grandma to a little boy called Owen who has Achondroplasia. She has also kept in constant touch with us. We are very grateful to have so many people caring for us, both near and far.

The results

Firstly, sorry it's been a while since I last posted anything. Both our jobs have been very hectic over the last month or so and it's been hard to find time to fit everything in. Thank you to everyone who faithfully checks the site!

We received our genetic results this week and they were not as positive as we had hoped. Our geneticist told us that they had found the genetic "change" in Theo that they were expecting. This confirms the Kniest diagnosis reported by the post mortem. Having tested my blood, they also found the same genetic change in some of my blood cells. This means that I exhibit mosaicism in these cells - some of them are regular and some are dwarf!

It is safe to assume that at least some of my sperm cells are affected in the same way as this is how Theo got the condition. In the worst case scenario, all of them will be affected and this has led the geneticist to give us a 50% chance of recurrence. Although, potentially the risk could be lower than this, it is very difficult to determine what percentage of sperm cells are affected so they have to go with the worst case scenario.

The presence of a genetic marker means that pre-natal testing will be possible at about 11 weeks. At the moment, Clare and I are still coming to terms with the situation and so have no clear idea of what we are going to do next.

Prior to getting the news, we had already decided that it would be wise to seek the counsel of a couple in our church to help us along the way. In addition to this, we had also considered that professional counselling might be a good idea too. Now that we have the results, we are definitely going to proceed with both of these.

We are also planning to see the genetic counsellor again, once the dust has settled, to ask him further questions about our options.

Sorry to have to break this news to everyone via the blog. Both Clare and I really value your continued prayer and support!

Taking the plunge!

I've been meaning to post this for over a week now but have been so busy that I have only just got round to it! We received an email from Clare's friend Di who made the decision recently to get baptised. Baptism is a public declaration that you believe in God and want to follow him. It also involves getting quite wet! Christians get baptised to follow the example of Jesus who was baptised by John (... the Baptist, funnily enough!). This is part of the email that Di sent us, explaining why she made the decision.

Although I was Christened as a baby and Confirmed as a teenager in the Anglican church, and have been a practising Christian at Martlesham Christian Fellowship for 23 years, God has been nudging me for quite a while now to affirm my faith!

After many discussions, and much prayer, I was baptised by full immersion (adult baptism) this weekend, in the sea at Sizewell (church weekend at the Christian Conference centre there), to affirm my love for God (photos attached). It was amazing! God is good!

I just thought you would like to know, as your testimony through the blog, and your example of ongoing love for God through Theo's life and death has been one of many influencing factors in my decision.

This was very exciting news for us! Di has been a great support to us over the last few months (I still remember the lovely food parcel she had delivered as a surprise for us when we came home from work one day....mmm!). It is even more touching that Theo had his own small part to play in her decision. Clare and I are both very happy for her!