Bundle of Joy

I am pleased to officially announce that Dean and I are expecting! In the USA, public baby announcements are very popular.  I saw many online forums where moms-to-be ask for advice when choosing its most unique form .

I am quite a superstitious person, but in the end, I too succumbed to the desire of sharing pictures of my,quite visible baby bump.

Our little one is scheduled to come into the world at the end of May. I am in the good hands of university hospital doctors. In February a new modern obstetrics ward is scheduled to be opened. It will be within walking distance from our apartment!

We performed all the tests in the framework of a good health insurance. Only the cost for a fairly expensive medicine that helped me ease early pregnancy symptoms, was not covered.

Despite this, the insurance covered comprehensive prenatal tests, that we performed in Bellevue. It turns out that doctors in San Francisco were pleasantly surprised by this, as I have not yet attained the risky age of 35.

I haven’t yet decided whether we are going to have a Baby Shower. So far I am still attached to the superstition that it is still very pleasant to receive gifts after the birth, and not before.

In any case, we all feel great and we are looking forward to the upcoming changes. I just need to learn quickly how to change diapers and get a newborn to sleep. So far, I have signed up for the weekly prenatal yoga classes. The first class was just what I needed and I am looking forward to the next one.

Meanwhile, we're getting ready for the finale of the American football playoffs. On Sunday our favorite Seattle Seahawks have a chance of winning the Super Bowl twice in a row! I have a feeling that that the baby will be rooting with us as well:)

Dear Readers, please keep your fingers crossed!

Oxygen fix at Muir Woods National Park.

Picking Baby's first outfits from Hanah Andersson catalog.

American maternity wisdom says that expecting woman can eat popcorn shamelessly. #checked

                                   

                                       

Good Morning America!

Reveille. Dean gets up early in the morning to get ready for work, prepares breakfast, and I find myself on the couch turning on the TV. Before moving to the USA, I enjoyed waking up with Dzień dobry TVN. Now with my morning coffee, I often watch the Today Show or Good Morning America.

What immediately stands out to me is the energy emanating from the American presenters. Remember, they get up at around four o’clock  in the morning. Nevertheless, they all seem to be so enthusiastic in front of the cameras. No wonder! The most popular anchors are rumored to earn around $ 20 million per year! I was surprised, however, that the popular morning infotainment programs are viewed by around 5 million viewers.

Super-energy beats also from fans who come to New York to see their favorite  presenters and of course to greet their loved ones on air.

TV stations compete in topics. Recently I have seem segments not only on news-items such as the charitable missions of the former US President Jimmy Carter, but also on the homosexual pair that became first time parents thanks to a surrogate- mother. Of course, all kinds of financial, dieting, beauty and lifestyle advice are offered.

In contrast to the programming of Polish breakfast TV, weekdays shows are far more grandiose.  This week I have already seen Anne Hathaway, Martha Stewart and Jennifer Aniston; even the weekday anchors are celebrities. One Tuesday in January, there was even a live wedding ceremony in the GMA studio, which featured brides and grooms competing for the honor. 

Experience it for yourself: 

http://abc.go.com/shows/good-morning-america/listing/2015-01/13-gma-113-bride-groom-tie-the-knot-live-on-gma 

(If you reading outside USA follow the youtube link in the Polish version)

Anything to satisfy the coffee and cereal crowd.

After months of watching American morning television I actually needed to take a break. I understand that the show has its own rules, but after a while having everything so sweet, such talented guests, and some of them, including the anchors, fighting bravely with illnesses was too much for me.

I still occasionally start my day with American TV, but always later during the day I check the internet to see who has recently sat on couches in the morning studios in Warsaw. 

                                                   

H.

Well, we had a great Holiday! So many nice gatherings, delicious meals, fantastic gifts and many European walks! 
Christmas time in Krakow is really one of a kind. We welcomed New Year in the authentic Kings' castle. At midnight we enjoyed an awesome firework show. We have even danced a traditional Polish dance- polonez. 
It wasn't easy to come back to the USA.  Only after one week I managed to get over jet lag. It is very sunny in San Francisco, no signs of winter. Is it really January here?  
Here is a photo gallery recap of our Christmas trip. 

      Boarding in the right spirit...

Berlin during Holiday time.

Hello Santa! 

Finally on the way to Cracow.

    Glimpse of sunshine in my hometown.

Dean added new level to Christmas. We sang Polish, American carols, and even one Channukah song. 

After singing, we could finally unwrap gifts from tye Christmas Angel. 

We also tried to take walks after eating all of these tasty meals.

      Like this soup rosół made by my Mum.

And here may i present you my very nice and well behaved guests who came to share with me chocolate Birthday cake:)

Don't stop the party. Happy Anniversary! #30yearsafterwedding

New Year couplie ♥

           On the way back to the USA we also visited
(just for one evening) London.   

                                                 

                                               Happy New Year!!!             

                                                                               

                       I wish you a very merry Christmas, straight from                                       a very sunny Cracow!

                                          

                                     Stay tuned for a Christmas story...

Books for Christmas

It so happens that all the books that I have been lately reading were written by women.  For Christmas, I would highly recommend Alexandra Fuller and her African memories, the latest prose by Zadie Smith or short stories by last year's Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro.  I also enjoyed reading the biography of Róża Thun, a Polish European Parliament Member elected from Cracow.

This year I also read some interesting books of American women writers.

One of them was the memoir entitled Brain on Fire, written by a NY Post young journalist, Susanah Cannalah. One day in the office she began to act very eerily. The doctors could not immediately identify the reasons of her rapidly deteriorating mental state, which resembled schizophrenia. After some dramatic events she finally finds a good psychiatrist, an immigrant from Syria. He helps her diagnose and puts her life back on track. The innovative treatment in New York cost the young patient a million dollars (sic!) Fortunately, the author could count on the support of family and a good health insurance.

Maybe a long time ago you watched Little House on the Prairie? That was the series that launched the acting career of Melissa Francis. She was then only a lovely preschooler already making appearances in television commercials. Although it seemed she was growing up in perfect American middle class, her memoir is bittersweet. She writes about show business and growing up through the prism of a toxic relationship between her and her Tiger Mom in Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter. Although she learned how to be ambitious (she is now an economic journalist), some of the wounds have never healed.

Meanwhile, while driving several times to Oregon, we listened to the audiobook Lean In. It's a feminist manifesto of the American business-shark-woman Sheryl Sandberg. We listened how important it is from the very beginning to share household chores equally, but also to take a proactive approach at every stage of our life. Although sometimes mildly annoying, advice shared by the billionaire and incumbent Facebook’s COO are definitely worth paying attention to.

All three books are based on real facts. All three show stories of women who, despite the odds, believed in themselves and achieved their goals. 

Well now it is time for me to make a trip to Barnes & Noble for a new supply of interesting stories. Or maybe I will happily find some under the Polish Christmas tree?

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Lucky Bamboo

Recently we have been spending a lot of time settling into our new nest. Not all of the boxes are unpacked yet, but we are on the right track.

Finding a place for all of Dean’s hobbies and academic collections requires some thought. Our present furniture does not fit very well on the hardwood floor, and my wardrobe always seems to be too small.

So we need to think carefully about how to utilize every inch of our Californian square meterage. To do this, of course, we went to Ikea, in an impressive sized building located just by the popular shopping center, surrounded by tall palm trees. 

In the entrance hall, we were greeted by Holiday decoration. However it was more a European Christmas one. I have not found many adornment accents of upcoming Thanksgiving.

To gain energy before crowded shopping, we entered an even more crowded cafeteria. Everything about it, was as I suspect in all of the branches of Ikea, seemed familiar.  

The popular worldwide Swedish meatballs looked tasty to the American shoppers. A cup of coffee and chocolate mousse cake instantly gave us more strength.

We began measuring available bookcases. We tried new sofas and desks. Apparently Ikea’s American success depends on attributing more attention to the kitchen accessories (larger sizes were necessary) and bedroom selection.  Indeed, I thought that the choice of the beds seemed to be greater than in Europe.

After we finished exploring the spacious halls, I picked a charming plant - Lucky Bamboo - and a shower curtain with red patterns, perfect for Christmas décor.

Since we arrived without a car, we decided to order needed furniture online.

The return journey took us a little more time. The free shuttle to the city train was late for almost an hour. Nevertheless, we thought that the trip was a successful one, and our new space already feels like more like home.

Have a look at the newest American Ikea commercial:

                                   

                            

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Welcome home !

With these kind words, the immigration officer at the airport in San Francisco greeted me. Even though I have permanent resident status, I have to go through passport control, just like everyone else, including citizens.

For over a week, Dean and I have lived together San Francisco. My first impressions have been very positive. We live in the city, but our new neighborhood is relatively quiet.  There are a construction sites around us, but it is still a lot quieter than our Bellevue apartment.

Right by near us there is a huge baseball stadium. I have no idea which famous games took place here, but I quickly recognized that this is the same stadium on which Kanye West himself proposed to his famous chosen one ... :) Dean tells me that that is where the San Francisco Giants won the 2014 World Series baseball championship.

Our high-rise is also situated by the port of San Francisco. From a close distance we see impressive cargo ships.

We also have a wonderful marina and a boulevard by the Bay - great for long weekend walks or bike trips. On the streets you can see also my favorite palm trees, and listen to seagull squawks. We also can't complain about the weather; almost all the time it is around 20 degrees Celsius.

There don't seem to be many smaller shops or kiosks here. To my surprise, there are not as many Starbucks cafes around. But there are a lot of buses and even trams, and not only ones for tourists.

I always wanted to live by the water and now I can say that my dream has come true. Dean also seems very happy with his new job, to which, surprisingly for American standards, he can walk.

And here are some pictures of our district, Mission Bay: