Wigilia 2007

The first Wigilia (Christmas Eve) for the three of us in Waukegan.

Thanks to Anita's Kapuzniacki, Barscz, several types of fish and kompot, we brought a bit of Poland into Waukegan this evening.

With koledy on the background, gifts were exchanged and Nina got her personal polar bear outfit, that she did not want leave, so warm, cozy and cute. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2008!

Merry Christmas!

So now is come our joyful feast,
Let every man be jolly;
Each room with ivy leaves is dressed,
And every post with holly.
Though some churls at our mirth repine,
Round your foreheads garlands twine,
Drown sorrow in a cup of wine,
And let us all be merry.

Now all our neighbors' chimneys smoke,
And Christmas blocks are burning;
Their ovens they with baked meats choke,
And all their spits are turning.
Without the door let sorrow lie,
And if for cold it hap to die,
We'll bury it in a Christmas pie,
And evermore be merry.

George Wither (1588-1667)

Christmas tree

Last Saturday we went in search of a nice Christmas tree. To let us get even more into the Christmas mood, it started snowing while we were on our way. Neighbours had given us the name of a good place, with directions like just over the rail track, next to the church across from a bar, so that's where we found this year's beauty. Courtesy of the tree seller, they tied her onto the roof of our car, gave us big bag to burry her in when Christmas is over and off home we went again. Staszek's task to get her into the house. Anita's task (and Stas helped with the lights) to decorate her. Nina was watching all the action from her safari swing and fell asleep.

Nina waking up (or maybe not)

When Nina wakes up, she has to do her 'ochtendgymnastiek'. Sometimes her cozy little bed is so nice and warm that she prefers to just stay there after she's done.

Nina and her little friends

Nina likes to spend time with her cuddly little friends. Just hanging out together, have a laugh and make faces. But enough is enough after a few minutes.

Papa Staszek

When he is not working hard or travelling far away, Staszek is a busy man at home. There are still a lot of DIY 'klusjes' to do in and around the house. Spray painting the basement walls was one of them. And for that you should, of course, dress appropriately. And after that he's always ready to feed Nina, burp Nina and even tell her the story of the Fabeltjeskrant and juffrouw Ooievaar (Madam Stork) in particular.

Nina and her mama & papa

Nina likes to snuggle up with her mum and dad after dinner; for tummy time or just to relax and eventually fall asleep. Also, Jip doesn't mind joining in from time to time.

Sisters in Chicagoland part 2

Of course Mirjam and Liesbeth had to spend at least one cultural day downtown Chicago. It was a pity that the museum was closed by the time they got there after their major shopping spree. But they returned to Waukegan with lots of little treasures. Pampering Anita was another reason they had come for so every day there was time for a massage and Thursday was family face mask day. It was great having them over!

Nina's trip to the doctor

Nina had to go and get her monthly Synagis shot at the doctor's office. It's quite an operation to go out when the weather is cold, but she was completely prepared. Before getting her shot she had to be weighed and measured. She is now almost 50 centimeters long and well over 2600 gram! The shot was no fun, but fortunately Anita, Mirjam and Liesbeth were there to support her and the crying only lasted for a few seconds. Then back into the car seat again to go home. The sounds of the car engine seems to be soothing because before we had even left the car park Nina was already dreaming away.

Sisters in Chicagoland part 1

In the past week, Mirjam and Liesbeth were in Waukegan to spoil and spend time with their sister and new niece. It was great to see each other again and cocoon at home with little Nina for whom it was the first time to get to know her aunts. The world at O'Hare at arrival was observed through pink glasses and Liesbeth the bride-to-be was presented with a furry crown, which was later very much appreciated by Jip the cat. In Waukegan the inflatable 'It's a girl' stork was welcoming the guests. Everything during this stay has been documented either by photo or video camera so more to come.

Nina after dinner

A short impression of Nina lounging after dinner...

Bugabooing in Waukegan

Now Nina is at home we finally got the chance to use the wonderful present from 'Babcia & Dziadek C'. For more than 2 months the Cameleon has been standing in the hallway waiting to get out and last Sunday we went out for our first ride/walk to a local place for a quick breakfast.

It was pleasantly surprising again to realize how much more you take note of the surroundings when you walk instead of driving the car....maybe we Americanized already too much. Now we have a good excuse to stretch our legs and go for a walk in the neighborhood.

New driveway

Once upon a time our driveway was a gravel one, but that was a long time ago so something needed to be done in order to make it look good and, with autumn and winter in mind, easy to clean. After deliberating for a long time, weighing and researching the different options, we decided to have our driveway asphalted. First a building permit had to be arranged and then the job could start. Lots of heavy machinery, 6 people and 3 trucks of black top material were involved in the operation. It did not even take them 1 day to do it. The result is great and we are ready for the winter.

Welcome home Nina!

We expected that the big day would be Friday, so we were surprised when the hospital informed Anita on Thursday morning that Nina could go home that same afternoon. Together with her happy parents, Nina 'walked' out the hospital on Thursday afternoon 4pm. Once at home in Waukegan we discovered quickly how convenient Nina's stay in the hospital has been for us. So many new little worries about the exact right sleeping position, that little gurgle sound, or the different feeding strategies.

That same Thursday evening we were also very happy to welcome Alistair, who was over from Vancouver in Chicago for a few days, in Waukegan. It was a great reunion and the evening was much too short to catch up on everything.

One of the things we had been looking forward to for the last six weeks, was the special bottle of Champagne we received as a gift from Franck & Patricia when we visited Warsaw this summer. Although the bottle was intended to celebrate Nina's birth, we decided that it would be a good alternative to open it at the moment we could take her home from the hospital. The champagne had been waiting in the fridge and it was a great moment to open it!

After opening the bottle of Champagne for us, there was another bottle for Nina.

Autumn in Waukegan

The summer is over and the trees start loosing their leafs. Our street looks beautiful in the morning sun. The only disadvantage is that the leafs fall in our yard as well. As it makes no sense to clean them up every week, we will wait a little bit until all have fallen and enjoy the nice colors a bit more...

Also temperatures are slowly coming down. The heating is working perfect and the cats love to lounge on the radiators that seem to be made specially for them..

Hopefully within a few days Nina will come home so we can walk her in her new Bugaboo through this autumn decor.

Nina's new milestones

Last Monday was a day of celebration: Nina was exactly one month old. The nurses made a nice decoration for over her crib for everybody to see. She is doing very well and over two kilos now! Also, she celebrated her first Halloween today: no tricks, just treats.