The Sweet Tooth Traveler

You didn't think I went to Poland without trying out their local desserts, did you? Of course not. Check out my blog post on TripWolf. It's a really cool travel website and blog that has tons of information on practically every vacation spot you can imagine.

The Sweet Tooth Traveler: Krakow
One of my favorite things to do when visiting a new city is to check out the local desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth and love trying new things. When I went to Krakow, Poland a couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled with my findings.

Click here to read the full post.

Running Milestone!

Today was a big day. It is 39 degrees (with a wind chill of 30 degrees), and is pouring rain. Yet, I still went running! This is what I look like after 2.6 miles in the rain. Thanks for getting me out there, Rachel!

Soaking wet but still smiling

13 Weeks!

Thanks to Pinterest--and the fact that I'm not currently working--this will be the most well-documented pregnancy ever. Ha! Just kidding. But it is dangerous seeing all the adorable things people do to mark their pregnancy. And since I'm feeling so great--knock on everything possible--I want to remember these days. As I said in the beginning though, I don't want this to turn into a pregnancy blog. I'm going to try to limit my pregnancy posts to once a week. That's reasonable, right? No promises on what will happen once the baby's actually here though :)

We're due June 20th, which means I'm 13 weeks and 6 days.  It's been strange being pregnant here in England. Since I've never been pregnant I didn't know what to expect. My only sources of information were my best friends who have babies in the States, my mom, and popular culture. It turns out that these sources are all heavily slanted toward an American perspective...big surprise, right? Well, England does things a little differently. I'm coming to terms with all the differences, but at first it was really scary.

The major difference for me at first was that I'm using the National Health Service, which is free. NHS does not do any confirmation testing until the 12 week ultrasound. I had two appointments with a midwife prior to my ultrasound, but they didn't examine me or have me take a pregnancy test or anything. They just told me that they trust me. Although I knew I was pregnant, I wanted someone else to confirm it. It didn't seem real otherwise.

The ultrasound went great though and put my mind at ease. We got fantastically clear pictures of the baby and got to see him/her moving all around. He/she was pumping fists and kicking up a storm. It's too early for me to feel any of it, but it was such a moving experience to see a live being inside of me.

One funny quirk in the NHS is that while all the health care is free, you have to pay to get a copy of your ultrasound picture. They have a little machine where you insert coins and then you get a token to collect the picture. So weird!

Buying tokens for the ultrasound picture

How far along? 13 weeks

Maternity clothes? Only because they're comfortable. My skinny jeans don't fit anymore, but everything else does.

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Ok, but I'm having even weirder dreams than normal. If you know me, this is significant.

Best moment of the week: Running 5k and feeling good!

Miss anything? Runny eggs :(

Movement: I think I may have felt something, but everyone says it's too early.

Food cravings: Oranges!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not drinking enough water gives me headaches.

Have you started to show yet? I think so, but no one else does :)

Gender: We don't know yet

Belly Button in or out? In, but I'm worried its days are numbered.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy, but you'll have to ask Dan what he thinks.

Looking forward to: Starting to show for real

Auschwitz and Salt Mines: What a Day

When we booked our trip to Krakow, we also booked a day trip to Auschwitz and the Salt Mines. I did some research and it seemed like most people recommended doing these two activities on the same day. Auschwitz, the largest Nazi German concentration camp, is obviously a heavy morning. The salt mines are fun and light and can help ease you back in to your vacation. We hired a driver for the day, and he was fantastic! I highly recommend Krakow-Auschwitz.

Entrance to Camp: "Work Will Set You Free"

Auschwitz is as disturbing as you'd think it would be. The buildings are all pretty much exactly the way they were at the end of the war when the Soviet army liberated the camp. Between 1940-1945, 1.3 million people (90% of whom were Jewish) were brought to Auschwitz. 1.1 million were killed.

Victims' suitcases

Victims' shoes

Sleeping quarters: 4-6 people per bunk

Gas chamber

Auschwitz II-Birkenau, built in 1941, is larger than Auschwitz and was designed exclusively as a death camp. Scenes from Schindler's List were filmed on these train tracks.

You can tour the camps on your own, but I was really impressed with our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and respectful. He really put things into perspective for us.

After a heavy morning at the camps, we made our way to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't this. Chapels, salt carvings, chandeliers, lakes...wow! Pictures do not do it justice at all. It was so impressive.

Huge chapel. Chandeliers are made of salt!

Last Supper

To get to the mines, we walked down around 400 steps! Luckily, a small miner's elevator took us back up at the end. Our tour covered more than two miles of the mine, but that's only 9 percent of the total!

We ended our day with a fantastic meal at Miod Malina. We ate like kings and queens in Poland. And everything was so cheap! Especially compared to England.

Traditional tea with jam

My favorites were definitely the sweet cheese and cherry pierogi. Yum!

It was a day that I was somewhat dreading, but it turned out to be lovely. Auschwitz isn't somewhere that people want to see, but it's so important. I'm really glad we went. 

Weekend in Krakow

A few months ago I saw a Groupon that included flights and hotels in Krakow, Poland. The price was too good to pass up, so we convinced our friends to join us for a quick city break. What a great decision! Krakow is amazing!

Wawel Castle

I was initially worried about going to Poland in December when average highs are only in the 30s. It was definitely freezing, but totally worth it. The lack of tourists more than made up for the extra layers I had to throw on.

Winter is actually a great time to visit Krakow--especially early December. The Christmas Market in the town square was a huge highlight. I loved seeing and tasting traditional Polish foods, like oscypek, a fried smoked cheese served with a sweet cranberry sauce. Dan and Felicity loved the glühwein that was served out of a giant keg.

Fried smoked cheese

Felicity and Dan enjoying mulled wine

Christmas market at night

I was so impressed with all the food we had in Poland--not just at the market. Pierogi--Polish stuffed dumplings--were plentiful. At only a few cents each, I ate my weight in them! My favorites were the sweet cheese ones; the fruit filled ones; and the pierogi ruskie, which were filled with potatoes and onions.

We went to a really fun beer hall one night. With live traditional Polish music, shots of slivovitz (plum brandy) and liters of beer for only $2.25 (!!), it was a great night. Of course, I abstained from the drinks, but I was more than happy with my free pickles and cabbage.

Wait until you see the food. This was for one person! It should have come with a warning. Although, technically I guess it did. This sign was in the men's room.

A meal for one?!

Though most of our time was spent eating, we did see other parts of the city too :) We took a day trip to Auschwitz and the Salt Mines. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.

We took a free Jewish walking tour of the city one afternoon. I was a little disappointed in our guide. I didn't appreciate the way she represented a lot of aspects of my religion. We didn't even go in to the synagogues or cemetery. It was sad to see how small the Jewish community is now compared to before WWII. Krakow's Jewry never recovered.

The city is gorgeous.

Notice the creepy eyes

I love the city walls.

It was such a nice, relaxing and delicious trip!

My Friends Are Awesome

Remember a few days ago when I proclaimed my jealousy over Dani and Katie meeting the Petersiks?

Turns out, they are awesome friends and scored me a signed copy of the Young House Love book! It came just in time for Chanukah too. How amazing are they?

Thanks so much Katie and Dani. I miss you guys!

Math Is Fun

Calli+Dan=3

That's right! Dan and I are expecting! We are thrilled with the news. We're 13 weeks along and are due June 20th. My first trimester went really, really well. I didn't have any major symptoms, unlike my good friend Kate. I'm generally just feeling great.

I'll be back with more about how the British health care system is working, how I'm feeling and lots more. But don't worry, I don't plan on turning this blog into a "mommy blog." There are too many good ones out there already, and frankly that's just not my thing. I will, however, include updates on my pregnancy and the baby because that's part of my life. It will just be another aspect of my time in Yorkshire (albeit a HUGE one). I already have a bunch of travel planned between now and my third trimester, plus I have a bunch of house updates still on the agenda (MUST finish kitchen chairs!!).

As excited as I am to be able to share this news, it's nothing compared to the angst my mom has been experiencing in keeping this a secret. So here you go mom--cat's out of the bag. Take a deep breath and enjoy :)