Sweden vs USA: Passport Applications

Subtle User Workflow differences of a well-run government operation:

Applying for a Swedish passport for Astrid: Go to website, download a single 1-page document, make copy of Swedish passport and birth certificate, drop off at Consulate reception (Total time spent: 20 minutes)

Applying for a US passport: Go to website, print 2 redundant documents, hunt for drop off agency on poor navigation, call 5 places, none answer the phone, finally get through, wait on hold for 20 minutes to get appointment, fee pricing is impossible to predict, $165 or $300, photocopies not allowed, must request duplicate authentic birth certificate, actual government agency indicates an expected wait time of 30min to 1 hour, while passport expedite agencies offer 24 hour turnaround for a $200+ fee (Total time spent: 1.5 hours so far, who knows how many more to go).

I'm proud to be a citizen of both countries, but the US should take note of how to streamline their operations a little better.

Disclaimer: This could just be a San Francisco thing, which caters to a wide set of international populations.

This is not a fire drill

As any parent will surely tell you, there are nights you wish you could forget but will be seated into your memory. Our first came 4 days into Astrid's young life.

Earlier in the day, a nurse had come by to check on Astrid at home. She saw a touch of yellowing in the skin and wanted us to check the bilirubin levels, as she was experiencing some jaundice. As we got the results around 9 PM, the doctors said that the jaundice was due to the baby's blood type being different from Jens and that some of Jen's antibodies has passed the placental barrier and was attacking Astrid's white blood cells. 

We were instructed to undergo UV phototherapy as soon as possible, so we packed our bags and headed to the hospital, uncertain of what this treatment entailed. At the hospital, Astrid was placed in an incubator under an UV lamp that would reduce the bilirubin levels in her blood through skin exposure. We could not swaddle her, or comfort her most of the night, but only feed her in between bouts of UV therapy. We had to camp out on the lone couch in the room for the next 15 hours.

Needless to say, it was a long night and surely not the last. Everything was out in perspective as we saw some infants that would surely be there far longer than our stay. 

When two becomes three..

Say hello to Astrid Lucia Steene-Connolly. She came into the world 2:50 PM on October 25th, 2015.

The name Astrid is a Norse baby name. In Norse the meaning is "Divine Strength" or sometimes "Divine Beauty"
I'd like to introduce you to the newest lady in my life. Astrid Lucia Steene-Connolly was born October 25th (8lbs 1oz) after an impressive 12-hour labor from the beautiful, healthy and happy Jen. 


Astrid entered the world healthy, bright eyed and squeaky. She is a joy to have and hold. She's a giggly, not too fussy, beautiful little bundle of love. 
She bears a tiny mole on her cheek similar to her mother, loves her daddy's voice and has a powerful little sucker that her mother can painfully attest too. She has already been spoiled in person by some family members and even more love continues to pour in from around the world. 
We're excited about this new adventure and look forward to including her in our lives forever more. We hope you'll share it with us in due time as we get adjusted to this new and exciting chapter of our lives. 

Christmas in San Francisco 2015

The holidays are always a wonderful time to spend quality time with those that matter most. This year, Jen and I decided it would be best to stay local while we figure out our newborn schedule and routine. Luckily, so many of our relatives decided to come visit and help celebrate the best way possible.

My mother arrived a little before Christmas and stayed for 10 days in the apartment down the hall, so she could have her privacy. Farmor (Father's mother in Swedish) became her calling and she was all too ready to settle down with Astrid and keep her entertained. She helped out around the house and kept me company on my morning walks with Loulou and Astrid, while Jen catches up on some sleep. We took in some of the sights and walked all the nearby parks. We celebrated a Swedish Christmas dinner celebration (julbrod) at the nearby Plaj restaurant.

My father also joined us in San Francisco for two evenings and we prepared a typical Swedish Christmas Eve feast for the 5 of us.

Co-ed Baby Shower in Sausalito

So this baby is getting quite the welcome from families all over the country. First, there was a baby shower in Buffalo, NY for Jen, her mother, her sister and close friends. Second, there was a baby shower at Jen's office held by her co-workers at Google. Third, there was the baby shower for our San Francisco friends and California-based family.

Michelle & Julie did a phenomenal job of planning the event, by finding a gorgeous location in Sausalito known as The Trident. It's a legendary restaurant from the 1960's that has a reputation as a watering hole for some of the biggest bands in history before they became superstars. It's easy to see why the place has a special ambience about it, as the view of San Francisco is something unlike any place you'll find in the entire Bay area.

The view of San Francisco

We had about 20 of our closest friends and family to help us celebrate. With so many busy schedules and out of towners, it was really an honor to have many of the attendees there. John flew into San Francisco for a 24 hour trip to see his kids and grandkids in one place. Julie and her family made their way over from Sacramento with a stay at Alaine's in Berkeley. Michelle drove up from Bakersfield earlier that week, but had an early day the next morning and spent 5 hours on the road after the event.

Alaine & Corey

Boatside views 

Our custom diaper collection

The Connolly clan

 The next picture shows just what the guys in the crowd can bring to a co-ed baby shower. For all of us men, it was our first shower and my sister arranged a little guy's only game for us. Our job was to suck a beer out of a baby bottle and it's certainly not easy. The tiny drip hole doesn't let much get through and it took most of us the better part of 5 minutes to empty the thing.

Guy's Baby Bottle Beer race

Jen's homemade jams

Jen & Cait

Grandpa again soon

So very happy to have such wonderful family and friends to help us celebrate. Thank you all!

Parents to be