Sea World - Beyond the Splash Zone

We love Sea World.

Its a 20 minute drive away. Its just like spending the day at a gorgeous park. Its full of unique experiences every time we visit. Peanut and Tex can't get enough AND both their parents enjoy it just as much - a rare combination in child amusements :-)

We worked out the best season-pass combination for us:
> one adult and Peanut picked up the "Fun Pass" early in the year giving entry through 2008 for the price of a single day
> the other adult upgraded to the "Silver Passport", which includes free parking (otherwise its $10/visit or $12/visit during summer) and discounts on guest passes among other benefits
> little Tex is free until he turns three

We've also scoped out the back-trails and less-known entrances to shows to help avoid the crowds.

This insider info came in handy this past weekend as we sloshed through the massive crowds of vacationeers. We managed to hit all the major shows (Shamu's Believe and the Dolphin Show) and exhibits as well as a "no-line, no-waiting" lunch pit stop and shopping in under four hours!

Here are our favorite Sea World San Diego hints:

1. Buy your passes online - skip the ticket lines and get access to the best-priced deals.
2. Arrive by 10:00 am for great parking and a chance to look around before the Shamu Show.
3. Check the map for Show times.
4. First Shamu Show is almost always at 11:00 am. Get there at least 15 mins before the show.
5. For Shamu - use the back entrance to the stadium. Go around toward Shipwreck Rapids to see it. Plenty of stroller parking, very little foot traffic so you can really get in and out quickly. We usually sit on the sides since the center stage seats are too loud for the kiddos.
6. Dolphin feeding is often right after Shamu so you can go straight there or head for lunch along with most of the park :-)
7. Lunch in the back of the park at Coconut Bay Cafe is a good way to dodge crowds and get a great view of Mission Bay.
8. The Shark exhibit is nearby. You can choose to skip the viewing pool at the entrance as the real view is in the Shark Tunnel underneath.
9. For the Dolphin Show, park your stroller to the LEFT of the entrance where there are less strollers parked and puts you in the right direction to head for the Arctic Adventure. This show is always packed so if you want a seat - get there early! We have also stood at the top and had the children sit on the railing space. The stadium seems to be facing the sun at all show times, so it will be hot and sunny - bring drinks & sunscreen!
10. Risky Rescue show is one we had to leave because it had a mime that terrified both children. Grandy and Nana say its a fun show.
11. The Arctic Adventure is one of our favorites. Similar to the Shark Exhibit, if you are in a hurry, you can walk past the first above water viewing station as the beluga whales are visible later from an underwater station.
12. If possible - bring your own drinks, snacks and food for the kids. Save some money and have it all available when you need it. Though officially not sanctioned, we've never been asked to not bring it in and we've never hidden the fact we have it with us.
13. Oh, and there's free beer samplers at the Anheuser-Busch Hospitality Center -- or so Gandy and Nana tell us :-)
    

Dr Baby Proofer

I first saw "Dr. Baby Proofer" (aka Thom Golden) at the Cry Baby Matinee and then again when he was invited to come meet with our playgroup.

We hadn't done too much baby proofing around our home since we've only recently moved in so there wasn't too much stuff to get out of Peanut's way. We had gotten the plastic outlet covers and installed some latches on a few kitchen cabinets.

Dr. Baby Proofer came in with some surprising info:

• those plastic outlet covers are a chocking hazard and kids can easily pull them out (plus parents often forget to put them back!). Better are the sliding outlet covers.
• cabinet latches that let the cabinet open slightly often cause many little fingers to get hurt and are easily operated by toddlers once they see you use them enough! Best are the Tot Lock magnetic locks.
• wooden baby gates are dangerous & they should never open out over a staircase lest a little one open it and topple down the stairs
• no bumpers on the crib - EVER - some chance of strangulation or even suffocation or possible link to SIDS
• infant seats in cars should be used with the handle locked in the down position
• He highly recommended avoiding the "Safety First" brand for all baby proofing products EXCEPT for the Tot Lock magnet locking system for cabinets.
• Care givers (ie, anyone but mom & dad) need an authorization letter signed by you if they need to take your baby to the emergency room. Otherwise, the hospital is legally prevented from taking any action until it becomes a matter of life or death. This seems insane, but is evidently the way it is. Keep a copy of the letter in your diaper bag and in a visible place at home.
  

His main point was that accidents always happen in the blink of an eye, when you turn your back for just a second -- baby proofing gear is not there to prevent it, simply to give you a few extra seconds to find out what's going on and to personally stop your baby.

Dr. Baby Proofer is happy to come to your home to make recommendations on how to best baby proof your home -- and he'll sell you the gear to do it!

Phone: 972-380-1116

What's your sign, baby?

A story on NPR this morning highlighted the trend in the US for more parents using sign language to communicate with their pre-verbal ones. Its a frustrating time for parents and children when the babies reach an age that they try to communicate needs and wants, but simply can't. Evidently, children learn more hand gestures and movements much earlier than how to make the mouth, tongue, vocal chords coordinate to make words.

I can see us approaching that stage with Peanut, too.

At Gymboree, where we go to play once a week, there are also baby sign classes that start as early as just a few months old! And, here in Coppell, the local Kindermusik also teaches a baby sign class.

Peanut & I went to a preview of the Korner Kottage Kindermusik class one day at the library. We went through a mini-lesson which included learning signs for 'the bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.' Not very useful. However, useful were 'its time to clean-up' and 'jumping' and 'stop'. Ideas like 'please' and 'thank you' seemed a bit too abstract for me when we still haven't mastered 'milk' or 'sleep'. The instructor made several claims about the benefits of baby sign that I also found difficult to believe:

• raise child's IQ !! (how on earth would you know?!)
• learn words faster - a signing baby has vocab of 20 or more signs at 12 mos

Maybe....even ABC News had a story supporting the higher IQ theory....

Alex is one of 140 sign language babies followed by researchers for the past 16 years as part of a long-term study on the effects of signing with babies.

These days, Alex is an A student who is outgoing and involved in athletics. Acredolo says children like Alex, who've learned sign language at an early age, seem to be high achievers.

Acredolo says when these children had their IQs tested at 8 years old, they scored an average of 12 points higher than the control group. She says the same children also achieved higher-than-average scores on their SATs.

Though we haven't followed 'real' baby signs, we do have a few of our own around the house with Peanut. One of the most effective ones has been rubbing her palms together at the table to let us know when she is done eating. We also have signs for brushing teeth ( imitation of tooth brush on teeth) and water (action like bringing cup to mouth).

Here are the official signs based on American Sign Language for many toddler interesting words! And a link to Baby Signs with plenty of other resources.

Is your baby a Baby Einstein?

Sure, we all secretly (and some not so secretly) think our own babies are geniuses. And, they all are, aren't they :-)

I've thought alot about the Baby Einstein phenomena during this first year of Peanut's life though we have never owned a BE DVD. In Finland, they did not exist so they didn't really even enter as a possibility until we moved to Texas. By that point, however, I had decided to try and keep the TV off at home during the day. Now, we've lived the first year without having TV viewing as part of our daily routine so its very natural for us to not even think of watching it or having Peanut watch it as a distraction.

Here it seems EVERYONE has and watches BE - they get them as gifts, some buy them, but most parents swear by them: our 4 mo old loves it, our 8 mo old learned baby signs from it, our 12 mo old sings along with it, etc, etc. They buy me time to take a shower, read email, make dinner, etc, etc. I don't know how I would make it through the day without TV....

Since we never had TV in our daily program, Peanut doesn't crave it and I don't even think to turn it on. If I need a few moments of baby-free time, I play some music for her, open a book for her to flip through, dump a pile of blocks on the floor for her to carry to the bathtub and she's just as happy doing those things.

Blogging Baby's post about a Child Advocacy group suing BE was very interesting as are the comments left by other readers:

From the Washington Post: A child-advocacy group is petitioning the federal government to bar the Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby Companies from promoting their products as "educational and beneficial to child development." The group, The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, says that claims made by the two companies that their videos "foster toddler's speech and language skills," and otherwise enhance childhood learning are deceptive, since there's no proof, and in fact, television watching "could adversely affect cognitive development if it replaces creative play and interaction with a child's parents and surroundings."

Further Comments on baby consumerism:
I'm not sure that I agree with the ban, but in general I have found the Center to be an excellent source of information about the adverse effects of marketing on children. Have any of you read books such as Juliet Schor's "Born to Buy"? Unfortunately there is ahuge push for cradle-to-grave brand loyalty. Children as young as 6 months have been proven to recognize icons like Elmo, and 18 month-olds can correctly identify brands. It sounds innocuous enough on the surface, but when you start thinking of all the character tie-ins (Thomas the Tank Engine underwear, Dora soups, etc.) it becomes weirdly obvious what is going on in conjunction with your nice, educational programming.

One, two, three - een, twee, drie - yksi, kaksi, kolme

With our various backgrounds we want Peanut to feel comfortable in our home cultures and languages so we had decided to raise her bilingual in English (our "speak to each other" home language) and Dutch (speak with papa and his family). While we lived in Helsinki, the thought was that she would then pick-up Finnish from the environment and when she started daycare.

Then, we moved to Dallas and life has been a whirlwind of activity since. Only recently have we started discussing adding Finnish back into her little life.

By chance, we are surrounded by many opportunities to make it naturally part of her language exposure. Peanut & I occassionally make it to the Mamma-kerho meetings and playgroups with other Finnish moms & kiddies. Our home is a stone's throw away from a number of playparks frequented by the same. And, the Suomi-Koulu of Texas has a baby class we could join. And, of course, Peanut's mama is at home with her and could add Finnish there.

There are many resources out there telling us we can do it and Peanut can do it. Now, we are just sorting out what's the right way for us.

Anyone else out there have experiences or advice to share??

Jabberlingual
Bicultural/Bilingual Families
Babycenter Multilingual BB

Get yourself some library storytime!

Peanut and I have been enjoying the Baby & Me Storytime at the Coppell public library. Its a free session though requires advance sign-up. During the six week session we sing the same selection of songs so that babies become familiar with them. There are also quick readings of children's books interspersed into the songs.

Baby and Me Storytime - - specifically designed to promote parent/caregiver interaction with baby through finger plays, songs, rhymes and stories to share the love of language and further baby's development. This is a one-on-one program that is designed for children who are not yet walking.

Peanut LOVES itsy-bitsy spider, she even has her own little hand signal for it: she pokes her pointer finger into the palm of her other hand. She does this whenever I say the words 'itsy-bitsy spider' or when she hears the version of the song we have on an English and Dutch children's CD. Its amazing!!

Storytime is also great for just getting us to the library to check out some books.

Many local libraries host similar sessions -- highly recommeneded!!

Watch out-- Scoundrel of a landlord!!!

This is not a Peanut or baby related post, but I simply want to publicize the questionable practices of our previous landlord in Finland. If anyone knows of a renters organization or agency in Finland where I can report him, pls let me know. I'd like to warn any other potential renters about him.

He rents out his apartment located at Itäranta 3B7 in Tapiola.

here's our version of the story - feel free to contact him for his:
> As we were initally viewing the apartment with an agent from Sunny Trading Oy, we noticed a few items that we said we would like to see improved before renting.
> The agent from Sunny Trading said he had discussed them with the landlord (aka, Mr. T) who was agreeable to painting the apartment and treating the cabinetry in the kitchen.
> When we go over to sign the lease, Mr. T is there and then backtracks on all the improvements. He finally agrees to only paint the kitchen.
> It also happens that the previous tenants are there - a Taiwanese family. We spoke with the man who said 'don't rent here - he doesn't take care of maintainence'. Well, we didn't listen. There was also a dispute going on about some water damage that Mr. T claimed they caused to the wooden floors. The previous tenants said they did not, but were having to pay. There was also an issue about the hallway carpet which Mr. T insisted was given to him by a previous renter, but they claimed they bought. I was translating this between them so I know.

So, we were a bit trepidatious. As we moved in, we had Mr. T come over so we could put in writing any existing damages. Instead of giving him a cash deposit, we made a Takuvakuutus with Pohjola insurance. It is essentially there to protect the landlord in case we failed to pay our rent or there were damages when we moved out. Pohjola would be the mediator and pay out damages.

In the meantime....
> We had to purchase our own doorbell (he claims its up to the tenant) = 20 EUR
> The outlet in the bathroom blew - he came over scraped off the singed parts. It didn't have a flip cover which is actually required of all 'wet-room' outlets so Peanut's dad replaced it for our own safety = 20 EUR + LABOR.
> We placed mosquitoe netting in the bedroom window = minimal EUR + labor.
> We added a multisocket outlet to the kitchen = 20 EUR + labor.
> We gave him two other multisocket strip cords as we couldn't take them with us when we moved = 40 EUR.


As it happens, our move to Dallas came up two months after we moved in! We knew the lease had an 'early move out' penalty clause, so I called him right away in July. We didn't yet know the date because it depended on Peanut's Dad's visa application.

We didn't get a confirmed move date until 2 weeks before it was scheduled at the end of Sept. So, I called Mr.T who immediately said we'd owe him the next month's rent + the early move out penalty (approx a month in rent). A hefty to sum which we paid in full.

On our last day there, we did a final walk through with Mr.T. Checked the condition of all rooms carefully. Agreed that everything was satisfactory and that he would mail in the form to Pohjola ending the Takuvakuutus. We shook hands on it.

Well, I emailed Pohjola the other day to make sure all was in order.

It wasn't. They said he had not yet returned the form (its now DECEMBER) and verbally made claims for water damage and cleaning.

UN-freakin-Beliveable!!! Its still an ongoing discussion, but I'm outraged. This man is as stingy as they come. He has not made any improvements to his apartment and apparently will not - fine - that's his right. But, to try and squeeze extra pennies out of every renter with these flimsy claims is disgusting.

Birth Preparation - in English

When I was looking last fall, I found the following:

> my neuvola (Kallio) had information about an English language class held 2x year. it was hosted by a kätilö from the herttoniemi neuvola.

> we ended up going to a class held by the Työväenopisto in Tapiola. It was run by a kätilö from the kätilöopisto (who also happened to be present when our baby was actually born ) and cost about 20 EUR. But, I didn't find the classes terribly useful. It wasn't a 'birth preparation' in the lamaze sense. It was three 2 hr classes about 1) what happens during pregnancy 2)what happens in labor, signs of labor, when to go the hospital, video about a birth 3) how to wash, feed, clothe baby. It was interesting just to review these things together with dad, but no real information that I couldn't find in a book or on a website.

baby sitters, support, answers and more - the MLL

The Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliitto is a non-profit organization which provides oodles of resources and help for families with children. Admittedly most of the website is in Finnish.

I haven't yet used them myself, but have heard they are also a reliable and affordable option for babysitters and child minders who are certified by the MLL. The cost is a very reasonable 4.20 EUR/hour.

Bid your way to cheap baby gear

The local e-Bay is called Huuto.net and features a Children's section chock full of furniture, clothes and various other baby gear.

I was cruising through the listings last night and saw plenty of bargains - especially in the baby clothes section. Many times a package is offered that can include 50 pieces of clothing. Much of it looked to be in good condition and the prices were very reasonable.

A few quirky items found their way to the site as well:
> 20 diapers -- ??
> 10 Libero diaper proofs of purchase - ??!! - OK, you can collect them and send them in for a free spoon, but ??
> coupons to Citymarket for discounts on diapers
> issues of Vauva magazine

We have used Huuto.net to sell items in the past and have been very pleased with it. Often the buyer pays the shipping costs. We send the packages COD via Posti and the buyer pays the amount to Posti who transfers to our bank account before releasing the package.

Basics in a Nutshell

Here is a link to an excellent booklet covering the basic facts about having a baby in Finland!

My favorite page was the one with a picture of how much clothing to put on baby in what temperature - always a challenge for me!

The guide "Having Children in Finland" is available in the following languages:
English, Finnish, Albanian, Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi, Swedish, Serb Croat.

Registering Baby -- makes her a consumer, too!

All Finnish babies receive a social security number at birth. We didn't even have to do anything - we found out Peanut's social even before we left the hospital.

The maternity hospitals are required to report all births to the National Population Registry (Väestörekisteri) within 24 hours of their birth. The Registry then generates the number and registers the baby with the appropriate Magistrate (Maistraati) and if the mother is a member of the Luthern or Orthodox church, then also with their local church. The first part is the same for all babies - it consists of the birth day, month and year. This is followed by a letter and then a three digit number and letter which are unique for every individual. This number is extremely important in Finland as its your national identification which is used to identify you for virtually everything throughout your life in Finland.

Within a week, a form is sent to your home with the details. This is also the form you use to register the child's name, mother tongue and to register her with the church once christened. The mother tongue selection plays a role later when baby starts school as every child is entitled to a certain amount of education in her mother tongue.

Companies also take advantage of discovering new little consumers in the National Population Registery where they can evidently buy mailing lists of newborns' mothers. In the past few weeks we've recieved several offers in the mail for subscriptions to baby book clubs, the Libero diaper club (which we joined -- bring on the diaper discounts!!!) and Super K-Market baby club (which we also joined -- again, awaiting discount coupons). I suspect there will be more offers dropping through our mailslot in the coming weeks.

I personally don't mind the chance to join these baby clubs. As a first time mom, I read almost everything and anything about newborns often picking up hints and tidbits of information. Especially being away from home, I find alot of information in printed materials in Finland. And, as mentioned above, discounts and free samples always welcome. Sometimes I have found the consumer marketing environment in Finland under developed as compared to the US and am pleased to see this sector works. When marketing is appropriately targeted and useful, its doing its intended work - informing and often leading to trial and purchase.

Some other free baby clubs - several offering free webpages for you to post your own baby pics, etc:
www.piltti.fi (baby food company)
www.ainu.fi (can order baby care pamphlets)
www.pampers.fi (diapers)
www.pirkka.fi for the Napero Club -a benefit for Plussa card holders

Where to buy

Here's a list of stores selling maternity and baby clothing, equipment, etc.

Our favorites:
Lastentarvike - a chain with stores across Finland. Their mega-store, I believe the largest in Finland, is in Petikko outside of Helsinki
Lindex - a low price store with limited maternity wear and underwear as well as good selection of baby clothes similar to a Target in the US
H&M - has the affordable MaMa line for expectant mothers and also makes mini-sized fashion outfits for baby
Kappahl - expansive baby wear department
IKEA - offers baby furniture, linens, toys and more
Stockmann - of course!
KKKK Supermarkets - diapers, baby clothes, bath tubs, baby wipes, toys, stollers, etc
Etola - toys, toys, toys as well as all sorts of equipment made of plastic (bathtubs, potties, plates, etc)


Some boutiques I've visited (with prices to match!)
Belua in Helsinki (also sells the HugaBub baby wrap)
bebes in Helsinki baby and maternity clothing, books, lotions etc, gifts
Nelliina in Tapiola gifts, photo frames, nursery decor
BamBami in Kämp Galleria a Dutch chain - strollers, car seats, clothing, furniture, gifts


Others:
Seimi designer baby furniture
Embia in Lahti clothing, cloth diapers
Pikku Eero sleepsacks, baby wraps, clothing
Pikku Kenguru with several locations furniture, nursery decor, clothing, gifts
Missy Mom
Lasten Verkkopuoti
Pikku Prinssi
Pikku Selma
Pehmo Peput nursing wear, baby wraps, cloth diapers
Jutta natural clothing, baby swim gear, cloth diapers
Lastenturva mega store in Varisto (Vantaa) - baby carriages, etc
Vaavisänky rental baby beds
Vauvatalo Johanna baby stollers, beds, car seats and more
Pienet Ihmiset
Kulta Pieni sleep sacks, baby wraps, cloth diapers, clothing, toys
Liinameri baby wraps, cloth diapers, nursing pillows
Vauva Buumi baby wraps, backpack carriers, cloth diapers
Me & Mama cloth diapers, baby wraps, natural fabrics, maternity wear, toys, baby care products
Vauvatar online shop with baby carriages, stollers, jogger strollers, car seats, feeding chairs, beds, etc
Suomen Lastenvaunutukku wholesaler of baby carriages/stollers featuring some brands out of the ordinary - Koelstra (Dutch), Quinny (Dutch), Princess (German), ABC Design (German), Haberkorn (Austrian), NeoNato (Italian)

Thumb vs Pacifier!

Like most issues in raising a baby, this one has strong advocates for both sides of the debate.

Our little Peanut has recently discovered her own thumb and is surprisingly adept at getting it into her mouth. While a relief to her parents that she can now soothe herself wherever and whenever without our assistance, I admit images of her as a 6 year old sucking her thumb are disturbing. But, what to do? Should we let her suck her thumb ? Do we just pop it out? Do we replace it with a pacifier?

Most childcare resources agree that babies simply have a strong need to suck beyond what they have to do for feeding. Its soothing for them. How that need is satisfied is the question. It could be at mom's breast (though the idea of having her hang on to me for hours seems not only painful, but rather inconvenient), with a pacifier or with her own hand/fingers/thumb.

When I asked at the Neuvola what they thought was best I was told that pacifier rather than thumb. I feel as if I see more pacifiers in use here than in the US. Admittedly, we've used a pacifier since the early weeks to help her fall asleep or if we're in the car. The challenge at night has been when the pacifier falls out - mom or dad have to drag themselves out of bed to re-insert. But, there are also those that think that using a pacifier is 'lazy parenting' meaning parents should seek to soothe their babies in some other way.

But, now, Peanut clearly prefers her own thumb to the pacifier. I've also found several advocates of the thumb who claim its a habit that disappears well before school age. So, for the time being we're happy to let her suck her thumb since it only happens when she's tired and readying herself for sleep or when she's very hungry and that's a problem mom can easily solve!


www.babycenter.com under Ask the Experts has some advice as well.

Also at www.askdrsears.com

Baby advice to get you started

During our two day post partum hospital stay, the nurses and midwives made sure we were ready to face the world as parents.

Some of the advice we received:
> if you're breastfeeding- which it is almost assumed that you will -
- you can eat whatever you like - just do it in moderation and take care to see if anything gives the baby a reaction.
- demand feed your baby. Baby knows when she is hungry and will let you know.
- don't let the baby sleep through a feeding. Even at night you should wake the baby up if she's slept more than 4 hours.
- if you have an oversupply of milk, you can donate to the hospital's 'Milk Bank' that's used for babies whose mothers' can't feed them.

> Bathe the baby only after the umbilical cord stump falls off.

> Baby should go outside only after the two week visit by the midwife to your home. Then for 15 minutes for the first time and 30 mins the second time, etc.

> Baby can easily be carried around if you hook your thumb under its armpit and put her in the crook of your arm.

> This is also the ideal position to hold her when you rinse her between diapers. By rinse, I mean taking baby to the bathroom sink to clean her bum after a dirty diaper. Here we just splash water on her rather than using diaper wipes.

> Baby should wear about the same amount of clothing as you. Except, when you take her out. Don't overbundle,but dress according to what you would wear outside if you were just sitting in the elements. It was recommended that we use an outsuit until the outside temp is at least 20 C.

> be careful not to let baby overheat in the pram, especially during summer. It can get quite warm - put a themometer in there one day just to see for yourself.

If you've got more baby starter advice - pls post a comment!

Peanut's First Bed -- a cardboard box

Finland offers a very unique service for mothers-to-be in the form of a 'baby package' from the national social services (known as KELA). There is an option for all expecting mothers to chose a monetary grant of 140 EUR from the State intended to help them buy the basic baby neccessities OR you can select the 'baby package'. Most first time mothers opt for the baby package and its arrival is an eagerly anticipated part of pregnancy.

Packed with goodies galore....
In order to qualify for the baby package or the monetary benefit, mothers must have had a prenatal exam at their local health center, their pregnancy must have reached 154 days and they must submit the required forms to KELA. Once sent in, the wait begins.

When the notice finally arrives that your baby package is ready to be picked up at the post office there is still a few final moments of speculation - did I get last year's package or am I part of the group to get the 2005 package?! It makes all the difference when other new mothers spot you on the street.

When I picked my package up -- it was a 2004 model -- I was surprised at how large the carton actually was. Measuring about 70 cm x 45 cm it contained a mountain of baby starter gear. The contents of the box are carefully reviewed and selected by a panel of childcare professionals each year to provide baby with the bare neccessities for the early days. Since Peanut was our first baby, I was looking for guidance on what kind of clothing she would really need and was confident the baby package would enlighten us.

What we found in the box was a number of little baby outfits from pjs to a warm outerwear suit designed for Nordic winters; sample packs of diapers; baby's first nail scissors & hairbrush; blankets, sheets & a comforter; and even a few toys such as a rattle and a book of nursery songs. But, what was more unexpected were a few gifts for mom and dad: some sanitary pads and a package of condoms :-) There were also a number of booklets on breastfeeding, making your own baby food and general childcare. All in all a real treasure trove worth much more than the monetary benefit.

There has been some debate in the local paper about how unstylish the clothing is. I have to agree, it ain't very pretty stuff. Its all designed to be unisex and practical. The 2004 package had evidently chosen lime green as one of its theme colors. Some would argue - lime green - that's one of the hot spring colors this year. Yet, in the clothing it comes off as more discount store knock-off than top designer wear. The other side of the debate argues that today's generations are becoming too style conscious and should appreciate this package for its sturdy, practical items ensuring that every Finnish baby has the basics. And, fashion has nothing to do with that.

Once you make the decision to have your baby wear any of the clothing from the box - you are outwardly indicating your 'class year'. As I walk down the street and catch a glimpse of another lightblue/lime green outdoor suit on a baby, I know they are part of the 2004 alma mater.

I haven't yet decided if Peanut will wear the KELA outfits in public or its something we keep on inside the house.

... and its a bed!
And, the box itself converts into baby's first bed! At first the idea seemed really outrageous -- what, put my baby to sleep in a cardboard box??!! But, yes, it makes sense. When our little bundle came home from the hospital she was so small compared to the baby crib we had bought her - she was completely floating in the middle of giant mattress with nothing around her. We decided to put the KELA box inside her crib. Since the box comes with its own custom sized mattress, it was easy to make the sheets and blankets fit inside. Peanut has been sleeping comfortable in her box and I believe has felt more secure in the smaller space.

She's now nearly 4 weeks old and we often hear her little fists tap against the sides of the box as she changes positions and shifts from one side of the box to the other. One of her favorite sleeping positions has been to squirm her way up so that her head is solidly pushed against the top of the box. Economically, we saved money on not buying a Moses' crib or other baby-sized cot which we'd be looking at putting it away.

in a few weeks, she'll outgrow her "first bed", but until then, I'll appreciate the easy mobility of it and she'll continue to enjoy the comfy cozy space. And, they we'll use it start storing all those newborn outfits she has also outgrown.

For the 2005 package contents, see KELA's website at http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/suomi.nsf/NET/100502155308EH?openDocument

Where to find advice - books, websites and more

Though it seems one thing that is not in short supply during pregnancy is ADVICE, I've tried to collect a broad range of resources for myself. There are so many different philosophies and approaches to every topic, I've enjoyed having a variety of opinions to chose from depending on the situation. Plus, I've found that my local health center (Neuvola) has not provided much details unless I've specifically asked, I think I would have been very much in the dark without my own "library".

In general, I'd describe the Finnish approach employed by the midwives and doctors I've seen is that pregnancy is a very natural process that usually progressives without serious medical incidents. I've felt confident that solid medical practices are employed, but only to the degree they are needed. I haven't felt over-tested or treated. We chose to use the public health care system, rather than private clinics (except when we wanted to find out Peanut's gender!).

My bookshelf holds:
(Rated on my scale of 1 -5 with 5 being an absolute must - though I wouldn't recommend using just any single book)

Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Dr. Glad B Curtis & Judith Schuler
RATED: 3
A practical, US-take on the weekly progress in pregnancy along with all sorts of possible dangers and missteps. I liked the weekly pictures of what the fetus looks like, how it was developing and what was most likely happening to my body! Though I felt there was a little too much focus on all the 'what might go wrong' topics. For first timers, its a good guide.

Planning Your Pregnancy and Birth by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
RATED: 4
A bit more like a textbook, it is clearly written in straight-forward language. Also contains some useful checklists and a more medical view on pregnancy related procedures that were helpful in understanding what was happening and what questions I should be asking. Nearly half the book is dedicated to 'what to do once you get home with baby!' - a section with details on how to change diapers and bathing. I'm sure we'll be looking at this again.

The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
RATED: 5
An invaluable part of my collection because it brought in a view that was more 'natural childbirth' than the others. At first, I found the book too graphic and 'earth-mother like', but as the pregnancy has progressed, I've learned to appreciate its straightforward approach and alternate view. Again, very useful in reminding me what are the options and what questions to ask. It also covers several non-medicinal approaches to pain relief during labor and delivery.

The Rough Guide to Pregnancy and Birth by Kaz Cooke
RATED: 3
This is a week by week diary of a 30 something in the UK covering what's happening each week along with sometimes amusing descriptions of her own reactions and incidents. It had a couple of good checklists and a UK-view on aliments and events.

What to Expect When You're Expecting by Eisenberg, Murkoff and Hathaway
RATED: 4
The classic, month-by-month pregnancy guide. On occassion it brought in information that I didn't find in the others. I know its been bashed by many, but I enjoyed it and found good info in it.

Journey into Parenthood by the Hospital of St. John & St. Elizabeth in London
RATED: 2.5
The guide provided by this birth unit in the UK hospital which encourages natural childbirth and active labor. I found it a rather scattershot approach with bits of good info hidden here & there. Personally, I skipped the chapters on such as 'getting in touch with your inner child".

We're Having a Baby by Stakes (the Finnish Nat'l Research & Development Center for Welfare & Health)
RATED: 2
The freebie, light weight phamplet from my local health center, this was mostly useful for understanding various benefits and for translating key words from Finnish to English.

Though bought for Peanut's dad - I also enjoyed reading through
The Expectant Father by Armin A Brott & Jennifer Ash
RATED: 2
A month-by-month guide for father's about what's happening - especially to their partners.

The New Father - A Dad's Guide to the First Year by Armin Brott
RATED: 2
Same concept as above with large focus on the first week and month.

Additionally, there are plenty of virtual guides. A few websites I regularly visited:
www.babycenter.com
Provides a weekly e-newsletter and plenty of bulletin boards and expert Q&As

www.kaksplus.fi
in Finnish with lively bulletin boards

www.vauva-lehti.fi
another local bulletin board tied to baby publications

And - extremely valuable advice from many, many friends who are mothers around the world - in Helsinki, in New York, in Rock Hill, in Florida, in Fredericksburg, in Toronto, among others!

If you have more advice or comments on any of the resources, I've listed - I'd love to hear about it - make a comment!