The BEST kind of festival

Tex -- who loves to eat above all -- must have thought that an International Food Festival is the best kind of event ever!!! Booth after booth of food! More food! and more food!



We are here just to EAT!!!



On Sunday the International Houses of Balboa Park had their annual food fest and we happily strolled among the tents.



Hungary seemed to pop up on every corner -- the hot dishes here, a few tents down - desserts, at their house - a whole patio full and as we walked by they were bringing out a portable table of more sweets. So, how could we not try something? The Langos bread topped with cheese, sour cream and melted garlic butter went fast. Everyone kept trying to grab another bite. Papa & Tex stayed behind to savor a sausage roll while Peanut & I went for a bathroom break.



Palestine and Lebanon offered delicious shawarma. We picked up some empanadas Argentina to see what Dora the Explorer eats at her abuela's luncheon.

While Tex hungarily glupped down anything offered, Peanut soon decided she just wanted a hamburger. Luckily, the America House was nearby. They didn't have hamburgers, but a hot dog made an acceptable substitute.



We saved some space for dessert from the House of Finland -- freshly made lettu (pancakes) with whipped cream and strawberries. Peanut wanted to go back for a second round of desserts so we picked up some pulla and other pasteries. The House of Finland organizes a number of annual events and the hostesses were all keen to tell us about the upcoming Juhannus festivities at Mission Beach. While the group can't sleep out on the beach, they promised a bonfire and plenty of action into the night.

"What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?" WSJ Asks

From today's Wall Street Journal, a story about how Finnish high school students rated among the most intelligent according to a recent PISA assessment test.

US delegations to Finnish schools wondered how schools without tons of homework, gifted programs or uniforms manage to produce such results. And, more pertinent to the toddler-set I hang out with, how does it happen in country where children don't even start school until age 7!

Virtually all the preschools we toured in the San Diego area we live in touted their curriculum-based approaches -- even for babies like Tex with topics like 'socks' for a week. They all talked about how their students learn letters, numbers and other such skills in the 2 - 3 year olds classes.

Most of the Finnish mamas I've met in my time in Dallas, Boston and here are very laid back in that sense. They DON'T want to start teaching their toddlers these things. Certainly, its OK if they pick it up, but there is no pressure and they don't seek out schooling based on that criteria.

My feeling is that Peanut and Tex have plenty of years of formal schooling ahead of them, no need to spoil it now. Then again, I spent time to teach Peanut her colors, shapes and many letters because she seems to enjoy it. We don't do flashcards or anything like that. Mostly they come up as we are doing arts and crafts, doodling or reading. Peanut puts the words to use daily as she now has many ways to describe and ask about the world. In picking out a preschool for her, I look for one that offers more time for play than sitting in circles or filling in worksheets.

Tex, I suspect, may not have the patiences Peanut expressed for sitting and quietly exploring these concepts. So, with him, we'll take another approach.

Little Pearly Whites

In tune with National Children's Dental Month, our Finnish playgroup recently had a discussion about the use of xylitol for children to help prevent cavaties and ear infections.

Xylitol, a natural sugar extracted from the birch tree and other sources, has been used in Finland for many years - most popularily in the Jenkki-brand gum. I remember as a child chewing Jenkki and even stuffing our suitcases with it when we visited Finland during the summers. I never wondered why my mom encouraged us to chew it, but now I see.

In Finland, xylitol's ability to impede the development of bacteria which cause cavaties is well known. As a result, children receive xylitol mints or chewing gum in childcare centers after meals. Local Finnish mom's here found it funny that when they sent xylitol in their children's lunch packs, the teachers either objected to the "candy" or refused to make sure that the child ate it at the end of the meal when its most effective.

Its important, however, to use 100% xylitol products to gain the beneficial effects. For example, Trident gum touts xylitol on its packaging, but its just one of many sweetners in the product, some which actual can cause cavaties.

I wish I would have been aware of xylitol's ability to ward off ear infections! A link has been established between pregnant mother's using xylitol and a decreased incidence of ear infections. Even if you missed that chance, xylitol's natural antibiotic property can even help with ear infections in children.

A quick search online, brings up several web-shops that sell xylitol products in the US:

Zellies - where I ordered a batch of mints and gum from. Peanut's been a big fan of the fruit-flavored mints and often requests the mint herself after meals.

My Xylitol

Another very helpful piece of information, I'm surprised is also not covered is how infants and toddlers first get the bacteria that causes cavities: usually the source is their parents! I recall in Finland, hearing that you should never taste your baby's food off their spoon before feeding them as it passes the cavity-causing bacteria to them.

In fact, infants are born without the bacteria and can be kept cavity free if you can successfully keep them from getting the bacteria by avoiding transmission from family members. So, no sharing utensils, bites of food, toothbrushes, or other materials that could move bacteria from one to another via salvia.

Virtually connected already

Making our move, I have to wonder where would I be without email, google, websites, online forums and the Internet in general. I think I'd be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the postman every day hoping for an answer to a letter I had written weeks ago, trekking around town to find the library and settling in to our new home much more slowly.

Thanks to all those things electronic and digital, I landed in Boston armed with a an email inbox full of hints, pointers and people who could help us find our way around. There's the college friend married to a Harvard Law grad who put in me in touch with many of his school friends -- several who graciously offered to answer my many questions; the Dallas playgroup mom who relocated to Boston with her family a year ago; the Boston friend of a friend who now lives in Helsinki; the local list from Mamasource; the Boston Finns group; the Babycenter board; and the local city websites listing times for library story hour and mapping out the best playgrounds. In less than a week, I feel like I already "know" so much about the area and certainly do not feel so alone even if I haven't yet made many face-to-face connections.

I'll have the Dutch and Finnish culture to go, please!

When you move abroad with children, one of the main concerns of parent's is how to maintain the links back to the home country's culture, customs and language.

There's plenty you can do yourself at home and nothing beats getting back on the native soil, but here are some services that will package up Dutch and Finnish culture and ship it to you:

Wereldschool

The Wereldschool provides teaching programmes for Dutch-speaking children who stay abroad with their parents. From 1948 onwards, when we started, the Wereldschool has grown into an educational facility which is being used on a yearly basis by approximately 1,400 pupils, spread over more than 128 countries.

Online Finnish learning program

Finnish language schools around the world

Project Finland

Thanks for visiting Project Finland, an educational – and fun! – interactive tour of Finland. It’s designed to help kids ages 9-12 experience Finland’s society, culture and environment – and begin exploring how they can make the world a better place.

What's so special about Nokia

Nokia holds a very special place in the Finnish economy: its turnover is higher than that of the Finnish government's budget, it is one of the largest employers in Finland, it is a one-of-a-kind international success story in Finland and Finns regard it as a "Finnish" company even though 90% of Nokia shares are held by investors outside of the country.

Its the question of Nokia's nationality and loyalties that often puts it in the hot seat in Finland. The very unionized nature of business in Finland calls the company and management to account in ways that most employed by US companies probably find baffling.

Most recently in the international edition of the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper:

Year after year it has been said that such success cannot continue, and whenever Nokia's result has taken a dip, the scare has been accompanied by something resembling triumph: "so now it starts going downhill". And yet, in January Nokia showed that it is able to turn the impossible into the possible. Although the average price of its products declined, and although pressure on the margins grew, the company's gross margin also grew. This means that after manufacturing costs, the company was again left with more money for product development, marketing, and distribution of profits.
However, at the same time, the head shop steward of the Nokia subcontractor Perlos is forced to hold talks on behalf of his fellow employees, which is to result in the closing of Perlos factories in Finland...
Nokia's success and the anguish of its subcontractors raises unpleasant questions. How is it possible to be the most successful in the world, and at the same time to leave thousands of fellow workers to fend for themselves? What is Nokia's responsibility for its subcontractors?
...
Workers employed by Nokia subcontractors say that Nokia is indifferent toward its roots. Their experience is that the generation that has taken on responsible jobs of planning and management have no country, and that they only serve a multinational money machine. It is the bitter experience of those working in subcontracting that the most important of Finnish values - never to leave one's buddy behind - is no longer a Nokia value.
From inside Nokia it can be said that the company continues to directly employ 24,000 Finns, and that it paid EUR 1.3 billion in taxes last year. The corporate management answers primarily to its owners, and Finns have sold their shares to foreign investors at a good profit. The management of the company is as patriotic as possible.

Another issue evidently aired quite openly in Finland thanks to the union organization was the internal disappointment over the lack of an employee bonus payout even when Nokia announced the strongest performance in the market:

Nokia personnel are expressing annoyance over the introduced cuts to the company's bonus system. Save the top management, all Nokia workers missed out on the so-called Connecting People bonus for the second half of 2006, despite the company's record-breaking fourth quarter result.
"When the result is bad, everyone understands why bonuses are not paid. But when the company delights in the best-ever result and the bonuses are still withheld, that is perplexing to say the least", Nokia shop steward Jukka Kivari explains.

Nokia announces unexpectedly good results for last year
Nokia Press Release - 4Q 2006 and Full year results

ICE, choo-choo trains, kippis with Auntie Em

Auntie Em finally made her way from Denver for a short, pre-Christmas visit with us. Peanut & I picked her up at the airport and decided to start the day at the Gaylord Texan resort to look in on the ICE! show.

We arrived ahead of any crowds and so had plenty of space to shiver in the frigid air. Fortunately, the handed out complimentary parkas and blankets or else we wouldn't have lasted very long. Even with the parkas, we were all wishing for hats, scarves and gloves. Peanut got to stroll in tucked under an extra blanket. I was shocked at how cold it was - after all, they advertise its only 9C. Why that's like spring in Helsinki, I thought, no big deal.....

I wonder if there's any truth to the idea that your blood thins/thickens in response to the climate where you live? I know my body has somehow adapted because really 9C used to be light coat/spring gloves weather to me. Now, my teeth were chattering and I just wanted to get in front of a warm fireplace!

We didn't spend any longer in the ICE show than was necessary to admire the wintery nightscapes and snap some photos.

Out we headed to explore the massive resort centered around its miniature version of the San Antonio Riverwalk and Alamo all decked out for the holidays. Naturally, Santa here is a cowboy and longhorns were more common than reindeer, but Peanut did get her first sightings of railroads and choo-choo trains. They seem to hold universal appeal to toddlers as we could barely pull her away. Only the well-placed and HUGE koi fish in the river around the restaurant tempted her to the lunch table.

Peanut had learned how to toast with the Finnish "kippis" at Thanksgiving and was quick to enjoy the toast with Auntie Em who somehow added a crazy laugh at the end, making it all the more fun!

Pulla time!

Grandma in Florida had made a special request for some 'rae' sugar from Finland last time Peanut's papa went there. 'Rae' sugar is in appearance the sweet equivalent of sea salt and is sprinkled on top of many Finnish sweet breads like 'pulla'. Last time I visited the IKEA food store in Frisco, I noticed that they stock it on their shelves, too.

Since Peanut & I brought the special delivery from Finland to Grandma and figured we should put it to use right away.

It was Peanut's first baking experience! She's been practicing at home with Playdough so I knew she'd be ready to handle making her own pulla rolls.

We pulled up a step-stool to the counter so Peanut could watch what all went into the mixer. She was also in charge of stirring the yeast, milk and eggs. After the requisite time for rising, Peanut was in the middle of the action with Grandma to begin rolling out the individual pullas. I could hardly get into the kitchen, she was so thoroughly in the zone!

Unfortunately for Peanut her bedtime came before the pullas were pulled from the oven. She must have had sweet bread filled dreams as she woke up and the first word from her mouth was 'pulla' (really!). After mama put on her slippers, we headed straight to the kitchen to give her a bite.

While I thought every crumb was delicious, Peanut clearly showed a preference for the 'rae' sugar and chopped almonds on top!

'Tis the season

Not that season yet, but that's no reason not to get into the spirit of things!

Fall is such a fun time in the US. First, here in Texas, the weather cools to wonderful degrees. Then, the holidays begin - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. There's so much to look forward to. Little ones of course make it all that much more fun.

Fall in Finland was more of a time to get serious again after the frolicking of summer. It gets cooler and then cold. It gets darker and then really dark. But, I still enjoyed the opportunity to bring out the candles to warm the rooms with light and the chance to enjoy the gorgeous fall nature.

But, back to gearing up for Halloween! Our neighborhood has been steadily filling up with pumpkins, scarecrows, tombstones, spider webs and other assorted ghouls over the past month. Some more than others. Peanut's a bit afraid of the bigger contraptions saying "no, no, bye-bye" as she desparately looks to her mama & papa to take her further away.

We just went this past weekend to pick up some decor. We were virtually too late! All the shops had shelves stripped clean of their frights and were quickly making way for Christmas tree ornaments.

Watch out though - Peanut's papa is hooking up the fog machine and lining the walk with glowing skulls and jack-o-laterns come next Tuesday!

TV license witchhunts vs. begging for NPR

Which would I rather have -- public humiliation or incessant begging/guilt-tripping to make me pay my part to support non-commercial TV and radio programming? It should really take neither. We should all be responsible and socially-minded enough to voluntarily make a contribution to create educational and entertaining programs. But, we aren't. At least, I'm not. Peanut's papa may be, but, I'm not.

In Finland, there's now a big uproar about TV license fee records being made public so you can see who has and who hasn't paid the TV 'police'. In Finland, if you own a TV, you are required to pay an annual fee/tax than goes to fund the national broadcaster YLE. The license costs 208 EUR a year. I would get so angry everytime we got our quarterly TV fee bill - I didn't like being forced to pay for something we didn't even neccessarily watch or listen to. Or programming we didn't like. Or, it was just a matter of "principle" I liked to rant.

And, the only reason we were paying was because the TV police came to our door one day and I stupidly opened it. Yes, there really are TV police - OK, license inspectors - who go door to door to investigate if people have a TV and if yes, are you registered and paying your tax. See, doesn't that idea get your blood boiling!?

Now, in Dallas, where I consume loads of programming from National Public Radio (NPR), I feel good that we support them. We choose to. We give them an amount we think is appropriate and we can afford.

But, thank goodness our local NPR affiliate, KERA, was able to wrap up its fall fund raising early. At first it drives me crazy that the programming is cut short to let the announcers ask for money, beg for money, give oodles of reasons why people should call in and pledge. The, after a while, I begin to take pity on them. Its amazing programming and they have virtually plead that their audience toss a few coins their way to keep them on the air. They guilt listeners. They shame them. And, eventually, the reach their pledge drive goal and we are free for another season.

There must be a third way.....

Congrats you're having a baby - here's your promo bag!

On our very first prenatal visit for Tex here in Dallas, we met with the dr in his office after the sonogram confirmed a little heartbeat.

On his desk was a large plastic bag that looked to be packed full of papers and samples. I thought to myself a drug company rep must've dropped off the latest goodies for the dr while he was out.

It turned out the bag was for us! It was brimming with coupons, free magazine samples, prenatal vitamin samples and other booklets and papers telling us all about what's out there for baby.

Now, I, like most people, enjoy getting a bag full of free stuff :-) Especially when its appropriately targeted.

What was interesting was the amount of ad space dedicated to the formula vendors. The bag was sponsored by Infamil and carried several marketing pieces about baby forumulas. I noticed that in UK, for example, all infant formula ads have to marked with a notice that highlights that breastfeeding is the most complete nourishment for a baby up to 6 mos. Here in the US, there is no such requirement. Our bag also had mail-in cards to sign-up for the formula clubs promising formula coupons, free toys, a free diaper bag, free formula samples and more, more, more. Who can resit?
Enfamil Family Beginnings

I also got free issues of American Baby (sign up online for free subscription), Fit Pregnancy (the swimsuit issue), Baby Talk (another free subscription available online) and Women's Health and Fitness. (Where was my sample of Cookie!!??) I flipped through all of them when I was feeling queasy in the early days and now often go back to look for decorating ideas, find out what all is available in baby strollers and to cut out pictures of infants for Peanut's photo book.

There were coupons and product brochures from Baby Depot, Babies R Us and a local guide to what's what for babies in the metroplex. All complete with lists of 'must have' items for baby -- some over the top, but I know I would have appreciated the ideas for my first baby. And, there sure is a ton of gear, clothing and what nots that you can pile up if you want.

One of my favorite pieces is the "as your baby grows - from conception to birth" magazine. It has the most amazing photos from inside the womb of how a baby develops. Incredible color images of this tiny miracle! The photos are from a book called A Child is Born.

In contrast to all this, in Finland, I didn't see a piece of promo materials until I received my KELA box. In it were some free diapers, baby lotions and condoms. No coupons. At the hospital they had also tucked away, out of sight, on a shelf some small purple bags from the diaper brand, Libero. I just happened to overhear a nurse answer another mom that yes, you can pick one up if you want to, you don't have to.... Never anywhere were there any materials promoting formula.

Also, once Peanut was born and registered in the national population registry, we received some promotional mail at our home for her.

Take two and call me in the morning

I've noticed a different attitude towards pregnant women and medications here in the US as compared to the advice I received from my midwife in Finland. In both countries, there are those who believe nothing is truly safe to take during pregnancy. However, I think everything that is considered OK is fine in moderation. I've popped a few Tylenol over the past few weeks to ease a powerful headache and lower my fever so I could sleep. I see it always a question of balance -- which outweighs the other: the medications questionable harmful effect or the benefit from the comfort of it (ie, make it possible to rest or eat).

What medications are safe to take during pregnancy - OTC
Here in the US, at my first prenatal visit my doctor gave me a sheet with a list of safe to take over-the-counter medications:

• Tylenol or Extra strength Tylenol (ie, acetaminophen) for minor aches, pains and fevers. NOT aspirin or ibuprofen unless approved by dr.
• Sudafed or Robitussin for cough. Robitussin DM for cough suppression.
• Benedryl for allergies
• Mylanta, Maalox, Riopan, Tums for upset stomach and heartburn.
• Milk of Magnesia for occasional constipation.
  

My midwife in Finland only made suggestions when I asked about a specific symptom. I suppose the list in the US is because the volume of patients is much higher so they want to cover all the basics for everyone without having to field all those phone calls.

• Panadol (paracetamol) was OK for aches, pains and fevers
• Renni for upset stomachs and heartburn.
• But she didn't like the idea of taking anything for allergies and even suggested avoiding the anti-histamine eye drops I used during summer.
  

Morning Sickness medications
I was fortunate not have any morning sickness with Peanut so I don't really know what the stance is toward morning sickness medications in Finland. I did have a dear colleague (Hi K.S.!) who suffered immensely for many weeks with powerful morning sickness and she never mentioned any medications.

The info packet my doctor in the US gave me states there are no medications for morning sickness, yet I know of several moms here who have taken various pills to help alleviate the nausea and vomiting.

Flu Shots
Its that time of year again. My US doctor told me at the last visit their office usually gets a supply of flu vaccinations for pregnant mothers and it is a recommended shot. He said I can get it elsewhere, but just to make sure its not a live virus.

My midwife in Finland was opposed to me getting a flu shot during pregnancy.

The flu shot seems to cause a large amout of debate over the thimerosal (a preservative which contains mercury) it contains, its general effectiveness and belief that it can actually cause the flu.

From what I've read, here's the scoop:
Thimerosal - Yes, its in there in most vaccines, but in trace amounts, says the CDC:

Is it safe for pregnant women to receive an influenza vaccine that contains thimerosal?
Yes. A study of influenza vaccination examining over 2,000 pregnant women demonstrated no adverse fetal effects associated with influenza vaccine. Case reports and limited studies indicate that pregnancy can increase the risk for serious medical complications of influenza. One study found that out of every 10,000 women in their third trimester of pregnancy during an average flu season, 25 will be hospitalized for flu related complications.

General Effectiveness - that is, will the vaccination prevent you from getting the flu?
Not entirely. There are hundreds of strains of the flu virus each year and the vaccination is made to prevent what is guessimated to be the most widely spread. This years vaccine actually contains three strains.

The CDC claims:
With the flu shot, when the "match" between vaccine and circulating strains is close, the vaccine prevents influenza in about 70%-90% of healthy persons younger than age 65 years.

Can you get sick from the vaccine?
Its a killed virus so its not possible to become infected by the shot itself. Any illness that you get after the vaccination is coincidental.

Checking in on Tex

I've just had my third prenatal visit for Tex this week.

To catch up, at the second visit, which was around week 12, the nurse met us for the usual weight, blood pressure and urine check before we saw the doctor. This time we also had an ultrasound to make sure Tex's growth rate was on track. There was some confusion between the nurse and doctor so we ended up with just an external (on the belly) ultrasound since the doctor thought I was thin enough for it to suffice. Usually this ultrasound is internal (transv*ginal).

Indeed, we saw Tex waving around. The picture wasn't as clear as the internal would have been, but it allowed the doctor to make the needed measurements. All along, he continued in a very reassuring manner, telling us everything was very normal and on track.

This past visit - after a 40 minute wait in the waiting room - I again first met my usual nurse (whose name I still don't know!) and then my doctor. This time he measured the growth of my uterus and used a doppler device to listen to Tex's heartbeat. He summed up it was all fine, but didn't actually tell me any of the measurements.

I was offered an AFP screening test, something which is not offered in Finland, to screen for certain neural abnormalities, such as Down's Syndrome, spina bifida and anencephaly. It is an optional test, which he said about 50% of his patients opt for and didn't really make any recommendation for me to take or not take. It has a reputation for not being very accurate and
causing more worry than answers.

Prescription Prenatal Vitamins + DHA supplement

At the very first prenatal visit here in Texas, my doctor gave me a prescription for Citrical prenatal vitamins that included a DHA supplement. A prescription prenatal? Why? It costs $20 for a 30 day supply -- and that's with health insurance!

I had been taking a generic prenatal vitamin from the time we started thinking about having Tex since its important to get at least three months of folic acid in your system before pregnancy to help prevent some neural birth defects. With Peanut, I had taken the LadyVita vitamin for pregnant and nursing mothers which was available at the apteekki.

In the beginning, I asked the OB/GYN I had seen in Finland for a pre-pregnancy check-up which folic acid supplement to take. She looked confused and didn't understand why I wanted to take it. Hmmmm???

Then, once pregnant, I asked my midwife in Finland which brand of prenatal vitamin she recommended. She wondered why I would even be taking a prenatal vitamin. In her opinion, as long as I ate a healthy and proper diet, I didn't need any additional vitamins. "Those Americans just eat hamburgers and french fries so they are not healthy enough without vitamins," she scoffed.

Yes, that's probably true, but a pregnancy diet needs to be very carefully balanced and followed everyday in order to get the needed vitamins and minerals consistently. However, my philosophy during my pregnancy was to do everything in moderation and to continue doing those things I had prior to pregnancy (within guidelines of course!). I have virtually always taken vitamin supplements so that's what I planned to continue to do. I do follow a pregnancy diet and eat well, but know that I'm no nutrition expert and sometimes given to laziness in the kitchen.

Nonetheless, I was not wholly sold on the idea of prescription prenatal vitamin. My doctor explained its valuable because of the lower amounts of vitamin A and higher amounts of calcium as compared to generics. Most importantly, it came with the DHA supplement. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid considered to be key to healthy brain, eye and nervous system development. My usual source has been salmon, but I know I don't eat it frequently enough.

Though there is no official FDA recommended daily allowance for DHA, the concensus (I found on the Internet) seems fall between 200 - 350 mg/day for pregnant women.

So, my current solution is this: continue with my generic prenatal because its so much cheaper, drink some extra milk/fortified OJ for more calcium and pick up the a separate DHA supplement available OTC for less the $20 I would pay a month for the prescription vitamin. As a bonus, each box of the Expecta brand DHA supplement comes with a coupon for $1.50 off your next purchase.

I miss my maternity neuvola card

When I was expecting Peanut in Helsinki, I was given a "Maternity Health Clinic" card. Really a small booklet where at each midwife and doctor's visit my vital stats were recorded. The midwife and doctor also made the same notes into their own file. All by hand. I remember being surprised that the Katiloopisto hospital where Peanut would be born had no access to the information electronically - they, too, would have to decipher the hand-written notes from my maternity card.

I was told I should keep my Finnish Maternity card with me at all times so in essence I'd have my pregnancy health record on hand if I ever had to go to a different clinic or hospital. But, I liked it so I could keep track of how things were developing: my weight, blood pressure, blood test results, protein, glucose and iron tests, height of the uterus, Peanut's heart rate and position. It was fun to pull it out every once in a while at home to see how far we had progressed.

Here in the US, the notes are made by the nurse and my doctor into the folder kept at his office. A few times, I've even had to ask if I gained weight or how my blood pressure was as the nurse silently made her notes. I try to recall the details and write them down for myself in my own notebook. I suppose the idea is that if I need care, I will go only to his office and my selected hospital where my doctor will be available and aware of my condition.

"Tex" -- arriving early 2007!

The latest news here is that Peanut will become a big sister next year! "Tex" will make his/her appearance in early spring 2007! We thought "Tex" was appropriate as the hospital forms pointed out, we will not just be having a baby, but a new Texan.

We're excited all around and, blogwise, I'm excited about lots of posting ideas comparing pregnancy in the US and Finland.

Its already been a vastly different experience even though we're only a few months along.

To begin with, the doctor wanted to see us as soon as we thought we might be pregnant. In our case that was barely 6.5 weeks along when the tell-tale signs were confirmed with an at-home pregnancy test.

In Finland, I had been advised to wait a bit later before contacting the neuvola - I called around 9 weeks. When I did call, the first question was "Was this a wanted pregnancy?" so they could determine which side of the health clinic to connect me to.

Here, we met the doctor right away. At our first visit, I gave up at least 6 viles of blood for a variety of standard tests: blood type, Rh, blood count, immunity for Rubella, screen for antibodies, hepatitis, syphilis and HIV.

Then, the doctor did a sonogram. I was amazed that you could see/hear anything so early! But, "Tex" was there - a little blurry blob with no distinguishable features, except a strong and clear heartbeat. It was the heartbeat the doctor was after. He was very enthusiastic and explained that once you hear a heartbeat the chance for miscarriage already diminishes to just around 5%.

In Finland, our first meeting with the doctor and a sonogram was at 12 weeks. Before then, we just assumed everything was normal and met with our midwife.

So far, we've paid $15 as our insurance co-pay. However, I've seen what the doctor's office is billing the insurance company:
$960 for blood tests
another $960 for sonograms and doctor's consultations.

Yikes!

Its a grand ole flag

We enjoyed a cool Labor Day weekend in Dallas. It even rained all day Monday! The weather showed us that it can once again become bearable and inviting outside - you could get the tiniest whiff of Fall in the air if you breathed in deeply and closed your eyes.

Papa fired up the grill and we enjoyed a tasty meal on our patio as Peanut played with her collection of cars in her sandbox. Ahhh...

Out in the front yard, there were flags planted here and there in our neighbor's yards. I was a bit confused the first time the flags appeared seemingly from nowhere and without rhyme or reason. Our immediate neighbor had one, then no flags for 5 - 6 houses and then suddenly two in row.

It turns out the flags are part of service sold by a local high school group. For a small amount each year, they will come place a flag in your yard on flag flying holidays.

In Helsinki where most of us lived in apartments, the flagging was taken care of by the building maintenance staff. I also enjoyed the days when I walked out the front door and suddenly was surprised by the flags gracing all entry ways and public poles. While I didn't always know why a certain day was a flag day, it made it a bit special -- and worthwhile of finding out as a few holidays come with a special pastry - yum :-) - like Runebergintorttu is a Finnish pastry that is seasoned with almonds and rum. There is usually raspberry jam in a sugar ring on the tart.The tart has got its name from the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg who liked to enjoy the tart with punch according to the legend. Runeberg's tarts are available on Runeberg's birthday on 5 February.

And now, the weather report...

with cheif meterologist Peanut's Mama bringing over 300 days of experience....

Good evening everyone! I hope you've got your sunscreen ready. I do and here is your 10-day, aw, heck, let's just call it your August forecast for the Dallas region.

Sunny all day. No clouds, anywhere. HOT, HOT, HOT. 100F. And, HOT.

Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.....

Just so you don't think I'm just one-trick pony. I could do the same for Helsinki, Finland for the month of January.

Evening. As the weather map behind me shows, it will be bitterly cold tomorrow with a thick blanket of clouds continuing to blot out any natural light until say, April. The temperatures will continue to shock you and be around minus 15C. Cold, cold, cold.

Or even, the Netherlands for most parts of the year - like when we have vacation scheduled there.

Goeden avond! . Hang on to that umbrella. Rain continues to drizzle the country all through the next two weeks. Rain, rain, rain, rain....

One place though where I'd be no good is Denver, CO, where Peanut's Auntie M and Uncle PR just moved to. That place has some crazy stuff going on -- anything can happen there!

Just pick the right place and this weather gig is easy!

What stories do you remember?

My mom recently sent me a copy of a story I had told her when I was a child. She was really great in writing down our creations and saving them over the years. Somehow she knew we would one day appreciate her dragging these boxes around as she moved.

The tale was about two 'nakeros' (don't ask, I have no idea what they are) and how they finally met each other, got to play, eat cake and then eventually get married.

There is one storybook that was given to my mom by her parents that I now have on my bookshelf. Its called 'Satumaan Portinvartija', the Gatekeeper of Storyland, by Jorma Maenpaa (umlauts on the 'a's).

This is my all time favorite fairy tale book. As a child, I would only get to hear stories from it when we spent the summer at my mom's home in Ilomantsi, Finland. The book always stayed there on the shelf. In the evenings, my sister and I would snuggle into our mom as we all lay on her bed and she would read these fantastic fairy tales to us.

To this day, I can clearly imagine the story of the Hullumylly (The Crazy Mill) - there were no illustrations in the book so all the images are my own. The Crazy Mill would grind the hearts of people and fill their sacks with whatever secrets their hearts carried.

I've started on my own translation of the book so I can share the stories with Peanut. While I hope she learns Finnish, I know its an uphill battle and I don't want her to miss out on the magic of this book.

Midsummer quietly slips by

Holidays and public celebrations really mark the passing of a year. I always feel a bit out of sync when I'm in a place that doesn't celebrate a certain day the way you expect, rather its just another Tuesday, Wednesday..... I felt this one Christmas in New Delhi - it was too warm, there was no Christmas music, no Santas or those other familiar scenes.

During our time in Finland, I added some new celebrations to my annual calendar. One familiar holiday I knew from my childhood summers was Juhannus or Midsummer, the Summer Solistice.

Its such a powerful tradition in Finland; anticipated as anxiously as Christmas or New Year's Eve, it marks the real start of summer. For many it kicks off their 4 week summer holidays. Finns flee the cities for the sea and lakeshores to eat, drink, drink, drink, sauna, drink, sauna, drink, and build blazing bonfires. The one in the photo is from our summer cabin on Lake Koitere.

Its a really joyous occasion, but sadly, each year, the combination of too much alcohol and water mean the last Midsummer for too many.

This year in Dallas, I wasn't even quite sure which day Midsummer feel on. Its not printed on the calendars. No one even notices it. I feel that my summer is somehow off kilter....so, I am looking forward to a proper 4th of July celebration to set it right again.