On Falling

I feel like we are living in the middle of a postcard. "Fall in New England" sounds more like an event to me than the autumn season everyone else experiences. Even as I drive Peanut to her playcare, we cruise down a winding community road lined with low walls of stones stacked a foot high to mark yards. The yards behind them now complete for my attention with leaves of all those autumn shades - some which I feel I've never seen before even though I've certainly seen leaves change color all my life!

Indeed, it is a beautiful time.

We took our leaf "peeping" (yes, the official term) tour through New Hampshire and Vermont the other weekend. Our route followed I-93 North cutting through the White Mountains into northern Vermont before heading east towards Lake Champlain. I was stunned by the scenes in the White Mountains. We were dwarfed by the range and in awe of the puffs of trees as far as we could see. As you looked across the evlevations, you could see the various stages of fall all at once. The highest trees were already showing their skeletons while on the lowest level some held on tightly to green leaves.

Vermont seemed to have a ban on roadside billboards and unneccessary signage which all added to its decidely rural appereance. I expected moose, deer (which I spotted several of) and other wildlife to jump across the road at any moment. Many of the northern towns seemed uncomfortable without the blanket of snow soon arriving; kind of like a teenage girl out in her bikini for the first time on a beach. Somehow I sensed that the whiteness and ice would make the places more complete - not neccessarily in a serene, holiday way, but in the way that snow fills in the gaps, covers the unsightly.

We spent the night at the cozy Black Bear Inn where we comfortably settled into a 'superior suite' so Peanut and Tex could go to bed early and sleep peacefully in their own room while mama and papa relaxed in our own space. The restaurant was extra accomodating for the needs of little ones even though we appeared to be the only guests in the 'under 60' demographic. Perhaps Leaf Peeping isn't such an extreme sport and doesn't draw the young crowds? It was a perfect event for us - most of the sights could be enjoyed from our car where everyone was comfortably strapped in :-)

Mainely about vacation

We did it -- our first four-member family vacation is complete! We rented a house on a quiet cove in Surry, Maine, near Acadia National Park. Loaded up the mini-van (again, just an amazing modern invention) and headed up I-95 and down some smaller roads. The landscape was serene and reminded us in many places of Finland.

My favorite sightings were the items for sale along the way. Usually just a handpainted sign (Firewood $3, Cucumbers $2.50, Bathouses $10.00, or just stuff "FREE") marked the opportunity.

My only wishes for the week were:

• lots of time for Peanut to play outside in the yard and on the beaches



• time for the four of us just to hang out without moving boxes (to be packed or unpacked) in the background



• visits to Acadia National Park (notice I didn't actually say 'hike', 'tour' or otherwise deeply engage ourselves -- just visit enough to see it)



• lobster and blueberries

So, all in all, an excellent week! Well, I suppose I had also imagined quiet days of relaxation,but that was just silly. With two little ones, vacation is just home life, but away from home. So, there are tantrums, cooking, shopping and little voices crying out in the middle of the night.

Maine moves at a leisurely pace and it was a relief to melt into it. Our cove home was off the main drive, down a dirt road and secluded. Ahhhhh...To me, any vacation home that you have to take a dirt road to is just fantastic! We had the cove to ourselves and could wonder how the tides never seemed to rest. As soon as it had risen to the top of the beach, you could almost perceive it starting to go out again until 15 feet of stones, mussel shells, seaweed and granite rocks would be exposed.

Acadia National Park is pretty 'la-de-da' as far as parks go. Rockefeller (The Rockefeller) invested much time and money into it, designing a driving route with stops at the key sights. Perfect for us! We also enjoyed the near mandatory Popovers and Strawberry Jam at the Jordan Pond Lake House, arriving just at opening time to be seated with a view of the mountains.

Our vacation ended abruptly the eve Peanut put on Tex's socks, raced around on the wooden floors and slipped, busting open her lip and injuring her teeth. Calls to the local clinic and seemingly only dentist in town who was booked for the next 4 weeks, left us with an hour drive to Bangor to go to the Penobscot Health Center. There the dentist told us all four top teeth were loose and mentioned such terrible solutions as their removal.

Luckily, a follow up visit here in the area found the teeth more stable. We won't know more until the months pass as Peanut was terrified of the X-ray machine and would not allow it to get close enough to get an image. This made me think, I need to find a good local pediodontist and take Peanut in for check-ups just so she's familiar and we have a doctor who will see us in an emergency because they don't all do that unless you are already a patient! It made me miss Dr. Rozas in Coppell.

Has Peanut already gotten too old??!!

I just spent a wonderful week in Florida with Peanut visiting all her "grands" there. The short - only an hour and half - flight went smoothly as I picked out times that were least likely to be used by business travelers so Peanut could get her own seat on the plane.

But, I don't know if it was the impending holidays, ongoing struggles for airline employees or Peanut just looking more like a toddler than cutesy baby (don't get me wrong, I still think she's a cutesy toddler!) that no one offered any assistance to us. Here I thought an obviously pregnant lady and her toddler might get a little help with bags or strollers. Perhaps even a little extra smile from the flight crew or fellow passengers. Maybe a little extra time at security. Alas, no.

When I traveled with Peanut when she was just a little baby, it seemed everyone wanted to talk to us or to lend us a hand. In any case, we made the trip just fine and really didn't require any special help. We've done this enough times for mama to pack smart and Peanut to not be uncomfortable with all that air travel demands of little ones. Its just the 'is my baby really getting that big already' syndrome.

Freddy and Fredericka

As we spent the empty hours before we departed Dallas -Ft Worth for our vacation, I snagged Mark Helprin's latest book, Freddy and Fredericka , thinking that I'd never get to read it. I wasn't even sure I would like it. The back cover made it sound quite dull and simple - the prince and princess of Wales go on an adventure. But, I've read plenty of other Helprin and am always swallowed up by his tales.

There were plenty of nights I snuck off to bed early so I could read. Peanut's papa would poke his head in several times wondering what on earth I was laughing about so hard. A few times, I actually had to catch my breath before I could just and just get it out before I cracked up again. Beyond the outright hiliarious fun of the story, there are plenty of big issues to think about and wonder, just how did our world become so odd.

Before I knew it, I was reading while Peanut played with her toys outside, when papa and Peanut were in the bath and even early in the mornings before anyone else woke up.

I won't review the book or its story - plenty of others have - but, I do highly recommend it for anyone who like Helprin or has never even heard of him.

Maastrict - a little gem in the South

We spent two days in the southern city of Maastricht in hopes of edging away from the rain front and getting a peek at a part of the country we usually don't see.

The drive was a quick 2 hours into countryside that no longer looked typically like the Netherlands. There were more farms, fields and forests; virtually no windmills, sheep grazing or road level dykes full of water.

Maastricht was very approachable and friendly. We stayed at the very comfy Best Western by the railway station and only a few minutes walk from all the main attractions. Peanut didn't find it so comfy and thought our room to be too confining - she would start to cry as we approached the door :-( The swimming pool downstairs did cheer her up, but we'll think twice before trying for a city weekend in a hotel with a busy little girl again!

Peanut was much more interested in walking the cobblestoned streets than bouncing along in her stroller . Her little Ballerina Duck kept her company - she always has a little soft friend with her wherever we go. Luckily, she isn't overly attached to any one (except Pooh to sleep with) that as long as its fuzzy and cute, Peanut is happy to take Ballerina Duck, Lion, Crinkly Dog, Raggedy Anne, Pooh, little Penguin the fingerpuppet or Frog with her.

We did manage to get in a cup of nice hot chocolate at one of the cafes lining the main church square, the Vrijthof. It was closed off as that weekend kicked off their largest gastronomic affair featuring hundreds of booths of food, wine and other delights.

It was a refreshing detour on our vacation and I hope we can spend more time in this part of the country again someday.

Tummy troubles and ear infections

It seems no vacation of ours is ever complete without someone getting sick!

This time around it was Peanut's papa. Though this is the second time he has come down with similar symptoms on vacation. Poor guy - it just seems his body goes on break when we go on holiday! During our first week in the Netherlands he came down with a low grade fever and some tummy rumbles which quickly progressed to stomach cramps and diarrhea. They had him down on the sofa and moaning in bed for three days. When the imodium didn't work, we went to a local pharmacy for good old fashioned carbon tablets which seemed to finally do the trick.

Peanut and I fortunately stayed healthy that week.

Two days before we were set to head back home, Peanut wakes up with a fever of 39.2C. She had called out for mama a few times during the night, but always quickly fell asleep so I didn't realize anything was wrong until she cried early in the morning.

We decided to take her to the doctor since her fever kept rising after Tylenol doses. In the Netherlands, most doctors are "family doctors" who have office hours until noon and then spend the afternoon making house calls to very ill patients. Oma & Opa weren't sure that a short fever in toddler would be considered 'very ill' yet. Luckily they lived in a small village and were able to call their family doctor and convince her to take us in that afternoon.

It was a quiet little office where we spent just a short time waiting. The doctor saw us in her office. She was very laid back. After we told her about how Peanut was feeling, she checked her ears and confirmed that one of them was inflamed. She said usually they do not medicate for ear infections believing that they pass in 2 - 3 days, but since we were traveling back home so soon she agreed to write us a prescription.

Peanut got the classic Amox. Penicillin treatment and nose drops for the plane. The Dutch Penicillin is not pink - it was a yellowish fruity flavor Peanut didn't like at first. We had to dose her 3x/day with 4 ml.

Since we didn't have much choice as to the doctor, we didn't check that it was covered by our insurance and were a bit worried about what it all might cost. No need to have been. Even with no insurance, the total bill for drs visit and medications was only EUR 39.92 (barely $50.00).

By the time we set off for home, Peanut was already feeling better and Papa was enjoying regular meals, too!

Heather, sand dunes and van Gogh

The Hoge Veluwe national park is a rare piece of largely undistrubed nature in the Nethlerlands which otherwise makes use of virtually every millimeter of land available. It was land purchased by the Kroller-Mueller family and later opened to the public.

While most visitors opt to cycle through the winding bike paths and roads, we toured by car. This sometimes got us some odd glances. We also had to share the roadways with the groups of bicyclists who have as much right it as we did.

It was a lovely and peaceful park. Fields of purple heather were edged by dense forests. The Hoge Veluwe is also home to the peculiar inland sand dunes of the region.

In the middle of the park is the Kroller-Mueller art museum. Again, a private collection by the K-M family which included virtually every major artist you could name - van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Serat and on and on. It was an amazing tour. Peanut quietly sat in her stroller while mama and papa took in some art. We unfortunately did not get to spend as much time as we wanted touring the outdoor sculpture gardens which contained as many treasures as the indoors.

Windmills, green houses and clogs made of foam

On a rare day when the sunshine filtered through the trees, we visited the Open Air Museum (Openluchsmuseum) in Arnhem.

Gathered into the museum from around the country were cottages, farm houses, city homes, windmills, trams and a collection of other buildings. The brochure warned us to reserve at least three hours to make the whole tour.

What made the Museum such a treat was that many of the buildings were still "occupied".

The first home we entered was a combination of the stables and living quarter - just a small space at the end of the barn. Tending a boiling cauldron over a fire was the lady of the house. She was preparing a stew which we could sample.

Next door, a gentleman was making old fashioned waffle cookies with an iron over his kitchen fire. The kitchen table was set for tea and the catch of the day (rabbits) was hanging in the corner.

Outside we could hear a consistent click, click, BAM! click, click, BAM! A mill was turning the hefty wooden mechanism that pounded grapeseeds to produce a steady trickle of oil.

Naturally there were windmills - a whole collection of them. Each showing was the power of the wind could do. One windmill functioned as a sawmill trimming planks of wood down to size. Another had been used to pump water with a huge screw pump.

A collection of green houses from the Zaan area were filled with upper middle class decor, a candy shop and a bakery.

It was such fun and gave all of your senses a way to imagine the past!

On the way out, Peanut's dad picked up a size 12 pair of the classically styled Dutch clogs in bright yellow. They are actually a pair of slippers :-)

The bungalow life

We wisely chose (I can say this with great confidence now in retrospect) to stay at a Landal bungalow park the first week of our vacation in the Netherlands. It wasn't fancy, it isn't going to make any Top 100 destinations lists, and it was not glamorous vacation in quaint Olde Europe. It was just perfect for a busy toddler and her two laid-back parents.

The fact we had our own kitchen, living room, separate bedrooms and a spacious yard was wonderful. Peanut got her meals on her own schedule and in her own space. She llloooved playing outside, watching the birds, carrying pinecones and rocks around and wandering off the path into the woods. We would stroll through the woods to the park shop or playground enjoying the crisp, cool air. Best of all, Peanut loved the puddles from the rain - her first rain puddles.

Our neighbors were close by and all the bungalows could been seen from the roads. The Dutch like to keep their curtains open so everyone can see that nothing unacceptable is happening inside. This practice carries over to holiday time as well. Our living room and kitchen were virtually all glass walls so our fellow-vacationeers riding by on bikes or walking around could glimpse what was (not) happening.

All the conveniences of home, but still we were on holiday.

Nearby was the "largest waterfall in the Netherlands". The Netherlands is an extraordinarily flat country. In many places as you drive beside a canal or lake, you often are at or even slightly below waterlevel. So, a waterfall is something. This one was man-made to help drain the water from the canals of nearby Appeldorn. We had a good laugh though, it looked like a bit like a water cascade at a shopping mall.

Inter-Continental

We've just returned from an action-packed two week holiday to the Netherlands where we had some family vacation time and caught up with Peanut's Dutch side of the family. I certainly should have given myself more credit in the weather forecasting department as it rained for the entire time! What a welcome relief from Texas - we missed out on the 17-day stretch of 100F days.

We chose to fly Continental airlines as they have a direct flight from Houston to Amsterdam which Peanut's papa & I had flown once before. It seems I don't hear as much about Continental as the other major carriers; they are a best-kept secret.

Service has been very good and delivered by happy flight attendents which can be in short supply nowadays. They keep the cabins VERY chilly during the flights, but I think it keeps the air feeling fresh and crisp. Somehow they even manage to keep the cabin and lavatories clean during the whole flight. All seats have private monitors with access to lots of inflight programming. And, they stress, free headseats and meals!

We'd requested bulkhead seats, but they are not confirmed until you check-in. In both directions we got our wish. Peanut was traveling with her carseat so she looked as comfy and cushy as anyone in First Class. Her carseat fit neatly into our Maclaren stroller so it was no problem getting it and her in it around the airports.

I also requested a child's meal for Peanut. What a bonanza! She was served chicken nuggets, green beans and potato croquettes -- with plenty of packets of ketchup! There were also several extra packages of crackers and cheese, a Twix bar, a granola bar, a yoghurt drink and a small salad. Continental provided the milk and I brought straws as otherwise Peanut would be sucking milk through tiny cocktail straws.

There is a mondo-sized lavatory onboard where you can barely reach the toilet paper from a sitting position. If we had wanted to, we could have fit our entire family in there. And, this was back in economy even....imagine what they have up in Business Class.....

The only thing Continental didn't have was goodies for the little ones. On earlier flights Peanut had gotten bibs, bear hand puppets (from Finnair), and rattles (from Lufthansa).

The heightened security alerts and ban on liquids was more of a hassle than anything for us. I would have liked to bring some drinks for Peanut, but those were quickly given by the flight attendents.

Benadryl debunked as sleep aid for kids

From Babycenter:

The report was published Monday in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

"Benadryl is widely used, parents use it, physicians recommend it to help kids sleep," said study lead author Dr. Dan Merenstein, a pediatrics specialist at Georgetown University Medical Center.

"But the bottom line is, it doesn't work," he added.

Study: Finnish households spend 1,600 euros on holiday

Its nearly Midsummer - the kick off for the summer holiday season in Finland! According to a recent survey by Nordea bank in Finland:

More than half of Finnish households have made plans for their summer holiday. On average, the households plan to spend 1,600 euros (about 2,000 USD) on their holiday, according to a Nordic survey conducted by Nordea at the end of May. More than 1,000 Finns were interviewed in the survey.

The majority of Finnish households plan to spend their holiday in Finland. Every tenth household is planning to travel in the other Nordic countries and nearly every third household in other European countries. Finns travel abroad distinctly less often than people in the other Nordic countries.

That seems like a large amount of money to spend by families who are staying in Finland. I imagine most of them will go to their family summer cottages where life can be relatively inexpensive or similar to the cost of staying home. There maybe some special outtings and some sightseeing, but I don't know where the additional spending may take place.

Then again, its an average so perhaps the costs of travel to European countries is bringing the figure up overall.

A report in the 2001 issue of Travel Weekly showed that in the US:

The big spenders in this regard are families with only older children – they spend more per diem and more overall. Last year, these consumers spent, on average, nearly $213 per day, and their total average travel expenditure for the year was $2,767. Families with small children had the lowest annual travel expenditure, $2,103, but their per diem spending compares favorably, at a little more than $191 daily.

Families with no children at home spent a healthy $2,679 on travel last year, but their per diem costs were the lowest of the group, at just over $157 daily

Which side of THIS debate are you on: to dope or not to dope?

Oh the many ways to slice & dice the parenting community - here's another hot one:

Do you give your baby/child Benedryl when you fly to help them sleep/stay calm?

Baby Center recently ran a poll on the topic with results showing 20% of respondents had, while another 20% would consider it.

A recent story in the Wall Street Journal highlights why this is a topic likely to have parents sitting on opposite sides of the room:

The controversy seems to arise more from differences in parenting philosophies than safety concerns. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't have a position on the matter, and individual pediatricians vary in their views. "If you asked 100 pediatricians, you'd get 20 strongly in favor, 60 who didn't think about it much, and 20 strongly opposed," says Richard Gorman, past chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' National Committee on Drugs. "Good doctors can disagree about this, just as thoughtful parents can disagree."

Flying with children - words to cause anxiety for any traveller

whether its you as the parent, or your fellow passengers. We all know the feeling when little ones enter the plane especially for a long-haul flight. But, with today's travel options and families sprinkled across continents, air travel with children simply happens.

This summer we will also be flying trans-Atlantic with Peanut and with her so active nowadays, it will be a neccessary evil.

We know its unavoidable that children will get fussy, tired, cranky and cry. I like the parent's rule about flying I read somewhere on another blog:

Its not that your child has to be absolutely still & quiet; your child just needest to be a bit quieter and stiller than the loudest one on board :-)

Here is an excellent list of ideas and insights when preparing for you trip, checking in, boarding, surviving on board, deplaning, handling customs& immigration areas and more from a flight attendant with 13 years of experience:
Flying with Children

She also suggests:
http://www.travelwithyourkids.com
http://www.tinytravelers.net
http://www.worldtraveler.com
http://www.flyingwithkids.com

Breakin' ALL the rules

Yes, that's right, we broke all the rules of baby sleep over the Christmas/New Year's holidays. Guess what?! It didn't mess up Peanut's sleep program. She didn't turn into a n overly dependent baby who couldn't sleep alone. No, as a matter of fact, everything returned to normal very quickly.

Now, what was this extreme situation that we were in that drove us to abandon all the guidelines about babies and sleep. Grandma, Grandy, Nana and Oma & Opa - that's what.

Peanut was sooo overly excited about spending Christmas with her grandparents in Florida that she could hardly sleep. She was in a travel cot next to us in the same room. Peanut usually went to bed on time and without much fuss. Though I did often 'milk her down' to make it easier for her.

Then she would start waking up around midnight. We tried letting her cry a bit to settle down. Nothing doing. She was awake, standing and looking right at us.

That's when we went for the drastic move of bringing her into our bed/onto our air mattress. She loved it. Peanut snuggled in papa's armpit or on mama's chest, suctioned in her little thumb, let out a happy sign and was off to dreamland. We then moved her gently into the space between us for the night.

We'd never co-slept before so the first night I was very conscious of her little body next to mine. I awoke several times to make sure she was still on the bed and not stuck under the pillows, etc.

It was so nice to wake up in the morning next to the angelic face still deep in sleep...so warm, so peaceful.

After the last set of grandparents left after New Years, we thought we were going to be in for several nights of crying and struggling to get her back to sleeping on her on.

Nope.

The very first night she slept soundly in her own bed in her own room.

First Baby Train trip

Just to make sure we've covered all forms of transport, Peanut and I hopped on a train from Helsinki to Lahti last Friday! We went to visit a long time family friend who had taken care of me when I was a baby.

I purposefully booked in advance to get seats on Intercity (IC) trains since they have special baby carriage and children's wagons. On both trains, this happened to be wagon #4. We boarded at Pasila station and were able to roll right into the train as the door opened even with the platform. Once in, there was a baggage storage section that contained marked spaces for strollers. Though by the looks of it, only one stroller could possibly fit - and not one like ours. So I folded it up and stuffed it into an adjoining space. I had Peanut in her car seat since we'd need that later.

I had reserved two seats next to each other with a 'Family Ticket' (perhe lippu) and we rode comfortably to Lahti.

The bathroom is also designed for handicapped/wheelchair passengers so it has a door that rotates open at the touch of a button and is very spacious. I did find the baby changing table hefty to lower and raise. The bathroom also contained a bottle heater with some not-so-simple-to-decipher pictorial instructions.

On our return from Lahti, we had a few more challenges. It was the afternoon commuter train and booked quite full. The stroller storage space was full, a stroller was already folded down in the walkway, one of the wheelchair spaces was occupied by a stroller and a wheelchair passenger was boarding. I was at a loss as to where on earth I should put my stroller or Peanut for that matter as I tried to get out of the way. Mind you, no one offered to help. Luckily, I didn't have any extra bags or it would have been very stressful.

We were only able to reserve seats upstairs which also contains the children's play area. Not recommended unless you have children the age of those playing - rambunctiously and enjoying every minute of it.

First Baby Flight!

Summer is travel time so soon after our first road trip, Peanut took her first flight.

We flew Finnair from Helsinki to Amsterdam. As with the car travel, it was all much smoother than I expected :-)

When we arrived at the airport, the check-in lines were as usual extremely long and slow moving. We didn't have a stroller or carseat with us so dad was carrying Peanut. We spotted an empty Business Class check-in counter and the ticket agent agreed to check us in there.

She put us in a row of three seats and blocked the middle seat so in essence Peanut was given her own seat even though we had reserved her as a 'sylilapsi' or travelling in parent's lap. We had the same arrangement on the flight back. This works as long as the flight isn't fully booked and someone doesn't need a seat last minute.

I had seen on the Helsinki Vantaa website that strollers were available at the airport, but they turned out to be made of metal with no cushions and permanently in a full sitting position so intended for older children. So, we continued to hold Peanut in our laps until boarding.

Finnair does not have a policy of letting hchildren/babies board first. When we asked if we could, the gate agend told us that we should just get ourselves to the front of the line... not the easiest thing when having to hold baby especially since everyone likes to line up 20 mins before boarding begins!

Once on board, a flight attendent brough over a baby seat belt which is like a mini-seat belt with a loop to connect to the parent's seat belt. I was told the baby should face forward for take-off and landing, but I was able to breastfeed her during both. We were also given a bear hand puppet and a Finnair bib.

For breastfeeding I grabbed a blanket to cover myself from the 1st class overhead bin as we boarded and requested a pillow. I was also wearing a special breastfeeding top from Expressiva.

The changing table in the lavatory was spacious enough for a 4 mos old.

I didn't call to make any requests in advance.

AtSchiphol airport in Amsterdam we found a baby care room near the restrooms. It was clean, spacious and had a comfortable chair for feeding.

We packed a babycare bag that included:
> diapers
> baby wipes
> a small cushioned changing pad
> bibs (for drool and spit up)
> a few favorite toys and a book
> saline nose drops for baby
> pacifiers even though Peanut prefers her thumb
> an extra change of baby clothes
> a back-up shirt for mom

Baby Passports
Even for travel within the EU, baby needs to either be in her parents passport or to have her own.

We opted to get Peanut her own since for travel to the US, a baby must have her own passport.

The photos were taken at a local photo shop just like adult passport photos. I had to hold Peanut up and try to keep her still while the photographer attempted to attract her attention!

In Finland, the options for passports are for one or ten years (the ten year being slightly cheaper). We took ten years with the thought that we'll get her a new one in about 5 yrs or so. It seems silly to travel with a 2 mos old baby picture when peanut is 9 yrs old!

Car Rental
We rented a car from Sixt at the airport because they were one car rental company that didn't require you notify them 24 hrs in advance if you need a baby/child car seat. On our reservation form we had indicated that we would need a baby seat.

We were extremely disappointed in their service and do not recommend them at all. The baby seat was nowhere to be found. They had to dig one out of storage - it took nearly an hour and it was disgustingly dirty and horribly outdated!! But, at the point we had no choice. After extensive complaining, they offered to not charge us the daily 7EUR fee for the seat.

I'll definately bring our own car seat in the future. Car seats can be brought on board the plane or go in cargo and not count towards the luggage allowance.

Travel Strollers
We bought a Maclaren travel stroller from Prenatal in the Netherlands. The brand was highly recommended by friends who travel alot. The price carries a premium, but we hope to see many years of quality use from it.

It was very nice to have the stroller on the return trip in the airport. It folded and unfolded easily and quickly for putting through the metal detector. Very lightweight and easy to manuveur. It was taken from us at the gate in Amsterdam where they promised we would get it back at the gate in Helsinki. Not so. We didn't see it again until baggage claim.

First Baby Road Trip!

We've just returned from our first vacation with Peanut. We visited our family summer cottage out in Pohjois Karjala. This meant a 7 hour car ride, 20 mins in a motor boat, living on an island without electricity or running water (or indoor toilet!), a few nights in hotels and restaurant meals.

And, it all went just fine :-)

Hitting the road with baby
The drive went surprisingly well. We would drive for about 2 - 2.5 hrs and then make a pitstop for about an hour to feed Peanut (she's still only breastfeeding), change diapers, let her stretch out and play.

The first gas station we stopped at I searched and searched for the baby bathroom -- i now know its often shared with the handicap WC. Just pack everything you need with you and don't forget a diaper changing cloth or cushion to lay the baby on.

I also sat in the back seat with her the whole trip so I could pass toys to her and better monitor her moods -- and respond quickly.

Hotel stays
We stayed overnight in the Sokos Hotel Kimmel in Joensuu. Reserving a baby bed was just a matter of mentioning it. The hotel provided a cot complete with child-sized bedding and a potty in the bathroom. We found the bed to be a bit flimsy and on further stays there used our own travel bed, but continued to request bedding from them.

For the breakfast and dinner, we just wheeled Peanut to the restaurant in her stroller and pulled up a spot. No one minded.

We also stayed a few nights at the Anttolanhovi outside of Mikkeli. Their restaurant provided a selection of canned baby food at each meal. And the HoviNeidit spa was also very accomodating about having Peanut with us. We enjoyed a facial, pedicure, Indian head massage and back massage while Peanut took turns sitting with either mom, dad or in her stroller.

Cat babysitter
Somewhat unrelated to baby, but still good to know information for cat parents who need the occassion care for longer times.

We had a cat sitter visit our house to feed Miuku & Mauku while we were gone. He also cleaned the litter box and spent lots of time just entertaining the kitties. We came home to a detailed daily report and two happy cats.

Free public transport for babies in Helsinki

A friend just clued me in on another wonderful benefit for parents with children under the age of 6 traveling in prams or strollers - free public transportation in Helsinki! What a child-friendly attitude! This includes travel on the metro, trams and buses. I'm not sure if it covers the regional buses or trains, however. But, would imagine that it extends to any transportation that falls within the city zone on the fare charts.

Details at the Helsinki Area Transportation Authority website.

Metro
So far, Peanut and I had tried out the metro. Access is always by elevators that are conveniently placed alongside the escalators. The only downsides are the slowness of the elevators and the fact that some are used as 'public restrooms' making the time enclosed in them rather unpleasant.

Buses
Next up for us is the bus. Many buses in the region are low-riders so they should be easy to board and get off without needing additional assistance. If not, usually a friendly passenger boarding the bus will lend a hand. Or, I've also heard mothers shout into the bus if someone could give her a hand. When disembarking, be sure to press the button with the pram icon, it notifies the doors and driver you need a little extra time to get off.

Strollers should enter by the middle doors where there is a large space intended precisely for prams/strollers. Bus etiquette states that only two prams/strollers per space, so if its full, pls wait for the next bus. There is often a fold out seat for mom/dad to sit next to the stroller.

On the bus schedules, look for the small letter 'e' to denote more old-fashioned buses which are not low-riders and require climbing steps to get in. Also on the brilliant online Journey Planner service from YTV you can see which buses are low riders (matalalattiabusseilla) - just click on the bus number once you have your route selected and scroll down to the bottom of its schedule page. For example, the 103

Trams
Trams are more daunting since most have steps to navigate and the space on board is smaller. There are several tram lines (like the 3T/3B, 4, 6) which have some newer caterpillar trams that are level with the platforms, again making it easy to roll on/roll off.