A Weekend in Helsinki: Fulbright Interview

Train to Helsinki.

Aspen & the Director of the Fulbright Center in Helsinki.

The Finnish Fulbright Center in Helsinki invited us to be interviewed for an article in their magazine. They are celebrating 60 years and they want to highlight and showcase how a Fulbright grant can be good for the Finnish society (by recruiting two PhDs to work and live in Finland beyond the grant period). So, we packed a weekend bag and boarded the train for a weekend in the big city!

The interview went well and it was fun to talk about our experience, research, and work in Finland. They asked us many questions about our experience living here, how it was different from the U.S., what we thought of the Finnish higher education system and maternity leave, etc. It was a rough interview for Aspen because all she wanted to do was sleep, but she fought it with screams and tears. But, in the end, she was cuddled by the Director of the Fulbright Center, Terhi (see photo) and seemed quite happy in her arms. (A future Fulbright grantee, perhaps?!)
 
Earlier in the week Aspen turned three months old and she traveled quite well, although the evening in the hotel room was filled with colicky screams. 

Aspen: Three Months "Angel" Baby

Everyone kept telling us to wait until month three. They were right; the colic has melted away and we have ourselves a new baby! Now that the tears have dried up (for the most part), Aspen's personality is really beginning to take shape as she smiles and coos more. She enjoys long walks by the lake, dinner by (LED) candlelight, sprawling in bed, and sleeping in late in the morning.

The big news this month was the international trip and meeting the Colorado grandparents...which will always be such an amazing memory. Seeing my parents with our daughter was so incredibly special...and it made the full circle of parenthood come to life.

A few thoughts:
1.) Maternity leave ended (3 months) and parental leave began (6months). I am still getting paid and I still have six months of leave left.
2.) We toured a private daycare center close to our house and were very impressed. You have to apply for daycare spots, so we applied for a spot starting in April 2014 (fingers crossed we will get it, but there is no guarantee). The spots are very competitive in the city center, so we will also apply for a spot in the public daycare system too. I will write a blog about the daycare system soon!
3.) We hired a babysitter (a master's degree student from New Jersey) to take care of Aspen for a few hours two days a week. This will allow me to take a shower and write (I have two articles due in December!)
4.) Aspen still has fussy moments, but her happy moments far outweigh the tears. Ahhhh!
5.) Her smile is enough to turn any sour mood into joy.
6.) We have slept Aspen outside in the stroller on the balcony a few times since the weather has become colder. Our plan is to sleep her outside in the winter (as this is very common in Finland). More on this soon...
7.) I am moving out of the newborn mom "fog". Just the other day, Charlie said, "Now, that is the woman I love"...as I ranted about a topic related to my research. I am not so tired. I am not so overwhelmed. I am not so blue (yes, I do think the baby blues got the best of me...especially during the colic moments).
8.) There are moments when I look down at Aspen breastfeeding and can finally say...breastfeeding is amazing and I am enjoying the connection I have with her while breastfeeding. It only took two months to get to this point!
9.) We have established a nice sleep routine...11 p.m. to 11 a.m. with feedings throughout.
10.)We are now dressing her in 3-month old clothes or 58-62 European size. The newborn clothes are packed away and we are beginning to cycle through the 3-6 month shelves.

The Grandparent's Adventure Continues...in Finland

After a lovely week in Belgium and Holland, we welcomed my parents back to Finland. They traveled here in April 2012 for our wedding, so they were familiar with the surroundings. But, since their last visit we had moved to a flat by the lake...such a nice area. We happened to land an AirBnB studio apartment in the same neighborhood, so my parents were literally a five-minute walk away.

We basically just hung out, cooked excellent cuisine, and Aspen continued to charm the grandparents. I have to say it was so nice to have my parents around during the day...to help with Aspen. It allowed me to enjoy long hot showers and eat relaxing (and hot) meals. The week went by too quickly and before you knew it I was wiping away the tears as we waved goodbye to my parents on the train. Living so far away, makes a goodbye dreadful.

9 Trains+5 Buses+2 Airplanes+2 Taxis+2 Shuttles = Aspen's First International Trip

At 10 weeks old, Aspen gracefully (and with minimal tears) experienced her first airplane ride and her first trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. We took two trains, one bus, and one airplane to arrive in Amsterdam where we met up with my parents, who had just traveled 5,000 air miles from Denver, Colorado. We met at an airport hotel and I was so excited to introduce them to their first grandchild...it almost felt like I was a little girl looking forward to a long-awaited Christmas day. In no time at all, Aspen won the heart of my mom and turned my dad to absolute grandfather mush. It was so sweet to see.

The next day we bid farewell to superdad (a.k.a. superhusband), as he had an academic conference in Rotterdam, and we (my parents, Aspen, and I) made our way to our Brussels hotel via two trains and a taxi. I had a meeting in Brussels for my post as president of the Erasmus Mundus Association, so my parents graciously accepted this international babysitting gig. While I went to meetings, they proudly became baby wranglers. The last night in Brussels, Charlie and our friend from Georgia (who was at the academic conference with him) joined us.

The following morning, all six of us jumped in taxis and headed to the central train station to catch three (connecting) trains to Haarlem...our favorite, quaint, little village outside Amsterdam. We rented a house in the city center, cooked good meals, enjoyed each others company, and just hang out and relaxed. A family friend from our past paid us a visit. Corien was a Dutch exchange student who lived with our family when I was in high school. Her visit was lovely and we exchanged many fun memories as we ate a Sunday American brunch.

A bus took us back to Schiphol airport where we embarked on our next airline adventure to Finland. A memorable mishap occurred as we were descending from the friendly skies in Helsinki...the change in air pressure got the best of Aspen's bowels and next thing you knew mama and baby were soaked in poo. All we could was laugh (as the seat-belt sign was still on) and let Aspen know that this story will follow her for life.

Aspen: Two Months and Growing Like a Tree...

We are finally settling into life with Aspen; at the end of the two month mark life does not feel as overwhelming as the first month. The big news this months is that we made some progress on the colic adventure. We hired the local "zone therapist" to pay us a visit, who had come highly recommended by our midwife and a few Finnish friends. Zone therapy is otherwise known as foot reflexology. She visited us August 1 and again on August 5. The first session was grueling...as the therapist massaged the stomach and neck areas in her feet, Aspen screamed at the top of her lungs. It was rough to watch. But, the therapist assured us that her response was a good indication of what was to come. The second session we had a totally different baby, Aspen laid calmly throughout the session with the exception of a few cries for milk. After the second session the 3-4 hour colicky sessions slowly decreased to maybe 30 minutes every so often. Who knows if the zone therapy was the cause of colic reduction and/or if her digestive system matured...but, we are convinced that the zone therapist helped. 

Here are a few other thoughts about the second month:

1.) Charlie went back to work and it has been a major adjustment for me. Now I have to master the art of baby juggling solo...how to go to the bathroom, take a shower, make breakfast and lunch, clean the house, etc. with a baby who does not sleep much during the day. I decided very early in the second month I am not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom, but will attempt to enjoy nine months of maternity leave.
2.) Aspen's birth certificate and passport arrived this month. Time to prepare for her FIRST trip abroad (to meet the grandparents) at the end of August.
3.) Baby acne and cradle cap (on the eyebrows) made an appearance (and luckily a disappearance) this month. Nothing like a beautiful baby with a few blemishes...poor thing! I kept calling her "lizard" as the skin on her eyebrows continued to layer up and flake off.
4.) A close friend of ours had her baby baptized and now we are discussing whether we should do the same. The problem is that I am more spiritual than religious and do not belong to a church. Charlie belongs to a church, but has not attended in numerous years.
5.) We took our first walk (outside) with Aspen "baby dangling" from the Baby Bjorn sling. She actually enjoyed it (and fell asleep) and did not scream from the top of her lungs. Woohoo...good practice for our big trip abroad.
6.) Our doula came over and again we discussed the birth in more detail. She did tell us that during the pushing session Aspen's heartbeat took two very large dips (neither Charlie or I knew this). Now, we understand why the head midwife busted into the room all frantic.
7.) I had my six week check-up and all was good although that deep pain in my derriere region is likely to be a bruised tailbone from the birth. It is supposed to slowly heal on it's own time. In the meantime, I look like I am 90 years old when I slowly get up from sitting.
8.) Aspen is smiling and cooing and giggling in her sleep: precious!
9.) At the end of the second month Aspen has officially grown out of her newborn clothes.
10.) Now, time to begin packing for her FIRST international trip and airplane ride. Woohoo! Bring on month three!

A Greek Blessing

Our favorite Greek family came over to visit and brought with them a Greek blessing for Aspen.

They asked to use a blanket of Aspen's for the blessing. 

First, they spread cotton on the blanket symbolizing longevity.

Next, they placed an egg on the cotton symbolizing fertility.

Finally, they poured sugar on it wishing Aspen a sweet life and happiness.

Then, they placed the blanket in Aspen's bed (the Finnish box).

The next day when Charlie was frantically looking for a towel to wipe up Aspen's spit-up, he grabbed the blanket and sugar, cotton, and the egg flew all over the bed and the floor. I am not sure the blessing was intended to literally go all over the place, but we think that spilling it brought out the strength of the blessing.

This is Where We Live (Video)!

A better view of where we live...

Lakeside Livin'

The large balcony.

In June we moved to the lakeside neighborhood, called Lutakko, in Jyväskylä. At first I was a little reluctant to move to the other side of the railroad tracks because it was a little further away from the city center. But actually I have become very fond of our new neighborhood and I LOVE our apartment. 

The living room.

The flat has two bedrooms (one that operates as our office/baby room), an enormous balcony, hardwood floors, and an abundance of natural lighting (in the summer that is). The sauna and heated floors will make the bathroom a favorite spot during the winter months. The lake is right outside our front door which makes taking Aspen on a walk so convenient. Luckily, this summer has given us a fair share of sunny and beautiful days, so moving here has certainly paid off...already!

The bathroom with a sauna (shiny doors) and a heated floor.

And, the 15 minute walk to the city center has been a good way to burn off those extra baby kg/lbs. 

Aspen: One Month...Sleep Deprivation, Smiles, and Colic!

Well, we celebrated our first month with Aspen this week. It is hard to believe that it has been a month since the birth...we have learned so much in such a short period of time.

10 things (raw and unfiltered) we have learned the first month:

1.) We quickly learned that neither of us function very well on a limited amount of sleep, but the hormones running through my body gave me an upper-hand in the sleep deprivation department.

2.) Breastfeeding is not always as easy or beautiful or joyful as everyone talks about it. Up until just a few days ago I would say it sucked (both literally and figuratively). Thank goodness we had a breastfeeding doula to help us through the challenging moments, because now we are exclusively breastfeeding her (no more formula--yeah!)

3.) We seem to believe that our daughter is "developmentally awesome" she began holding her head up at 2.5 weeks old and she began smiling around that time too. But, the best was when she giggled while sleeping at 3 weeks (so adorable!)

4.) While we both hoped for an angel baby...as karma will have it...we actually got somewhat of a colicky baby. Ugh! Aspen's little digestive system is still immature which means that most of our nights have been filled with bloody murder screaming and crying up to 3 hours in duration. Luckily, Charlie is able to cope with the crying, because my hormones simply send me into a crying mess too. You just feel helpless.

5.) Paternity leave is amazing! Charlie has been home the entire first month of Aspen's life which is such a blessing. During this time, we both experienced the ups and downs of bringing a newborn home and we grew even closer as a couple. This time together, as a new family, was a gift and we will cherish it forever! Now it's time for Aspen and I to experience the days together sans super-daddy/husband (Charlie goes back to work July 26).

6.) We have realized that friends (and family) are so very important during the first month (and probably months to come...) We are blessed to have a cadre of amazing international friends here who have helped us feel human in an otherwise chaotic existence. Of course, this first month has also made us miss our family like crazy!

7.) We never knew how much poop would become a topic of everyday conversation...really?! (My little kid bro is probably jumping up and down as he reads this, because until this moment of my life I refused to have these conversations!)

8.) Warm delicious meals...ha, what's that?! One love that Charlie and I have always shared is the love of cooking (together). Even though we attempt to cook almost every night (usually not together), cooking and eating has never been so unpleasant. The motto these days, "hurry up and cook/eat, before Aspen starts to cry."

9.)The best way to get over any germ-a-phobic tendencies: have a baby!

10.) Having a newborn is a major life transition filled with highs and lows, some days are better than other days...but in the end life is better with Aspen!

Our First Adventure Without Aspen

Aspen (on left) meets her new friend, Tove.

Our dear friends, Terhi & Oscar, have also experienced a new baby adventure.They gave birth to their daughter a two and a half weeks prior to Aspen's arrival. They kindly offered to take Aspen for a few hours today and babysit her. Oh my, what should we do?! We reluctantly took them up on their offer (reluctantly only because Aspen has been showing symptoms of colic lately and we were hesitant to give that problem to Terhi & Oscar). But, it all worked out...Charlie and I escaped to the Figaro Wine Bar for my first glass of wine (postpartum) and a lovely late lunch. Of course, my emotions were running high and so when Charlie very genuinely asked how was I doing...the next thing I knew I was crying in my glass of wine. After a quiet lunch we walked back, hand in hand, to pick up our lovely little daughter. The first thing Terhi said was, "Aspen has a set of lungs..." Oh no!

Colic & the Football Hold!

Super-hubby has now become super-daddy! Our nights have been filled with colic screaming and crying...so, the football hold (that Charlie is displaying here) has become a favorite. Super-dad is amazing when it comes to calming Aspen during these intense crying episodes (I just feel helpless and I cry). Since it has been consistently happening almost every night (since bringing her home from the hospital) between the "witching hours" of 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. we have decided to schedule an appointment with a zone therapist (foot reflexology) next week. This zone therapist was actually suggested by our midwife and a few of our friends--she is known to work wonders with colicky babies. More on this later...

Working with a Newborn

And this is what you see when Aspen actually sleeps...mom attempting to get some work done and eating all at the same time (oh, and pumping too...although we will spare you the graphic image of that).

Aspen's Nationality and Passport Adventure!

When a child is born in Finland, they are not automatically granted Finnish nationality unless one of their biological parents are Finnish. This means that our little Aspen did not qualify for Finnish nationality and thus we had to apply for U.S. nationality. The application and paperwork was quite extensive and we decided to apply for a passport and social security number all at the same time which meant tripling the paperwork. The most challenging aspect of all of this: the passport photo! Imagine how difficult it is to get a photo of a newborn with both eyes open, mouth closed, both ears visible, and no arms/hands in the photo. Oh my! It took us three visits to the photo shop before we realized we would have better luck taking the photo on our own. After a few photo shoots, we managed to capture ONE good photo (that the guy at the photo shop had to photoshop!)

After sending in the paperwork, we received an email from the U.S. consulate with the date and time of an appointment in the Helsinki consulate, July 17 at 10:30 a.m. We decided to make a trip out of it and spent the night in Helsinki. Aspen's first train ride was a success as she slept most of the way there and back.

Our visit to the U.S. consulate went well. In less than one hour we met with a foreign service worker, they went through all of our paperwork, we paid 164 euro, and we signed off on all of the papers. Now to wait one month for the passport and nationality documents!

Aspen: Two Weeks Old

During tummy time, we discovered that Aspen is "developmentally awesome" (as we call it)...she can already lift her head.

Aspen: One Week Old

As we learn to live with a newborn, these quiet cuddle  moments are the best!

Our First Trip...Out of the House

We had to make our way back to the hospital for another blood draw to make sure that Aspen's bilirubin levels were stable. Good news...no more blue light, her bilirubin levels are normal!

Today was filled with a lot of firsts...

It was our first trip out of the house since coming home from the hospital yesterday.

It was the first time we tried out the pram/buggy/stroller (that we call the "SUV" because it is rather large and it is engineered to cut through snow, gravel, cobblestone, and anything else that gets in its way).

It was Aspen's first time on a public bus. 

It was the first time we went shopping to the grocery store with Aspen. 

And, it all went well...no major meltdowns. 

Aspen Sophia Makes Her Grand Appearance!

She's here and we are in love!

Aspen Sophia Weimer Mathies

June 24, 2013

10:15 p.m. 

3.66 kilos/8.07 pounds

20+ hours of labor (2.5 hours of pushing)

Midsummer: The Calm Before the Storm!

40 weeks with "Binsi Birth" gear!

Midnight sun...on the longest day of the year.

Midsummer is one of the biggest holidays in Finland. It marks the Summer Solstice and most Finns celebrate by going to their summer cottage or spending the weekend outside enjoying the midnight sun. For us, midsummer weekend was a "stay-cation" of total nesting (the calm before the storm). We kept talking to our baby in the belly and telling her that this weekend was not a good time to enter the world and she actually listened to her parents. It allowed us time to make one of our favorite and very time-intensive casseroles, Greek Moussaka, we took a few naps,

Thank you packages for hospital staff.

I made "thank you" packages for the hospital staff (see photo), we watched a movie, took a few walks along the lake (including a midnight walk on the longest day of the year) and we put the finishing touches on our new apartment.
Now I think we are officially ready for her to come into our world. 

It's Official...There are TWO Doctors in the House!

Nice! My parents sent this photo to my email inbox today. It's official...I have a PhD!

Presidential Fever

WOW! The votes are in...and guess who is the next EMA President? Me, me, me. I must admit I was shocked when I saw the results, because I was not even there, in person, at the General Assembly. (I could not travel to Barcelona this late in my pregnancy.) So, I made my presentation via Skype and PowerPoint...not the easiest way to win an election. Actually there were a few other things working against me too...new motherhood. But, the EMA community never ceases to amaze me and these election results are a true testament to how an international community values diversity in all shapes and sizes. Awesome! I am even more excited to lead EMA for the next two years.

Mack-daddy in Jyväskylä

After 10-days of traveling with my brother, my retired father decided to visit us in Jyväskylä for a few days before returning to the U.S. It was great to have him in our world, because he was able to meet our friends, see where we lived, and experience life in our shoes. We stayed in our old apartment (because of the extra bedroom), even though we had moved most of our stuff to the new apartment. Our time together was relaxing and included lots of good meals and even a trip to the big second-hand store for more furniture shopping. Love you, dad!

Moving!

We rented a moving van for 24 hours with only one mishap...a parking ticket for 60euro (ouch!) But, on the brighter side, we managed to move most of our stuff from the apartment and we also picked up a few important furniture items:
-a washing machine (that was FREE, from a friend of a friend),
-a bed, bookcase, and table with chairs (from a Canadian couple who was leaving Jyväskylä),
-end tables and a chair (from friends)

The rest of the furniture (desk, kitchen table, hutch for living room, and sectional couch) were delivered to us (so nice!) On a tangent, it is amazing that we were able to furnish the apartment in earnest...and every piece of furniture is second-hand. I went on a major tour of second hand stores and websites the past two weeks. Good thing I am on maternity leave!

New apartment

10 of our fabulous international friends helped us move everything which made it super fast and super easy for this pregnant lady! We treated everyone to pizza and beer after everything was moved in. Ah, now time to NEST (finally!) 

A BIG Birthday with Family...

In true Weimer family style, my brother had a 10-day holiday and so he convinced my father to take a European whirlwind tour (Helsinki and a few Baltic countries).

Enjoying the pub tram.

All of my favorite dudes feeling the LOVE!

Koff beer pub tram.

They flew into Helsinki just in time for my birthday weekend. So, Charlie and I hopped on a train and enjoyed a weekend with my family in Helsinki. We rented an apartment in the city center and made some killer meals, laughed until we cried, and even had a little dance party. I kept flashing my bare pregnant belly to my father because it freaked him out so much. They experienced all of my late third trimester joys (fat ankles, limited mobility, and constant visits to the bathroom).

On the pub tram at 38 weeks preggo!

Lucky them, now they really know I am pregnant! Our weekend included a picnic with falafal in a park, birthday cupcakes from Brooklyn Cupcakes, a beer tour on the Koff pub tram, and a visit to the international festival. A fun and memorable birthday weekend! 

Oulu: Never Grow Old!

Market Square Policeman...still keeping watch!

Instead of taking the overnight train back to Jyväskylä, we did an overnight in the hip-n-happening town of Oulu, the most populated city in Northern Finland. This was our first visit to Oulu and we really loved the vibe. The market square area at the seafront sports a super "cool" vibe with plenty of cafes, bars, and restaurants to choose from. There is also a small outdoor market and Kaupahalli (indoor market). Our palettes were surprisingly satiated as we stopped for dinner (and good beer for Charlie) at Sokeri-Jussin Kievari and ate delicious pancakes at Pannukakkutalo in the market square. A friend who grew up in Oulu suggested we stop by the Never Grow Old reggae bar for a drink and Charlie loved it so much he jumped for joy! With a water in hand and beer in Charlie's hand we cheered to my first day of maternity leave--woohoo! Now back to reality...time to furnish an apartment.

To Lapland for a Conference!

Midnight SUN!

I was invited to present my dissertation findings at a conference far North in Lapland. So, Charlie and I took this as an opportunity for one last travel adventure before the baby arrives. We took an overnight train to Rovaniemi and then a 2-hour bus to the ski resort town of Levi. A beautiful chalet welcomed us (2 bedroom with kitchen) at Hotel Panorama, perched high on the ski hill. We arrived a day earlier than the conference began and settled in quite quickly by cooking a few amazing meals and simply relaxing and resting (and sleeping in).

After making my presentation I realized that this may be (and should be) the last time I present on my dissertation topic. It was time to close this chapter of my life (say goodbye to my dissertation research topic). Very apropos, considering that the Doctoral graduation ceremony at UGA was 10 days prior. Although I was not there in person to endure the pomp and circumstance I was experiencing my own anti-climatic conclusion to an intense 4.5 years of my life. What a nice occasion for such a reflection!

Restaurant Day in Finland!

Four times a year Finland hosts a food carnival wherein restaurants pop-up for one day around the country. This food carnival is lovingly known as "restaurant day" and anyone can participate by opening a restaurant, cafe, or bar of their choice. They simply need to provide, bake, or cook the food, post the location (home, work, street corner, park, inner courtyard, etc.) of their restaurant to the website, advertise the menu and set-up the logistics, and prepare for a crowd of restaurant-goers eager to enjoy their cuisine.

Our Greek friend is an amazing baker and she teamed up with a group of people (The Crooks Go Veggie) offering a vegetarian feast. This is the pop-up restaurant we enjoyed!

Three euros for fresh coconut milk from Panama.

The menu:
Summery lentil, goat & beetroot paste wraps
Black bean and avocado-lime wraps
Pati’s quinoa salad
Cretan salad with mini spelt cheese pie from Syros Island
Fresh coconuts from Panama
Red velvet cake (our friend Aggeliki baked this)
 

Pregnant in Finland: A Midwife, Doula, and Box

Being pregnant in Finland has been a wild and wonderful ride. The reserved Finnish culture allows me to go about my daily business with very limited comments and advice from random strangers--which would be totally different if we were living in the U.S.

The waiting room in the Central Hospital.

But, that is not the only difference, here are a few others:

1.) Midwives: The maternity system here in Finland is midwife-centric. At the beginning of my pregnancy I was matched up with a lovely midwife who I/we (Charlie accompanied me to every visit) meet with a few times every month. Each visit I take the glucose/protein pee test, get my blood pressure and hemoglobin level monitored, check my weight gain and the fetal heart rate and we discuss anything and everything related to pregnancy (it usually goes like this: we ask 20 questions and she answers them ever so eloquently and knowledgeably). It has been so nice to have this support system throughout the roller-coaster ride of pregnancy. Bonus: our midwife ROCKS! She is so patient with us, answers all of our questions, and goes out of her way to explain the Finnish maternity system and cultural norms around pregnancy and parenthood. No question we ask is dumb and she has certainly educated us about pregnancy, labor, and postpartum issues.

Additionally, midwives (who are specially trained), not doctors, deliver babies. Only in medical emergencies are doctors called in (more on this after the delivery).

2.) Doula: When we were on the train headed home from Italy, we got stuck in Jämsä (a small town just 57 kilos/35 miles Southwest of Jyväskylä). There was a train accident earlier in the day and no trains were able to travel on the tracks between the two cities. As we waited, with 50 other passengers, for our ride home luck would have it we met our future Finnish doula. Her name is Kanerva and she was nice enough to translate the situation for us and then she proceeded to ask me how I was feeling. This led to a conversation about my pregnancy whereby she disclosed that she was a doula. She serves as a doula for a new organization, Baby Blues, established about one year ago. Of course, when she shared this information I could not contain my excitement as I was hoping to find a doula in Finland (primarily to help us navigate the Finnish birthing culture and to translate the language). We exchanged information and the next thing you know Kanerva (and her back-up doula) came to visit us. During the visit, we talked about their role, our expectations, and how we would work together. I have a lot of emotions (fear, anxiety, etc.) about the labor, so having a doula has helped downplay a lot of those emotions. 


3.) Baby box: Expecting parents receive a box of items for their baby, complements of the Finnish government. This year the box was designed to go along with the "World Design Capital " designation that Helsinki proudly embraced in 2012. We received our box and it was like Christmas as we opened it and ooohhhhed and awwwwwed over the abundance of items. Everything from a snow suit, blankets, neutral color clothes to socks, toiletries, and even condoms were included in the box. The box, itself, is specially engineered to serve as a baby bed. See video!

Apartment Hunting & Finding

Lutakko neighborhood: lakefront property!

The past two and a half weeks we have been frantically scavenging all of the housing websites looking for an apartment to move into come June 1. While we have our current apartment until the end of June, we really want to be moved and settled into a new flat BEFORE the baby dances her way into our life. At first, we were looking for a furnished apartment, but with no luck we are now considering unfurnished apartments. Ugh! An unfurnished apartment means that we have a lot of work ahead of us as we own NO furniture, kitchen items, or linens besides a desk chair and microwave. We have also extended the range of neighborhoods we are considering...and are now including an area called Lutakko which is South of the railroad station and very close to the big lake (albeit a little farther away from the city center).

The HUGE balcony in our future flat.

The great news is that we have found our dream apartment (after looking at approximately 15 other flats) in Lutakko. It is unfurnished, has two bedrooms (one small/one large), a sauna, HUGE balcony, wood floors, and it has loads of natural lighting. We looked at it a few days ago and have emailed with the owner a few times...looks like all is good and we will be signing the contract soon. Woohoo! Now, comes the fun part--furnishing it!

Vappu!

As you can see from the photo the first of May in Finland was on the chilly side, but that did not stop the carnival-like festivities from happening. Vappu is one of the biggest holidays in Finland and is known as "May Day". Typically, you see people wearing white sailor-looking hats (the high school graduation hat), drinking sima (a homemade mead), and picnicking at the local park while eating funnel cakes. Our international circle of friends decided to join the crowds and meet up for a picnic in Harju. The cold quickly settled into our bones and we moved the party to our friends flat in the city center where we watched the eclectic Vappu car show (an old time car show with many random American cars in the mix) from their window.

Another Finnish School Visit...Without Shoes.

We visited mama Anne's (our adopted Finnish mom) classroom again and this time with our other American friend, Shawn from New Jersey. Of course, when we entered the school we all took our shoes off...a Finnish tradition. The day consisted of visiting and presenting to approximately 10 classes of students. We made a presentation about life in the U.S. from the Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, and New Jersey perspectives. This school does not receive many international visitors because it is about 45 minutes north of Jyväskylä, so many of the students are shy to speak in English.

Italy: One Year Anniversary & Baby-Moon!

Our last airline trip and holiday together before our tiny dancer arrives. What a better place to spend our "baby-moon" then in one of our favorite countries--Italy! Charlie met me in Rome, after the EMA meeting, and we jumped on a train headed South to a sweet little seaside village called Gaeta. The one-hour train ride (from Rome) did not travel straight to Gaeta, so we jumped a 25-minute bus in Formia headed to our dreamy holiday spot. The comune of Gaeta is a picturesque Italian holiday spot, home to a NATO base, and part of the Regional Park of Riviera di Ulisse. We stayed at the il Vecchio B&B which had a killer balcony that looked out over the village and sea and the owner was great!

Sea Grotto at 29-weeks prego.

Our first night we discovered the best pizza spot where all of the locals were eating, Da Emilio. You know it is good when the tables are full and the patrons are all speaking Italian. Charlie ordered the house wine for 7 euro, thinking it would be a glass of wine (he was thinking he was still in Finland because 7 euro is the typical price for a glass of wine). Next thing you know a beautiful bottle of wine appears on our table. Too bad his pregnant bride could not help consume the Italian nectar...and so, our first night we were both in heaven as I ate pizza and Charlie got loopy on house wine. The next few days we laid on the beach, ate amazing Italian food, and hiked Mount Orlando which allowed for spectacular panoramic views of the village, castle, fortress, and sea. It was the perfect combination of everything we love about travel--relaxation, site-seeing, hiking, adventures, local culture, amazing food and drink, and sunshine.What a great way to celebrate our one-year anniversary and life pre-baby!