American Mom in Finland

I never imagined I would be writing a post about the dentist. How different can it be? But the dentist turns out to be a great venue to describe the practical differences between the Finnish and American medical systems without mentioning cost and insurance. I am lucky to have rather uneventful teeth, and I see the private system in both countries, so it’s a relatively fair comparison. For those who aren’t American, I’ll also review what is typical for an American dentist appointment. Check in: America: First, get to the appointment at least 15 minutes early in case they need you to fill out paperwork or rescan your insurance information. You definitely drove there, and it is probably in a building that only has other medical things. At most dentists or doctors, you won’t enter the actual office until at least 5-15 minutes after your appointment time. You wait in a common waiting room by the check in desk with some bad magazines and usually some basic children’s toys. Ev...

Well, friends, it's been three months since we returned from America and Soren started in Paivakoti. It's been a game changer for everyone. Let's talk about what paivakoti is, why we are using it, and what the biggest differences are from American day care. Paivakoti literally translates to day home in Finnish. It is a public service, closer to public schooling in the states, so placement is guaranteed within certain conditions. It covers every child over 1 until school age, which starts at 7. Although one is the minimum age, maternity leave is generous enough that many do not start until 3. Soren is attending out neighborhood Paivakoti for half days. The paivakoti is the first floor of the building, while school age classes are on the second floor. Soren has a group of roughly 15 kids, where he is the youngest, and the next youngest is 6 months older. He is the only one not walking, the only one doing half days, and the only one without a Finnish parent. But that isn...

We did it. We survived. Nine hour flights with a one year old. Eight hours of jet lag. Two cities, two families, way too much luggage. Having a baby that’s just learning to explore in the dirtiest environments possible. Going to museums but mostly just seeing the baby play areas.  It was a blast. I’m super glad we went. But two weeks later, and I think I finally might be recovered. Maybe. People said it would be harder traveling east and BOY were they not underestimating. The flight to the US was harder. It was a day flight, and with so many new people, Soren was in party mode. He stayed up for 7.5 hours straight, which is a new record for this little guy (and not in a good way). But he was so tired when we arrived that he slept most of that first night, which really helped. The flight home was a night flight, and Soren dutifully slept for most of it. We were thrilled, and actually got to nap and catch some movies. But we had a full week of 3AM wake-ups with ...

Look at this big boy! We couldn't be more proud. After some baby physical therapy and a lot of kneeling playtime practice to build strength, Soren is FINALLY CRAWLING! He put it together the day before his birthday and he is so excited about his new skill! I guess what they say is true - as soon as you accept that they will never crawl and move on, they figure it out! Things are changing so fast now. It seems like he's learning a new trick every time he wakes up from a nap! And we really need to catch up on baby proofing! I made Soren a birthday "cake" of zucchini bread with frosting and strawberries. Much as I expected, Soren loved the strawberries, tolerated the bread, and hated the frosting. So mom got to eat the rest :D Spring is finally here! The ice has finally melted in the sea outside our apartment, and I don't think I ever realized how much I missed the view of moving water. The Finns are, much like Wisc...