Hotpot & shopping

We have been in China for nearly 5 days and minibeanie is still living in the Finnish timezone ;) He poops at 2pm when he usually poops at 7am in Finland; goes to bed at 2am here when his 'usual' time is 8pm in Finland and appears drowsy when we wake him up at 9am in Chengdu to feed him :P

In between minibeanie's feed & naps, here are what we have been up to...

Szechuan Hotpot

Apparently, minibeanie wanted to try!

We'd the yuanyang version - chicken & szechuan pepper (huajiao) soups. That red-hot chili pepper soup would probably make a good torture instrument in antiquity. That stuff is numbing and hot all at once...and it lingers on long after that first sting. It would take an iron stomach and a few loose screws up there to be eating much from that soup. As a (crazy) Finn, DH qualified for the latter; but apparently, an iron stomach he had not, because he paid the price the next morning. "Double spicy," he said.

JinLi Street

Once the commercial heart of the old kingdoms, this ancient street has been fully restored in traditional Sichuan style. Little stalls selling traditional handicrafts and local snacks line the street. It was an enjoyable stroll in the cold winter night. I don't know why exactly but minibeanie caused quite a stir. I don't know if it was the sight of a rather tall laowai pushing a funking looking pram or if it was just how adorable minibeanie was, regardless, we were stopped every few meters by locals gushing, "how cute!" and "what a good boy he is!" Some even wanted to take pictures with him! He had fans ;)


minibeanie is 5 months, 2 weeks & 4 days old

The flight to Chengdu

On my new year eve post, I toasted to adventure. And adventure was what we got on our flight to Chengdu. What was supposed to be an 18 hour travelling time for Helsinki-Munich-Beijing-Chengdu, already an arduous journey in my opinion with a 5 month old baby, turned into a more than 24 hour trip. The Air China Beijing-Chengdu flight was delayed for 6 hours due to bad weather and it was made worse by the lack of information when it would actually take off. Apparently, Chengdu wasn't the only destination affected. Our first encounter with China was actually a very angry mob at the Air China ticketing counter where several folks had missed connecting flights and meetings. Very high octane and decibel exchanges :P

When we *finally* got onto the Chengdu bound flight, there was tremendous relief that we were finally on our way. However, when we disembarked on the tarmac, we were amazed that it was a rather small terminal. (For Finns, the airport was really similar to the Rovaniemi airport) We took pictures of the sign that said "Chengdu" with an arrow and of the Air China plane. When we tried to get out of customs, we were told that no, that wasn't Chengdu after all; we were in fact in Dazhou :D At this point, you were probably thinking that we boarded the wrong flight and although that would be quite a story, we were thankfully at a transit stop. The Chengdu flight (same plane) left half an hour later and after 45 minutes, we were finally there. By then, it was nearly midnight and all of us seriously jet-lagged.

Poor minibeanie was a little confused with his sleeping and eating habits.


minibeanie is 5 months, 2 weeks & 1 day old

China

What a whirlwind of activities the past week had been! After weeks of weighing 2 options, only to have the 1 that we were really excited about shot down and then haggling on the terms of the offer, we finally accepted it. So, it is official. We'll be spending at least the next year in Chengdu, China.

In fact, the ink is hardly dried when we had to prepare for the pre-visit where the contract is officially signed and an apartment found. The challenge lies in flying with a 5 month old baby and ensuring that he has enough milk & playthings to keep him entertained and happy. All in, we now have 7 pieces of checked-in luggage nearly maxing our 70kg baggage allowance. And by the way, that doesn't even include the Stokke pram that the airline allows for infants.

The flights are tomorrow but ironically, none of us have our passports! :D DH & minibeanie's are still at the Chinese embassy's - where apparently a 1-day visa takes 3 days. I think there had been some heated words exchanged between DH & the travel agency in charge. As for my passport (no visa needed, thankfully!), it's sitting somewhere in the mother-of-all-Finnish bureaucracies - the Immigration Police. These incompetent, pencil-pushing technocrats 'debate' with a pulla (bun) on 1 hand and a cup of coffee on the other, whether to extend an immigrant's / resident's residence permit for another 2 years. Meanwhile, they are at liberty to hold your passport for up to 6 freaking months without a guarantee on when you'll see your passport again. At the risk of sounding elitist, no mitigating factors are considered. Not my degree from Finland's most established school, not my relatively well paying job, not the fact that I have a son who's Finnish, not even the fact that I've stayed here for more than 4.5 years. Did I mention that I HATE the Immigration Police?

Sorry for digressing :P yes, so tomorrow we'll leave for Chengdu.... but not before DH getting my passport and I heading to the company clinic for some vaccinations. Fingers crossed and prayers said that minibeanie will behave himself for the 3 flights and 18 hours.

minibeanie is 5 months, 1 week & 5 days old

Hello 2008!

We're literally at the 11th hour before the new year. I can hear the distant boom of firecrackers set off by revellers around the city; occasionally, the night sky lights up with a shower of gold, red, green & blue streaks and stars.

But we are holed up at home. minibeanie is sound asleep, DH is suffering from tonsillitis and I'm about to drop from fatigue. But before I turn to bed, it's customary for a moment of reflection - after all, it's New Year's Eve ;)

2007 has been a mixed year for me. There was of course the arrival of minibeanie, an indescribable blessing. I turned in my thesis paper, graduated (finally!) from the master's programme and made it to the Dean's list. But there was also huge sadness. I lost my dad of whom I was particularly close to. I miss you, pa. But despite everything, I'm thankful for the many blessings. Onwards to 2008. There's excitement on the horizon as we would be heading to China. I shall leave it at that; more details will follow in time. Here's to adventure, happiness and good health for the new year!

minibeanie 2 days ago

minibeanie is 5 months & 5 days old

Cinderfella

I get why people say the first year is the best. Every week, every month, this little bundle transforms into an amazing tiny person. I never know when he will manage to push himself up from his arms in the belly position to start crawling (currently, he's beached like a whale) or when a pearly white will peek through his gums. But despite being an impatient person who prefers the 'Now', this waiting game is the best though.

Sentiments aside, my rave du jour is Pediped shoes. How cute are those little thingies?? I mean, I'm never one of those women who have 50 pairs of shoes; instead, I'm Ms.Practical who will have 1 pair of comfy shoes that will be worn to its bone. But I'm just going ga-ga over those adorable Pedipeds. In retrospect, I think minibeanie is just my Cabbage Patch doll whom I'm dressing up :D ...But if you're a parent, you'll quite likely know that a pair of Pediped costs an atrocious amount for something so tiny. But but... but, they are just toooo cute!

minibeanie is 5 months & 1 day old

The Best-est Christmas Present

It's minibeanie's first Christmas :) And as tradition dictates, we have our Christmas Eve dinner at his mummi's (grandmother) place. There is the usual spread: leg of ham, my almost famous graavilohi (salted salmon), three types of pickled herring, roe with sour cream and three different types of casseroles (potato, swede & carrot). It is a table that will feed an army let alone 3 adults (2 of whom are trying to lose some weight ;) and a little guy.

I guess minibeanie has been a good boy so far ;)

He seems to like the toy that daddy has gotten for him from Munich. For that matter, everything must be tasted & chewed on at least once!


We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! :)

God bless.

minibeanie is 4 months & 4 weeks

Baby wearing

A running joke is that a parent learns how to do everything with 1 hand. Making phone calls (the conference call function is real handy!), typing emails, making toast... it's a wonder how 1 hand can balance the baby on the lap/hip, keep his curious flailing hands from mortally endangering himself while the other hand completes the task set out to do. And so, even as I perfect the art of filling my Bialetti moka pot with coffee with 1 hand, I decided a baby carrier is called for.

A sarong sling doesn't work for me since it's such a struggle positioning the baby in the sling. I mean, I can never get it comfortable on myself - too loose and the baby is about to fall out, too tight and he looks cramped, too low and it's almost as if the sling is at my knee... Too many 'too's.

And so I was back on the lookout for something that is idiot-proof, safe and doesn't break my back. I narrowed it down to 2 choices - BabyBjörn Synergy & Ergo Baby Carrier.

BabyBjörn Synergy

• + good back support
• + use of mesh materials is good for warmer climate
• + baby can face front or towards you in front
• - no hip support
• - carries only up till 12kg
• - does not carry baby on your back

Ergo

• + good back support
• + good hip support
• + carries kid up till 5 years old (on the back of course!)
• + baby may be carried from the front (in-facing), back or hip
• + 1" thick shoulder pads for comfort
  
• - may be hot in warmer climate
• - does not allow baby to face forward while on your front

I've read rave reviews about the Ergo so we went to a store yesterday that stocked the Ergo carrier to test it out. DH was sold instantly. It was the hip support - carrying 40kg of mines and bazookas on your back does make one look at hip supports slightly differently ;) For me, the proof is in the pudding. minibeanie fell asleep in the Ergo as I was trying it out in the store!


minibeanie is 4 months, 3 weeks & 6 days old

ps. the shortest day of the year is over! From now on, hello to more sunshine!

Crap!

I think minibeanie has a cold. He'd a slight fever on Wednesday, forcing me to cancel a lunch date cum shopping trip in the city. No matter. Things however has taken a turn for the worse today. The fever is gone but his appetite is affected and he is down with diarrhoea. By 7 in the evening, he has had 7 poopy diapers!

Ear infection is ruled out with a visit to the clinic today. Well, so I guess we just have to ride this one out :(

Back to the subject of poop. Guess what happened when I tried to take the rectal temperature this morning? I felt something warm and wet... yes, poopy diaper #2 in progress! :D

minibeanie is 4 months, 3 weeks & 3 days old

Update: Feeding solids

Thank you, all of you who took part in the poll :) The majority of you started at 5 months although the weighted average is slightly over 5.5 months. My personal take is, I'll revisit the issue in about a month or so. Somehow, it doesn't feel like the right time yet.

The ideas given by Clara & Nonka (re: comments on the post) are highly interesting & unconventional by 'normal' standards. 'Normal' is of course a highly subjective concept -what's normal and acceptable with one belief system may be strange to another. By 'normal', I thus mean the Anglo-Saxon books and websites that I've been reading. A different approach doesn't mean it is wrong. Regardless, I do know with drop-dead certainty that I'll be feeding minibeanie on a diet as varied as possible. The epicurean world doesn't just revolve around potatoes and rice porridge as the Finnish system would have one believe.

... I suspect this is just the beginning of the food topic ;)

minibeanie is 4 months, 2 weeks & 4 days old

A day of MESS

Poop, throw-up, throw-up again & pee all in 1 day. Not in the diapers where the poop & pee belong but everywhere.

At 8:30, I was unceremoniously woken up by a loud thump in the bathroom that was followed by some Finnish cuss words. It was DH who was filling up minibeanie's bath tub with water. This was highly unusual since minibeanie never takes his bath at 8 in the morning. Then I discovered why, minibeanie had pooped and thrown up twice in quick succession so that him & daddy had been holed up in the bathroom for 1 hour 15 minutes. Little wonder for the Finnish cuss word that began with 'v'. sigh, like the saying goes, shit happens :P

To round up the day, as minibeanie was taking an afternoon nap on our bed, he peed. No biggie except that his diapers were undone! How on earth did that happen?!?! So I guess all the sheets and quilt need to be washed after this. The little devil!

chewing on daddy's thumb

U mean I can't do that?

minibeanie is 4 months, 2 weeks & 3 days old

A turn of events

minibeanie turned over for the first time today! :) It was obviously a huge effort with all the grunting & huffing and almost equivalent to a little Everest for the little 'un, I'd imagine. And when he was finally on his tummy, he couldn't get his arm out from under him and so, more grunts of frustration followed.

Sigh, I expect the baby-being-where-u-left-it era to end rather soon. For the past 4 months, let's face it, they stay where you leave them. Now, vigilance is increasingly needed because minibeanie still hasn't mastered the art of returning to status quo.

Success!

minibeanie is 4 months, 2 weeks & 1 day old

Baby swimming - Lesson #2

It was our 2nd baby swimming lesson today. minibeanie appeared to enjoy the water a little bit more than the 1st lesson. He seemed a little less tentative and even splashed a little and smiled. He even 'razzed' ("pfffffffftttt" accompanied by bubbly drool) which was his way of saying he was enjoying it :D

There were preparatory stuff we had to do at home even before taking the 1st dip in the pool. First off, we'd to lower his bath temperature to 32c gradually and then, he had to get used to the sound and sensation of the shower by showering with him. I guess that was scary to some little ones...

It was a small pool of 20m or so. There were toys such as ducks, pails, floating mats and tube floats bobbing around. 8 to 10 babies were in the group from 4 to 7 months or so (that's my guess, because they look like GM babies otherwise.... u know, similar to those humongous gigantic pumpkins) The session started by everyone forming a circle and singing a song with a little bit of splashing as warm up. Then, each baby & parents drifted off to do their own thing.

For our 1st lesson last week, we were instructed on the various ways to hold minibeanie safely. The objective was to get him acquainted to the sensation of weightlessness and all the sounds & sights at the pool. The most important thing was to have fun :) We think the overall experience was a little overwhelming for minibeanie because he had his "what's-going-on" look which was big button eyes, knitted eye brows & puckered lips forming an 'O'. He was a brave sport though and didn't bawl.

Then, for our 2nd lesson today, the instructor wanted to see if he still had the diving reflex. If minibeanie held his breath with water running down his face, he still had it which meant that we could proceed with diving next week! How exciting!! To do that, we demonstrated to him twice with water pouring out of a tiny pail; on the third time, the water went over his shoulder, before finally pouring the water over his head. Phew, thankfully, he hadn't forgotten 9 months of holding his breath :) He didn't complain which was a really good thing.

After a few more tries and horsing around in the pool, the half hour session ended with a group sing-a-long. Oh yes, some practicalities. Hygiene was paramount for obvious reasons. Everyone had to shower before getting into the pool and each baby had to wear a pair of swimming trunks or bodysuit with swimming diapers....just in case of u know what. Apparently, there were 11 poopy incidents last year which resulted in the company having to change the water in the pool at €400 a pop. I say, how embarrassing for the parents who had to put up their hands in the pool and say, "err... I think our son just pooped..." I would imagine every parent to swim as fast and far away from the poor tiny offender and his parents as they could :D


minibeanie is 4 months, 1 week & 6 days old

Wibbit

Parenthood brings out the Bollywood theatrics in all of us. We sing whether it's off-key or with silly lyrics made up on the fly, tell an entire story in 5 different voices and derive joy springing out from behind walls. Thankfully, it's generally easy to amuse minibeanie as he's by and large, a good natured boy :)

We'd some fun today at an Austrian cafe today. A game that never fails to occupy minibeanie is the 'Burp Cloth Tickle'. Just lightly trail or swipe the cloth from toes to face. It's amazing how much joy can be found in a sometimes cheesy smelling piece of cloth! :D


Apparently, "wibbit" is also a reeeeally funny word as we found out ;)

minibeanie is 4 months, 1 week & 3 days old

happenings...

Gosh gosh.... it's been a long time since the last the blog :P We'd been extremely busy what with my driving theory test, going-ons at DH's office, Christmas baking & minibeanie's 1st swimming lesson!

• Driving theory test - passed. just & just :D
• Going-ons at DH's office - will have more to update on this department soon.
• Christmas baking - made some butterscotch buttons dipped in chocolate & topped with candied orange. There are still the gingerbread cookies to go.
• minibeanie's 1st swimming lesson - it was fun! Once I get hold of the pictures we took, there will be a blog entry on it.

So, where does this leave us? Let's see... a week ago, we had some Dutch-Finnish friends over with their 3 kids. The youngest is Sara, 3 months older than minibeanie.

And here are the 2 babies 3.5 months ago, when minibeanie was just a 2 week old baby. He was such an ikan bili then! :D


Btw, I've also added a couple of pix to the A date at the movies post :)

minibeanie is 4 months, 1 week & 1 week old