When a child is born ........

[Fjgrogan]

I am in the process of preparing with some trepidation to fly to Finland for the imminent arrival of Grandchild Number Two (gender as yet unknown). Trepidation because I dislike air travel - I am not bothered by the actual flying, but I get decidedly twitchy about hanging around in airports, all that noise and bustle and general uncertainty! I fly out from Heathrow on Sunday and am not yet sure when I shall return. I have a 3 and a half hour wait in Stockholm, before the last 40 minute leg of the journey to Turku. So if anyone would be so kind as to send some positive vibes (aka prayer, but it is probably non-PC to say that!) in my direction, then I would appreciate it. Also for Maria of course. Technically she has two weeks to go, but because she has gestational diabetes they are going to do a 38 week scan on Thursday and decide whether to induce her slightly early. In practical terms that might be easier because her husband (my lovely Finnish son-in-law, Jarmo) has to be away in Helsinki just on the date that the baby is due, and it might make matters easier if Maria and baby could be back home from hospital before that happens.

Trepidation also because I do not speak any Finnish. I have scoured my phrase book but it definitely doesn't have an entry for 'Help, my daughter is in labour; her waters have broken'. Apparently Hanna (age 3 and bi-lingual) has recently started actually translating from one language to the other (mainly for her mother's benefit) but it seems unreasonable to expect her to know that particular phrase. She is looking forward to being a big sister and apparently throws her arms round the bump and says 'Hello, I am Hanna, I am your big sister'. Part of my duty whilst being a 'hands-on' Grandma for a change will be ferrying Hanna to and from playschool on the bus - actually several buses, because I don't drive; nor does Maria. I'm not much looking forward to that either, to be honest!

At the moment I am packing a heavy box with the baby stuff that has been lurking in our loft and I am horrified at the cost of transporting it. Nor is it easy to estimate the weight of the box - it is too big for our usual method of standing on the bathroom scales with it and subtracting my own weight! Then some of it will have to come back in a few months time when Grandchild Number Three is due, to Kirri, this time in Aylesbury. I thought I had almost got the packing sorted but then realised that it is probably easier to wash and dry all these baby clothes here before I leave than to have to haul them down to the basement washing machine at Maria's and then have them drying on every available surface for days - so back to unpacking and repacking. Also my suitcase got damaged last trip, so I am scouring the Argos catalogue and checking the measurements to make sure that whatever I get has at least the same capacity as the old one, and is preferably as easy to identify on a baggage carousel as the old one, which was huge and hideous and purple, but easy to spot.

So, watch this space ......... anything could happen in the next few weeks, and probably will.

[englishangel]

I think most Finns speak quite good English don't they? and you can always resort to mime, that should be fun.

I am the other way round, I love airports, but dislike flying, well taking off and landing, the bit in between is OK but the bits at each end are unfortunately mandatory.

[J.R.]

I hope all goes well !

(I absolutely adore flying !)

[Ajarn Philip]

Brilliant post, Frances, loved every word and will be banging gongs, spinning drums and sending many positive thoughts in your direction (both of you).

Trepidation also because I do not speak any Finnish. I have scoured my phrase book but it definitely doesn't have an entry for 'Help, my daughter is in labour; her waters have broken'. Apparently Hanna (age 3 and bi-lingual) has recently started actually translating from one language to the other (mainly for her mother's benefit) but it seems unreasonable to expect her to know that particular phrase.

Particularly enjoyed that bit...

[midget]

Prayers will be said ,particularly if it annoys the PC brigade.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Yes yes yes !
I may be non-PC but you have got prayers !
I think the Finns are wonderful -- Most of the Scandanaviens speak English --- Did you know that the only similar language to Finnish is Hungarian , neither of which is similar to any other language !
Attila the Hun arrived at the Danube with two or more Sons -- One founded BUDA (Opposite Pest) and the other went North to take over Finland.
I can get along , reading most Nordic languages --- but those two !
We all look forward to the Great Day and your News.
My 4th Grandchild was born 14 weeks ago --- his Brother is 20 ! and we have two G G children in between !
My Elder Granddaughter (35) remarked "Oh no!-- not another Evans Male !" -- She was the first girl for over 150 years !
(But one mustn't have favourites ! ! )
Again --- our best Wishes and Prayers !

[Fjgrogan]

Thank you all. Yes, Neill, I do realise about Finnish only being related to Hungarian, possibly. I used to think of myself as a linguist, but Finnish has me beaten - it has 15 cases for a start. Maria has lived there now for almost two years and is still hesitant to speak it much, although she seems to understand it - I suspect that 3-year-old Hanna may have overtaken her orally. It is fascinating to watch her develop linguistically. She seems to know which people to speak which language to, although she does sometimes attempt to speak Finnish to Maria, with no success! She would never dream of speaking Finnish to me. Obviously we have been over to Turku several times, so I am aware that most people do speak English, with the unfortunate exception of Maria's parents-in-law, who are somewhat older than us (in fact Jarmo's father and my father are the same age and must have fought on opposite sides in WWII). It is so frustrating not to be able to have a conversation with them about our shared grandchild! We have to make do with hugs and smiles, which don't work on the telephone!

By the way, my son-in-law insists that Finland is not Scandinavian, but Finno-Skandian - I have no idea what the difference is meant to be.

John, thank you for the info about Keith. I'm not sure whether Maria has contacted him yet. I know she intends to, but I guess she has other matters on her mind at the moment.

[Fjgrogan]

Any suggestions for the best answer to the question 'Mummy, how will the baby get out of your tummy?' Grandma's response - 'If you think that is a problem, just wait until she starts asking how it got in there!'

[MarkB]

Any suggestions for the best answer to the question 'Mummy, how will the baby get out of your tummy?' Grandma's response - 'If you think that is a problem, just wait until she starts asking how it got in there!'

My cousin solved the conception problem question with 'Daddy sowed a seed in Mummy's tummy', to which his 3 year old daughter promptly asked if there had been a picture of her on the packet.

Good wishes,
Mark

[englishangel]

My son had seen a film of twins being born by the time his brother and sister came along (he was 3 at the time) so he knew where they came from, and wasn't really interested in how they got there. Not for another few years anyway.

The TV show was 'Jimmy's' or some such and the same program had showed a kidney transplant and he was much more interested in the fact that "urine -that's wee-wee - is made by your kiddleies"

[Fjgrogan]

Maria will hate me for this ............... When I was expecting Kirri, Maria was about 4. I left her watching a children's programme on television while I went upstairs. When I came down again the television had moved onto a schools programme, and Maria greeted me with 'Mummy, guess what? Babies come out of your bum!'

[mvgrogan]

Gee Thanks!!

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I always found that, when asked the question, I answered factually, and no more than that,a child of 5, doesn't want to know about Genes, Sexually transmitted diseases, People who are "Cut on the Bias ", or any of the extraeneous matters which spring to the Parent's mind.
My Babies are 55 and 50 and seem to have had no problem in reproducing ---- perhaps they read books !

[Fjgrogan]

Aaagh! Panic is starting to set in! Today is the day of the deciding scan, but I don't know what time. The big box containing car seat attachments etc is still here and delivery not yet arranged - I felt I might need to know its final weight before contacting a courier, but I am still adding to it. Also yesterday I went to Argos to buy digital luggage scales, and they were out of stock, arriving today after 3 pm, so I have reserved them and despatched husband to collect them. I did however buy an enormous suitcase on wheels - the old one got damaged on a previous trip. Some of the stuff to go in the big box will be arriving this morning with the Tesco online grocery delivery - you cannot buy cheddar cheese in Finland; what they call cheddar is more like edam! Also various caffeine free rooibos teas - they are however very good on gluten-free stuff, but it helps if you can read the supermarket packaging. (at one time I toyed with the idea of learning Swedish rather than Finnish on the grounds that at least the vocabulary might bear some resemblance to German, which I have learnt in the past. Turku was once Swedish, so most things, like road signs are in both languages - Hanna will probably learn Swedish at school once she is old enough.)

In the midst of all the chaos I have a visitor calling this afternoon whom I have not met since 1983, so I could hardly put him off. My cousin who normally lives in Thailand is over here at the moment and he will be returning to Thailand before I am back from Finland. It will be good to see him - we have e-mailed a bit about the family tree - but I shall probably be twitching and checking my watch all the time I am passing the biscuits. So, Philip, get those gongs banging and prayer wheels spinning - a thought, pardon my ignorance, but I thought that Buddhism did not acknowledge a God, so to whom are they praying?

[Ajarn Philip]

... but I thought that Buddhism did not acknowledge a God, so to whom are they praying?

Good point and a good question - one I've asked myself (in both senses). To answer seriously, most Thai Buddhists have very little serious knowledge of the real philosophy of Buddhism, which, of course, is not technically a religion. They are generally under the impression that Buddha was undoubtedly Thai, and if you ask someone his name, you are faced with a blank stare. The whole 'merit' system seems to be based on 'quid pro quo' - more like brownie points...

Anyway, back to topic, you really sound as though you need to relax... - I'd suggest a good oil massage. In fact, that would be a fantastic idea for some of the latest super-airbus planes with thousands of seats, bars, restaurants and a few hundred hotel suites - an airborne massage would calm the most nervous flier!