Therapy

One thing that can cost quite the pretty penny for folks in North America is therapy.
Whether it's physiotherapy, mental therapy or speech therapy (I know there are more kinds out there but cannot list them all) - it'll cost you.
Some employers offer their employees free therapy at certain therapist offices...which is great!  And which I have used in the past to get over some troubling events in my life.

Never would I have thought that I would need to get my 2-year old therapy.
Well, in Finland - for children- therapy is free (so I've been told).
Why does my 2-year old require some therapy?

Well, V�in� is 2-years old and doesn't speak at all.  Some relatives on my husband's side didn't speak until they were older than that...but we thought it was odd because let's face it: I talk a lot.
That and he's surrounded by languages...English and Finnish and a little Portugese!! (Good friends of ours are from Brazil and visit regularly).
But it's not just the lack of speech that had us concerned at first.
We noticed that V�in� may love his DVDs to the point of obsession...and he doesn't play with toys at all....he loves books though but doesn't look at them page by page either.  Lately he hasn't played on any of the playground equipment either!!  And he normally LOVES the swings!  Perhaps it's because the swing seats are cold because of the winter...but still....
If you pointed at something - he wouldn't look at the item or spot you were pointing to..he'd rather look at your finger.
95% of people he sees on a semi-regular basis - he's terrified of.  We can't figure it out...he just ignores them and if they try to hold him - he goes wild.  And not the "I just won a million Euros!!!" wild either.
And the hardest thing is that V�in� doesn't listen.  I'm positive he understands what we're saying - but if he's bouncing everywhere - no matter how many times I clap my hands, yell, sit him down on a time out - he just goes back to jumping as soon as my back is turned.
(The list could go on forever...don't get me wrong - there are plenty of wonderful things about V�in� too!)
This has all been very frustrating...I am willing to admit that it has sometimes put a strain on our relationship with our son and between my husband and I too.  After much discussion we finally decided to be open-minded and realize that perhaps it's something a tad more serious than being a "spirited child" as we originally thought.

Thanks to having regular Neuvola appointments with my youngest, the nurse has been asking about V�in� regularly and back in December she recommended a speech therapist.
I was there again last week and advised her that nobody has called to make an appointment yet - so she got on them for me and this morning I got a phone call from a local speech therapist.
AND the speech therapist is going to request a young child-psychologist sees V�in� as well!  This is great.

We are suspecting that V�in� may have some spectrum of Autism or Asperger's Syndrome and we're trying as hard as possible to get not only the help he needs but the advice we need to help him grow and be more sociable.
(Poking other kids in their eyes can be cute only for so long - right?)

I'll keep you updated on this journey - not that I enjoy spreading my personal life on the internet in this fashion, however, I hope this can reach other parents that perhaps live in Finland  (or another country) and I want you to know how things go here.  And that there's nothing wrong with getting some help when you need it.

Neuvola

I was looking around today, while both boys were sleeping and realized there's a lot I can blog about.

This is the mother's card - or the prenatal booklet you bring with you when you're pregnant.  You get a new one of these for each pregnancy.

The inside opens up with your blood type, details of each appointment (i.e. blood pressure, weight, size of the belly, hemoglobin levels, pH levels in your urine, baby's heart beat etc.)

On the other side there's info about your labour.
You also get a copy of your labour chart before you leave the hospital and the mid-wife or nurse will go over it with you.

Something else I've probably mentioned before but never posted photos of - was the kids' Neuvola booklets.
You're given one booklet per child at your child's 1-month Neuvola appointment.  Don't lose it and remember to bring it with you every time you go to the Neuvola.  It's a record-keeper of their vaccines, measurements and weight and any other notes that the doctor or care-givers (I refer to them as "nurses" personally but it's not the actual term when translated in Finnish) may need to make.
They do record everything on the computer as well - but if the electricity ever went out (which we have yet to experience) or if you went to the hospital - they may not necessarily have access to the Neuvola records immediately.
(I just keep mine in the diaper/every-day bag personally....)

The Neuvola provides little plastic booklet holders for your booklets.

The Neuvola booklet

A list of vaccines near the back ("KK" means months and is referring to the age of the child on the left-hand side).

The newer booklet holder

Only has 2 pockets...

The inside of the booklets are different too!
Left is the newer version and the right is the old one (2009)...first page is completely different.

In Canada - we don't get such things.  We just bring the child in (or your pregnant belly) and they have folders with all the information there.

The doctors and nurses do NOT have computers in their office to in-put your information and book your next appointment either...at least mine didn't.  I had to make my next appointment with the receptionist at the front desk.