The Thin Beer

Sean Visits Hannah in Copenhagen

At the end of September we flew to Germany for a week (more on that soon!).  As part of our journey to the Copenhagen airport we stayed overnight with old friends of ours in the city.  We all had a great time visiting with each other.  Sean really enjoyed hanging out with Hannah and her new baby sister Vera. Here Hannah and Sean are enjoying a meal together:

Here Sean and Hannah are hiding behind the sofa:

Here everyone is getting ready for bed with a few stories about trucks from Kevin:

We had not seen Hannah and her parents in more than a year...so it was a real treat to spend time with them again and to meet the newest member of the family.  We cannot wait to visit again!

Skadestuen

The Danish word "skade" means injury or damage (like the English word "scathe") and "stue" is a room, so "skadestuen" is literally the injury room ("-en" or "-et" at the end of a noun means the definite article "the").  A less literal translation is "the emergency room" (the TV show "ER" is "Skadestuen" in Denmark).

We had our first trip to the emergency room with Sean.

On Wednesday night, he was walking back from the grocery store with us.  He was doing a great job walking and holding his parents' hands.  Holding hands is something very new for him---previously he wanted to be so independent that he would melt down if we took his hand.  Without holding our hand, though, the city doesn't offer him many chances to walk, so he spent a lot of time in his stroller or being carried.  However, on Wednesday he finally seemed to realize that as long as he held a hand he could walk forever.  (I also think he was able to imagine that he was leading us.)

It was too bad that he got scathed right when he was learning to take our hand.  He was walking near our house when he stumbled and fell, all the while still holding onto his mother's hand.  He immediately started crying.  He knows enough words now that he could tell us what was wrong ("elbow", though he uses that word in general for the whole arm), and he says "ow" when he's hurt.  There was obviously something wrong with his elbow---he cried about it and would not move his left arm at all.  So this was our second major opportunity to deal with the Danish health care system.

In Denmark, for everything except emergency room cases, one normally contacts their family doctor first (for emergencies, you just go to skadestuen, though you should call ahead of time or on your way there and put yourself into the queue to be seen.)  In the evening or at night, when the family doctor is closed, there is the "vagtlæge".  Literally, this is the "guard doctor"---it's the night doctor who handles cases that don't exactly warrant skadestuen but won't wait for the family doctor in the morning.  You also call vagtlægen before going---I don't think they will see you if you haven't called.  Presumably this is so they can tell you to wait until the morning if it's not really serious.  When we called and described the situation, they told us to come in and have it looked at.

After a quick bus ride and a short wait, we were seen by the night doctor.  Sean probably had a subluxation of the elbow.  That is, the elbow joint was partly dislocated.  The doctor explained what happened, gently stretched the arm, and Sean seemed more comfortable (though still in pain) and even started bending it.  We took him home, gave him Panodil (think Tylenol) and put him to bed.

Thursday morning, it still seemed very sore and he was now not using that arm at all.  We called our family doctor, and after hearing the problem she told us to call the emergency room and try to go there.  The emergency room told us to come in.

At the emergency room, we waited to be seen.  Sean was in a good mood, laughing and playing (though with his left arm hanging dead at his side).  He was examined by the doctor who thought it would be all right and confirmed that it was probably an elbow subluxation (see here or here).  They did take X-rays of the arm to be sure about it, though, and everything looked fine on the X-rays.

All in all, it was an OK experience.  All we needed was Sean's CPR number.  There was no paperwork, and there will be no bills (or rather, it's all rolled into the tax bill).  In retrospect, it was good to learn how to call vagtlægen and skadestuen, and how to get there, without having a really serious emergency.  The system seemed to work fine for us, and it is really pretty easy but it does take some experience to understand how things are "normally" done.

Sean is doing OK now.  His arm still hurts and he will need a week or so to get back to normal.  He needs more help to play now (he can't do anything except run and swing at the park and he needs help swinging; he's not able to do much with his Duplos one-handed).

A big weekend

It was a warm weekend, with highs near 80.  We spent the weekend together as a family, and mostly just took it easy.

On Saturday, we rode a bus out to a town named Tilst, because there is a new Trek bicycle shop that opened out there last month.  I wanted to drool over the road bikes, and show Angela the city bikes.  All the bicycles were a huge hit with Sean, and he really wanted to sit on the kids' trikes.  He found the mannequins dressed in cycling clothes disturbing, though.

After that, because we were already out there, we walked over to a store called Bilka.  It's basically the Danish equivalent of Wal-mart.  On a Saturday, it is packed.  Again, Sean was fascinated by the bikes.  He cried a little when we had to take him away from them.  I think stores and crowds like that are just too much stimulation for small children.

On Sunday, we rode a bus up to the beach north of Aarhus.  It was our first time to the beach this year, and we didn't go at all last year (when we were living in Copenhagen).  We slathered on the sunscreen, and only stayed out for about 40 minutes.  At first, Sean was nervous about the water (it was very warm for this time of year, but probably colder than he expected).  We played in the sand with him, filling his bucket, and eventually he just jumped up and trotted over to the water.  After that, he enjoyed letting it wash over his feet and filling his bucket with it.  He just wanted to approach it on his own terms.

We have started doing a new thing: after dinner, and before his bedtime, we go out into the garden behind our apartment and run around or throw his rubber ball around.  It really makes him giggle.

Happy grundlovsdag!

Tuesday was grundlovsdag (constitution day), a holiday.  Denmark has a glut of holidays in May and early June: store bededag (great prayer day) in early May, then usually Kristi himmelfartsdag (ascension Thursday, it floats around with Easter), then pinsedag (Pentecost Sunday) and anden pinsedag (second Pinsedag, the Monday after), and then grundlovsdag.  It's a nice time of year to have time off from work.

Sean continues to amaze and entertain us.  Today, Angela asked him to say the alphabet, and he got the first two: "A, B".  That's pretty good.  One of his favorite new phrases might be "damn it".  He honestly has not heard this very often, but he picked it up.  He uses it when he's been in his high chair too long at meals and wants to get down and play.

He has very definite food preferences, picking out and eating all the strawberries from his fruit salad and the baby corn from his Thai curry.  Yesterday, when he got tired in the morning, he turned on his musical lullaby toy we use at his bed time and naps and tried to climb into his bed.

This is one of the first days in the new apartment.  He really wants to turn that thing on, so he can dance.  I love the morning hair.

Here he's playing in the drawer we use for bread (no bread box).  We've just told him to be careful of his fingers, notice how gingerly he closes the drawer.

Here's a big smile.

This is the Yankee's hat that I brought for him from New York.

Prince Christian's 1st Birthday

I had a great birthday involving chocolates, wine, cake, new clothes, photos, and Danish pottery.  I was so wrapped up in my own birthday I forgot to mention that Christian, the baby Prince of Denmark had his birthday this week also....October 16th.  The city busses are flying the Danish flag in celebration of the royal birthday.  Here is an Australian news story about the little prince.  Be sure to check out the photo gallery also.

At A Coffee Shop Last June

This picture was taken June 23, 2006, two days before Sean turned seven months old.  We are in a Baresso Coffee Shop in Copenhagen just off the Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) with H. C. Andersen Boulevard just outside.  You can see a yellow city bus in the distance.  That day we joined my friend and her baby for a baby swimming session at DGI Huset next to the main train station and afterwards we went to the Baresso for coffee.  They were leaving for holiday in Turkey a few days afterwards.  I remember having a rhubarb tart, a cafe latte and a chocolate truffle.  This is the only time I can recall that Sean slept in his baby carriage on the sidewalk in downtown Copenhagen.  He was on one side of the glass and I was on the other.  He didn't sleep long....too many city busses drive by this corner.  Once he woke up and was sitting inside the shop with us, he was having a great time just watching the busses go by.

More Baby Fun

There are things that we miss about Copenhagen while here in Aarhus. We especially miss our dear friends, Hannah's parents, and of course sweet Hannah.  Lucky for us they are making a journey to Aarhus this Saturday and we will get to see them again.  The babies have really grown in the past 10 weeks.  Ten weeks in a baby's life is a very significant length of time. 

Here is a picture of Kevin, Sean and Hannah at a Fourth of July picnic hosted by Hannah's parents.  I think Sean is pulling Hannah's hair.
   

Here is a picture of Sean and Hannah's first trip to the park together last May.  We are in Søndermarken, formerly a royal garden.

Before I had Sean I thought I knew something about babies.  Of course, I knew some things already....but it is amazing how much there was to learn.  Now that Sean is in his tenth month and trying to walk, I really feel in my element.  He has a terrific sense of humor and laughs a lot so we are having a great time.  Today at legestuen (the play room) he climbed up to a standing position behind one of the push cars and took a tour around the room.  He loved it.  He was so proud. 

It Is So Autumn Here

We are having a real autumn here this year.  Last year it rained and rained and rained.  There was no real color except for in the flowers in the flower gardens.  The trees were drab brown for about a minute and then autumn was over and we had winter - which means overcast skies and more rain.  This year we are having our fair share of sunny skies.  The leaves are taking on a larger variety of color than last year.  Patches of red vine are appearing on the sides of the University's buildings.  Crinkly, dry leaves are blowing about our feet as we walk about town.

This is one of our sunny days last week.  Sean has a dark green Green Bay Packer wind suit and pants on loan from friends of ours in the USA.  He also has a pumpkin hat sent to us by my brother and his wife living in Alaska.   With his new fleece mukluks purchased at Target in Lansing, Michigan - the little guy is set for inclement weather.  He is sleeping outside right now in his stroller enjoying the crisp autumn air this sunny afternoon. 

We had such a short time here in August readjusting to Aarhus and preparing for our USA trip in September.  We had a thrilling time traveling all over the midwest on our trip to see family and friends.  Now I can say we are over jetlag and we look forward to the season ahead.  While in Michigan we had a chance to see the Michigan State Marching Band rehearse their routine for the big MSU-Notre Dame game that weekend.  This was a very fun way to get in the autumnal mood.  Kevin attended MSU - and I attended Notre Dame, so I cheered really loudly when they started playing the Notre Dame Fight Song!   And yes, I know that we won the game the next day, but I try not to mention it too often for the sake of family harmony. 

Pictures: Copenhagen

This past weekend was Påske (Easter).  Angela's brother and his girlfriend visited us from Germany.  Since the weather was gorgeous, and since Tivoli is open now, and since we have year passes to Tivoli, we spent most of Saturday in Copenhagen.  Here is the pirate ship restaurant in Tivoli:

See the little pink house?  It's a duck house:

This is the town hall, as seen from Tivoli.  Even though it feels like Spring, there are still no leaves on the trees:

We were finally able to get you the stereotypical picture of Copenhagen that we promised you last Christmas, our very own picture of Nyhavn:

Nice Things Babies Hear

Sean meets new people all the time - at baby swimming, at the supermarket, at church, on the bus, on the train, in the park, at mothers group.   Here are the Danish phrases people are sweet enough to say to him, "Du er sød." - You are sweet.  "Han er fint." - He is fine.  "Du er deligt."  You are delightful.  He also hears English.  At the gym a Danish grandmother said to him as he held his feet up in the air and pulled on his toes, "How nice it must be to be able to spread your toes apart like that!"  Also, a woman helped me with his carriage as I lifted it down off the bus onto the street.  She called from the bus before the doors closed, "Best wishes and future happiness with your child!"  How fun when our day goes like this.