We don't have stairs in our house, only outside on the balcony. The stairs leading down from the balcony doesn't allow for a normal barrier, so we had to purchase one with 5 sides so we could wrap it in an L shape (BabyDan barrière de sécuritie Flex 5 - we love it!). Last time we visited my mother-in-law, Juliana was learning to crawl, so the stairs weren't a safety hazard. This time, we weren't so lucky.Juliana learned to walk by herself only a few days before arriving in Normandy. On Christmas morning while we were making orange juice (and right before opening gifts), Juliana … [Read more...]
Nov 9, 2012
Baby as Fragile as Butterfly Wings – A Family’s Struggle
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Through a friend on Facebook, I heard about Easton Friedel. This boy was born two months ago and has known more pain and suffering than most of us will ever experience. He was born with a rare condition known as Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Have you heard of it? I surely didn't know a thing about it. But one look at his picture scared it to my memory.His story makes me especially thankful to be living in France. The parents of Easton not only have to worry about their son, but also how to pay for the expensive treatments. They live in the US. Bandages alone cost upwards of $4,000/month! … [Read more...]
Jun 18, 2012
Why Paying 50% in Taxes In France Feels Great
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When I was living in the USA, I was paying 35 percent taxes on my income (this included medicare and social security). I paid about $100 per month on health care through my employer, and had copayments and deductibles.For readers outside of the USA, I will explain this a little for you. Even if you pay monthly for private health insurance, you still pay a fee every time you see a doctor or specialist. This amount is usually $ 20 or $ 35 and is called a copayment. On top of this, the health insurance requires you to pay a certain amount before they start paying, called a deductible. You can … [Read more...]
Dec 9, 2011
My Experience Giving Birth in France
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Giving birth in France was an experience that I will never forget. Nothing went as planned and I was constantly arguing with midwifes and doctors. I then felt stress, pressure and frustration throughout my week-long stay there afterwards. The best part was when they had me reach down and pull her up onto my chest. Yes, she was a yucky but I did not see that. All I saw was her face and wondering how in the world I was so lucky to have such a gorgeous baby.Details about my experience giving birth in France can be found on my last post. It is a long one so I broke it up - that post is … [Read more...]
Oct 24, 2011
Giving Birth in France – My Birth Story
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On October 6, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the small city of Bayeux in France. Juliana was born on her French due date and not a moment sooner than she was ready. We had an eventful, long and difficult labor – of which, I have mixed feelings about my experience at this French hospital.Early afternoon on October 6, my husband’s mother was visiting us to help clean and bring me one of her delicious homemade tarts. … [Read more...]
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