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. … [Read more...]
Baby as Fragile as Butterfly Wings – A Family’s Struggle
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 … [Read more...]
Why Paying 50% in Taxes In France Feels Great
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 … [Read more...]
My Experience Giving Birth in France
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 … [Read more...]
Giving Birth in France – My Birth Story
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 … [Read more...]