adventures of an american housewife in the south of france
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Baby’s First Passport

We're 15 weeks into this gig and, to be honest, Michael and I are still pretty Nervous Nelly first time parents when we're out and about with Ramona. Ok, so maybe it's just me. I don't know if it's being in a foreign country, parenting in a different culture, or the fact that we can barely communicate with the people around us, but I'm terrified of being in a situation where I'm out in public with Ramona and...

A Day in Provence: Avignon

We've been a bit housebound these last few months, me especially, and I was itching to get out and do some exploring.  Michael and I are really trying to continue to take advantage of our surroundings and see as much of France as we can while we're still here.  When my parents were visiting, we talked about taking a day trip to Avignon to see the Palais des Papes, but unfortunately the weather just did not...

The Evolution of a Roll

On New Year's Day, just shy of 12 weeks old, Miss Ramona Rose rolled over. I know, I know. She's the first baby ever to do this. We're sending out autographs upon request. Michael and I were so excited and proud. Watching Ramona's determination to flip from her back to her belly and begin the journey of mobility was fascinating. She worked hard all day and by the evening, she had mastered the roll. This girl...

2012: Year in Review

So, I know I'm a bit late in this Year in Review post and that these types are posts are pretty superfluous, but I really wanted to do one anyway.  2012 was a really exciting year for us, for obvious reasons, and I wanted to have a recap of it that I could look back on whenever I want.  We continued travelling, spent a lot of time with friends and family, and most importantly, welcomed our daughter to the world....

Holidays in Montpellier, Part 3: Ramona’s First Christmas

Hmm, January 6th today.  Am I still allowed to write about Christmas?  I hope so because it was a special one - Ramona's first!  Last year we spent Christmas Eve driving home from our Italian Road Trip and didn't give a whole lot of thought to presents, stockings, or a tree.  But we wanted to do things differently this year, because even if Ramona won't remember her first Christmas, we will! We started off...

Holidays in Montpellier, Part 2: The Return of Grandma (and Grandpa!)

In mid December, Grandma came back to Montpellier.  And this time she brought Grandpa with her! I was really excited for Ramona to finally meet her fourth Grandparent.  She immediately greeted him with a big smile.  She always seems to be smiling with she's around her two Grandpas!  She's a charmer already. We had a really nice week with my parents.  My Mom was so amazed with all the ways Ramona had...

The Namesake

Do you remember when you used to be able to wait for visitors at the gate in the airport?  You would sit in the hard, plastic chairs watching the plane land, waiting for the jetway bridge to be attached, listening as the gate opened and searching eagerly to find your loved one as all the passengers filed through the door.  That's what I think of when I remember my Grandpa.  I think of waiting in airports, excited...

Holidays in Montpellier, Part 1: Thanksgiving

The holidays are here!  And we're just chugging along here in Montpellier.  It's been hard to get any "real" posts written but I wanted to just write a quick update and share some photos from our holidays so far. Michael's parents, Grandma Joy and Grandpa Todd, came over to France to celebrate Thanksgiving with us and meet their first granddaughter!  Their Grandparent resume is quite impressive, as they have a...

The Story of the Fortune Teller

So, I think I'm finally ready to share the story of the Fortune Teller. Back in July, when we were in Switzerland, a man claiming to be a Fortune Teller approached me on the street and asked if he could speak with me.  It's not that this Fortune Teller told me anything particularly profound or even foreboding, but for some reason I felt very strange about the experience for a long time.  I've been working on a...

Postpartum, The French Way

Ramona's first month has flown by and it's been exciting, awesome, terrifying, challenging and beautiful all at the same time.  Many days have been hard, as expected.  Postpartum hormones were a bitch and caring for a colicky baby with thrush has been no picnic either.  But sweet Ramona is the light of our life and we are learning from her every day. Ramona's schedule is constantly changing, so we're doing...

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