Au Pair:  Eunice Sanjuan from Colombia

Host Family:  Green Family in Delaware

Our au pair, Eunice, arrived to our home on April 3, 2009. At that time, I was pregnant with identical twin boys. We also have a two year old son, Jerry. I went into premature labor on April 7, 2009 and Eunice improvised very well with caring for Jerry and being in a new environment. She was responsible for him after having only met him 4 days prior. This can be quite a challenge with a toddler since they experience stranger anxiety. She did a wonderful job keeping him occupied so that he would not sense that something was wrong. I was released later that day and went home to rest. Eunice was great in caring for Jerry so that I did not have to and helping to care for me.

She is an extremely passionate and generous person. I had the twins on April 9, 2009 and she was responsible for caring for Jerry while my family was at the hospital. She was very conscientious about his schedule and trying to make him comfortable since his family was not around. A great example of Eunice's exceptional character is after my parents arrived at my house following the birth of my twins, they found her sitting on a stool in front of our baby monitor so that she would not fall asleep in case our son Jerry woke up and needed something. Her actions spoke volumes to me since she had only been in our family for 6 days. 

Our twins spent 4 weeks in the NICU and Eunice accompanied me to the hospital many times to get to know the twins and to gain experience in caring for premature infants. She also attended an infant CPR course with me and my husband prior to the twins' release from the hospital so that we were all trained in case of an emergency. When the twins came home from the hospital, they were both on heart monitors which was new for all of us. Eunice did a great job learning the equipment and responding quickly if they alarmed. She was never left alone with the twins when they were on the monitors but she was essential in the functioning of our household during the early weeks of chaos. 

Eunice blended into our family very quickly and has become a valued member of our family. My children are extremely happy to be left in her care and we don't have any concerns about their safety or well being. She speaks excellent English and is teaching our son Jerry to speak Spanish. Eunice is respectful of our home and follows any instructions I give her in regards to the boys. In addition, I am an avid photographer and love capturing pictures of my children. While I am at work, Eunice will take pictures of the boys for me so that I don't miss any moments. She also will send me frequent text messages to advise me how the boys' day is going. Eunice was not familiar with breast milk when she arrived at our home but has done a phenomenal job making sure the milk is correctly handled and heated. It is quite challenging, even as their mother, to handle twins and an older sibling. Eunice does this with care and compassion. I truly believe that she loves our children and only wants the best for them. I am very confident that she will remain a part of our lives even after she is no longer our au pair.