Spain Dad, a baby blog

The only time I thought about being a parent today was a short five-minute conversation I had with April before we went to bed. The conversation wasn’t much, but it’s all I have to tell, so here goes. I was sitting on the couch, and April was stuffing residency paperwork into a folder at the [...]

nest•ing in•stinctn. refers to an instinct or urge in pregnant animals to prepare a home for the upcoming newborn(s). It is found in a variety of animals (both mammals and birds) and can occur in human mothers as well. April stopped and set down the shopping bag in the middle of the sidewalk. “You’re going [...]

Justin sat back in his chair and sighed. “I don’t sleep well anymore,” he said. I laughed. “Me neither,” I said. “It’s like my body knows the baby is coming,” Justin said. • • • • April and I are spending the week at an annual conference in Holland with the people we work with [...]

This morning Kelly and Amy, friends from Madrid, called over to the house where we’re staying in Amsterdam and asked us if we wanted to go into the city. An hour later as the four of us sat on the metro, I asked if anyone had anything in mind for the afternoon. Amy shrugged her [...]

Today I was talking to one of my friends in Amsterdam. She’s pregnant with her second. Our conversation went something like this: “So, I’m sure you’ve read in all the pregnancy books about what happens four or five days after the baby is born.” “Ah…” I said. “You know, how four or five days after [...]

del.erio.us Photo by .ash. I woke up this morning, wandered into the living room, and found April sleeping on the couch with the door to the terrace open and a fan blowing on her face. I got the hint that April was feeling warmish a few weeks ago when she began taking cold showers during [...]

At Heather’s request, we have more photos of the girls.

Today I went for a walk on the beach. Sometimes, especially after a long week at work, it feels good to unanchor my thoughts and let them drift out to sea. This afternoon, I eventually found myself coming back to one question—circling around it like seagulls over water. The question was this: why do people [...]

journal Photo by romanlily. I had writer’s block this afternoon. I was sitting on the edge of my beach towel with my little blue notebook and a pen. I couldn’t have asked for better conditions. I had sunshine. I had sand between my toes. I had the sound of rolling waves to massage my brain. [...]

Today we were in the kitchen making lunch with Kim and Rodrigo, friends from the Masters program. Actually, we were making Indian Potato Wraps. It’s the only Indian recipe I make, which is mostly just because I like putting chapatti dough in the hot skillet and watching it make bubbles. Anyway, we were in the [...]