Spain Dad, a baby blog

Thalian Hall (seats) Photo by pochacco20. The usher showed us to our seats. We took off our coats and put them on the backs of our chairs. “Good seats,” I said, looking around. Our seats were in the second row. What I meant, though, was they were at the end of the row and near [...]

I’m ready to go! Photo by Mikenan1. I carried the duffle bag into the bathroom and set it down on the floor. I pulled open the top drawer in the chest of drawers next to Alleke’s changing table. With hands spread wide like salad tongs, I picked up handfuls of baby clothes and dropped them [...]

Pursuit of Happyness in the 22nd Century Photo by krobbie. “Two tickets for the Pursuit of Happyness,” I said. The high school kid behind the counter took my card and swiped it. While the machine printed our tickets, I took April’s hand in mine. She smiled. The kid handed me the tickets with my card. [...]

truman gets a shot, july 2005 Photo by gisarah. Alleke discovered a new emotion today. Fear. A few of us were in a large room with a card table. A nurse was sitting behind the table with a laptop and lots of piles of colored paper. April was there, leaning over and filling something out, [...]

“Here, put this on,” April said. She was holding Alleke in one arm, and with the other, she reached for the baby carrier slung over a chair, and held it out to me. I looked at it. “But I thought…” “I thought you wanted to wear Alleke in the baby carrier,” April said. She looked [...]

Alleke’s finding her voice. This morning she was already reading to us from the newspaper.

mens bathroom Photo by ChrisDigital™. “Did you see a changing table in the women’s bathroom?” April asked. “No, no changing table,” Grandma said. She pursed her lips together in an apology. “But it seemed clean enough,” she added. “I guess I’ll have to change Alleke’s diaper on my lap,” April said, taking one more bite [...]

“Did you know Alleke gives kisses now?” April asked. I raised my eyebrows. “She does, I’m serious,” April said. I laughed. “Show me,” I said. April smiled, then lifted Alleke up and kissed her on the cheek. “Can you give mommy a kiss?” April asked Alleke, looking her in the eyes. April held Alleke up [...]

We all have panic attacks. Which of us hasn’t checked our pockets for our wallets when we’ve left the front door or double-checked the times on our tickets at the airport or wondered whether we’ve left the water running or the door unlocked or the window open or the stove on. Which of us hasn’t [...]