Day 133 – October 17, 2011 – Soon…

Number of days in Amsterdam – 133

Number of days without a bike theft – 129

Days since it last rained – 5

This morning Nicole informed me casually:

“I almost woke you up last night.”

Exasperated because our traps are still empty, leading me to believe the mouse has moved to another apartment again, I asked “Did you see our mouse again?”

“Nope, I had contractions for about two hours. We’re getting close.”

Yes folks, things are getting real.

We are enjoying the maternity leave, though. I’m taking long lunches from my work so we can hang out together, and then working into the evening. Today, we walked through the market, and got some produce and some groceries, and then stopped at a little cafe for a drink (mint tea for Nicole, a cold Heineken for me). I think this cafe will be a part of our market walk going forward. It’s cozy, and there’s plenty of stroller space inside.

That’s the sort of thing I’ve started to notice when I go somewhere.Is this place kid friendly? Could I get a stroller in here? It’s a shift in the way I’m looking at the world, but it’s also pointing out that, for everything that changes, some things will still be the same. There are plenty of warm cozy cafes in the neighborhood with space for a stroller, should Nicole and I want to get out for a drink.

For now, though, like I said, I’m really enjoying having Nicole around during the day. I’m breaking up my workload and working late, but I really cherish this time with it just being us, and popping out to the market or a cafe, and I know I’ll cherish the time when it’s three of us just as much.

Which seems to be coming very soon…

About Ryan

Ryan Cooper is a writer from Detroit who decided to trade in his car for a bicycle, his little bungalow for a fourth-story walkup, and his life in the Motor City for an existence in Amsterdam. Along the way, he quit his job, sold his belongings and, with a pregnant wife in tow, decided to see if the American dream wasn’t to be had somewhere overseas. His musings on music appear at punkmusic.about.com, and he has contributed to both fiction (Read By Dawn Volume III) and nonfiction (Punk Rock Saved My Ass) anthologies.
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