being a dad

One of the best things about being a dad - about being Zoë's dad at least - is the pleasure she gets when you understand what she wants and then do it.

Nino had gone out, her mood very low, and Zoë was watching 'cbeebies' the BBCs childrens channel on TV. We'd finished watching 'Big cook, Little cook' and then, between programs, some sheep came on. "BAAAAAA AAA" said Zoë and "BAAAAAAA" she continued to say after they'd gone until I realized and said "Shall we go and see the sheep?" She couldn't contain her excitement and I felt a glow of pleasure at the level on which we were connecting.

Nino had a bubble bath the other night and Zoë was so intrigued she kept saying 'bub-bol over and over again. I don't think she'd ever seen so many bubbles before. So I bought her some 'Matey' last night and she had her first bubble bath this morning.

It looks like she enjoyed it.

When my wife was away in India over Christmas I established a feeding and sleeping routine for Zoë. I had to, I had to be her dad , her mum, her storyteller and entertainer - and try to get some work done so that I wasn't up all night trying to catch up.

So we did this:

1. Breakfast - 7:30-8:00
2. Morning nap (if she wanted) - 11:30 to 12:30
3. Lunch - 1:00
4. Afternoon nap (if she wanted) - 3:00 to 4:00
5. Dinner - 6:30
6. Bath / Clean teeth - 7:15
7. Bed - 7:30-7:45

This gave me the freedom to get some work done during the day and ensured she was tired when she went to bed. I would also make sure that we went for a walk in the afternoon, after her nap, which both built up her appitite for dinner and tired her out a little for bed.

We'd often walk down to the local shop before she had dinner - even if we didn't really need anything. Walking along the river or going to see the sheep would have been much more fun - but it was nightime here by then, so not really an option.

I was on Garvin Hicking's blog when I came across these 'publicons'. You select the appropriate icons and then the code for the 'bookshelf' is generated for you in various formats

If you're a bit of an anorak, they seem an ideal way to let people know what you're about and what you're using. I've not included windows in my 'Publicons as, to be honest, I'm an Apple user to the core and have been since the early 80's. I only really use XP on my new Macbook Pro laptop to check that the websites I design will work on both mac and pc.

As the 'Publicons.de' website is German there is no icon for Manchester United - my other passion apart from being a dad. I'll be getting in touch sometime in the near future to ask them to put that right. You may have noticed that the very kind Publicon people have made a Man United Icon for me - and I didn't even need to ask. Thanks guys.

I made this theme 'Joshua Tree' for being a dad so I could familiarise myself with the CSS used to style Serendipity weblogs. I would add that Serendipity is by far the best weblog software around. Easy to use, extend and style so congrats to all the developers - especially Garvin who provides so much help through the forums and Carl for his great work on Serendipity themes.

For anyone who's interested I've made the theme available for download - and included a .psd of the top banner for customisation. Just click the link below to go to my download site.

Download Joshua Tree theme

Hi Nino

I hope you enjoy having a mini version of my blog on your website

No, this is not an entry about Zoë not letting me out of her sight, she's over that now She does get a bit overexcited when I come home - but it is nice though that she's so pleased to see me. I'd say it's one of the best things about being a Dad.

Tonight before I took her up to bed she wanted a tour of the kitchen so I could tell her, or she could tell me, what all the things around the room were. What they were called, what they were for, what colour they were and anything else I could think of. She was great, really enthusiastically pointing to things and telling me that was a 'dol' (candle) and that was a 'tul' (kettle). Her ability to talk is improving by the day - and she really pushes herself hard with her books and her tours and her naming of all the things in the paintings and pictures around the walls at home everytime we pass them.

Zoë entertained herself this morning after breakfast in the bedroom by dressing up in her Mum's clothes! She woke up during the night last night too - holding up her dressing gown for me to put on her before she'd go back to sleep. Half an hour later she was awake again, this time holding up one of the big red socks (which she calls 'Yacks') that she likes to sleep in. It had come off - or more likely she'd taken it off so I would come up to put it back on. What she's wearing seems to have become important to her.

I anticipated difficulties when my wife asked me to help her diet now she's no longer breast feeding. And difficulties we had yesterday.

Arguments and more arguments - and so upsetting for Zoë. It's difficult to know what impact an argument has on a 14 month old girl. Whatever it is though I'm sure it can only be negative.

Little Zoë is 'Wheels on the Bus' mad so I bought her one of her own for Christmas. I got it on eBay 'New but unboxed' half price, quite a bargain I thought.

It arrived in good time, I put some batteries in and soon it was speeding across the living room floor singing 'the wheels on the bus go round and round'. Zoë would love it.

Zoë and I chose her Christmas outfit from Next whilst Nino was away - the boots Zoë chose herself from Clarks. These 'Booo', as Zoë calls them, are never off her feet but the outfit is a bit of an indulgence really. How often will she be going to parties, discos, weddings etc. before she grows out of it?

My wife Nino has been away at her family's home in Nagaland, India recently, so I had the joy of single parenthood for almost 3 weeks over Christmas. It's tough being a mum, a dad, working, running a business - and trying to do all the Christmas stuff too.

I knew Zoë was very active and quite demanding but I didn't realise quite how many times I would have to read her books with her - over and over and over again! She never tires of them. I'd take to hiding some behind the cushions of the sofa just so she would have to find another, hopefully one we hadn't read for at least an hour!

Here we are - day one of the new year and day one of being a dad. Not that this is my first day as a dad, little Zoë was born 14 months ago, but it is day one of this blog.

I'd never thought much about it, fatherhood, it was something other people did. And then the little bundle of joy and mischief that is my daughter Zoë came along. I didn't have any idea what it would be like, how it would change my life. So after a little more than a year I thought I should document and share my experiences - no doubt the same experiences that are echoed by dads around the world.