being a dad

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.