This week Theo Prana and I had a beautiful week with H. He visited Gibraltar to celebrate our baby boy’s first birthday, and though we didn’t really do a very big party

or even get him any gifts, the fact that we were together was enough. We decided that since Theo doesn’t really know what birthday celebrations are yet, and he has so many clothes and toys, that just spending time together and making memories was more important. My dad had his camera on him, and I have recently picked mine up too, so the days have definitely not gone undocumented.

H and I spoke about lots this week, and before he left, I asked him to send me something small about his first year, and how, despite the distance, he’s managed it. It’s the first time he’s ever had an input into this blog, but hopefully not the last! The content is his, but the words are mine… he was in Scotland while Theo and I were in Portsmouth.

Here are the 4 ways H survived the first year of fatherhood:

1. Video Calls! Lots of them, through Facebook, Whatsapp, Skype or any other form of social media. Video calling made a big difference, even when there wasn’t a lot to say. Sometimes it was just nice to be able to have the line open and watch, but other times, just watching was harder than having no contact.

2. Photos. Having a wife that doesn’t put her camera down helps. Getting bombarded with photos meant seeing what they (baby and R) had been up to. It allowed me to be involved and included even though I wasn’t physically there. *

*Or when we are together, we get snaps like these!

3. Being busy. This meant doing anything that kept my mind ticking; diving in head first to things that allowed me to forget about reality. Often this was games (much to the annoyance of my wife!) because they kept me sane.

4. Being with people who get it. My job allowed me to be surrounded by other people who understand the harsh reality of long distance relationships, and the difficulty that comes with being away from family. The situation was still not completely normal, but having some of it understood helped.

My lack of understanding about the reality of long-distance parenthood has proved a topic of contention between H and I, but this week, I feel like after many many conversations, I feel like we are on a new level. I am in Gibraltar for a few more weeks while I work, but will soon head home, closing the distance once and for all.

Thank you H for allowing me to feature you on this post, and thank you to all of our family, friends and extended village, for the continued support.

Xoxo