How is it going, daddy? (4/n)
D turned one this week. While she hits new milestones every now and then, we felt nostalgic and proud as parents to have made it so far, feeling harmony and love in our hearts and exhaustion in our bodies. The last three months have seen her taking her first steps, saying her first words with a clear meaning attached to them (ta-ta, hi), communicating nonverbally and eating an increasingly wide palette of food. It has been a joy and wonder to watch her learn and develop new skills and abilities, and react to a wide range of stimuli in her world. While D's progress has always been visible to us, we are particularly proud of the progress we have made as parents. We have learned to let go. Let go of control: We have resisted the urge to impose a routine on her and let her learn to listen to her body and respect its cues. Let go of fear: We have become mindful of every time we say 'no' and understand the fears from which the 'no' is truly coming. When it is a real...