One. What I've learnt as my daughter turns one.

365 days. 52 weeks. 12 months. One year.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already a year since Alice May Savides came into the world via an emergency C-Section. And it’s even harder to believe that I had a life before her - now I divide my life between BA [Before Alice] and AA [After Alice, or Alcoholics Anonymous depending on how little sleep she allowed me to have].

It’s been the most incredible year. I never knew I was capable of loving something so much, of being so utterly and completely wrapped around the teeny tiny little finger of the most sweet and beautiful and lovely and precious and cute and smart little girl in the world. I’m every bit the doting dad, and my Alicat will just have to deal with it for the rest of her life.

00:01. Alice's first picture as a one-year-old.

Alice in her natural habitat, in front of a birthday bowl of Flings.

In the last year I’ve watched her grow from this squishy little thing that couldn't hold her own head up by herself into a mini-human who says “dog”, “hello”, “ball” and “book”. She’s gone from not even being able to roll over, to walking and climbing up pretty much everything in sight. She’s given us sleepless nights and unbelievable screaming matches, and made me hate traveling for work and being away from my family. Alice has made me into a fool - an easy task, admittedly - and even had me going to work with vomit marks on my clothing.

And now, as I think back to a year ago and the day of her birth - and how I had to learn so much so fast - it’s hard not to tear up at the thought of how wonderful this year has been. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

So what #Dadvice can I give, one year in?

• Love your kid endlessly; hold them and kiss them and cuddle them and toss them in the air; catch them when you toss them in the air.
• Love your partner just as much and become Team Parents, the most powerful and united collaboration in the world.
• Dads, you are NOT babysitters. Get involved. And do not expect to be treated like a saint because you changed a few nappies or let your wife go on a girls’ night. You’re 50% of the parents, act like it.
• Prepare yourself for the relentlessness of children. Honestly, of all the things that I've experienced in the last year, it's the relentlessness that's hit me the hardest. Brace for it.
• But more than anything else, the best advice I could give is to enjoy it. Even the tough times. Because when you look back, it'll all be totally worth it.