Going back one year, I knew Aki and I would "work out" how to be parents. That's not to say becoming a parent isn't a big, black hole of darkest dread, but billions of people have done it before. The human race is still here. It happens; we move on.
But I can recall the almost comical lack of confidence in handling a baby back during those first few months. Just not knowing what to do: the very first night at home when he just cried and cried and couldn't sleep; the early months when he cried pretty much all the time with undiagnosed discomfort; the nappy explosions; puzzling over when it was safe for Kai to leave the house; gearing up for the first visit to a restaurant.
And as much as I would like to snigger at my ineptness when Kai was zero, Kai is still in flux. It's not like he's finished growing up. He still has walking to master and he's going to start talking. Everything coming up is still going to be brand new; there are a lot more lessons on the way.
But at least I have a modicum of self-confidence this time round. So, raise your glass: here's to year two.