Becoming a parent blew my mind. I don’t like talking about it too much, as I probably sound like a patronising idiot to all my non-parent friends, but it really did.

Since having our daughter Ida 2 and a bit years ago, I have learnt more about myself, family and love than I thought was possible. You just ‘get’ things better than before. See, there I am sounding like a patronising idiot (sorry friends!). One thing it taught me is a whole new level of respect for my own parents, and the emotional and physical sacrifices they made for me. But on the flip side, you realise that how you felt when you were young: that all knowing, infallible parents ruled your universe with unattainable parenting skills wasn’t really accurate. They were just winging it like I am now. Doing the best they could. Hoping things would be ok.

And, after winging it with one child you worry how you will cope with another. How could you possibly share the love you feel for the first with someone else – how could you dilute those feelings? Suddenly there are a new set of things you have to learn to do. New plates to spin.

But then a friend who is older and wiser told me not to worry:

‘You don’t need to fret about sharing or diluting anything’ they said. ‘They bring their own love with them.’

And he was right.

This is the story of how Ida met her baby brother…