With Father's Day coming up I wanted to do something a bit different and a bit special. I wanted Nathan to put into words what being a father means to him. So he did.
When we found out that Harriet was pregnant there was only one emotion to describe it- excitement. I'm from a big family and have always been around babies, being a father didn't faze me at all, in fact I couldn't wait!
Most people thought that I would like the baby to be a boy but as long as it was happy and healthy it really didn't matter to me and I knew that if the baby was a girl she would end up being a daddy's girl.
During Harriet's pregnancy I enjoyed watching Harriet's bump grow, each scan was more incredible than the last but I am so glad that we didn't cave and find out the sex of our baby. To me it just added to the excitement.
We spent days daydreaming of our soon to be family of three and deciding on a name for our baby which was much harder than I thought. Small milestones such as buying the pram or buying the baby's first pair of Converse made everything seem a little more real and I couldn't wait to meet the tiny baby who would be filling those shoes.
I can still remember every detail of the day Ava was born. Harriet was 8 days overdue and not a happy lady! I did feel for her, the back ache and the heartburn seemed pretty awful and by now we both couldn't wait to meet our baby.
On the day nerves took over but I tried to keep it together, when Ava finally arrived I couldn't believe it. The overwhelming feeling of unconditional love just took over.
I was now a father. She was my daughter, that tiny little person will be looking up to me for the rest of her life. That's some responsibility!
I had my first taste of fatherhood pretty soon after Ava's birth as Harriet had to go into surgery, which was upsetting for us all as she's been fantastic through labour. I had to feed Ava myself which was nerve-wracking as I wasn't sure if I was even doing it right!
The early days were sometimes scary too. Two young parents so unsure but I think that we muddle along pretty well and I can only remember one very bad night with Ava. We were so lucky.
Now when I look at her I can't believe where time has gone. Where my baby once was an almost toddler stands in it's place with a cheeky smile and bright blue eyes. It's hard to sum out how I feel about being a dad but in one word I would say that it's amazing. I love coming home every day to see her smiley face waiting for me in the window. She's so happy and even though it is quite tiring and she's on the go all day I wouldn't have it any other way.
If I had to share some advice with Ava it would be to enjoy life while you're young. Live life to the full but always remember to treat people as you would like to be treated yourself. I hope that we bring her up well and that she has a happy life.
That's all I wish for her, to be happy and healthy.
I'm looking forward to the future and to creating some more memories.
Harriet is a first time mum to 14 month old Ava. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, planning her wedding and of course blogging.
Blogs at: A Rush of Love
Twitter: @harribo_x