23/10/2025
Happy birthday Archie
I can't believe it's been a year! Baby Archie just turned 1—what a time. Starting from the beginning, it had been an up-and-down journey for over 20 years with infertility. Every angle I explored seemed to get taken away from me, and I had given up when Anna came along. She understood that it wasn't on the cards for us, and a couple of years down the line, we decided to try finding a donor. After talking to someone, it was a scary area to explore, but we found one. After a failed attempt, we succeeded.
Then came all the appointments and the worry about potentially losing him. We had a couple of scares, but on the 23rd of October, baby Archie arrived. What a miracle! I can't explain the instant love I felt for him. The worry dropped as I held this tiny baby in my arms, and I found myself crying and kissing him.
At two weeks old, we moved into a van for a few weeks as a test run. He seemed happier, and we were happier too. By about two months, we moved in full-time to the van, as we noticed we were all more relaxed. I found van life with a baby easier than living in a flat, though it certainly has its challenges. We adapted by switching to cold water sterilizing and adding more lighting. We remodeled the van to fit us three and enjoyed our van life.
This year, Archie has been to the skirts of Wales, the skirts of Scotland, and all over England. We've taken walks at castles, forests, beaches, and fields. Since the day he was born, he has spent only about three days indoors. Every day has brought a new adventure, and many of you have met Archie and seen how content and happy he is. To get him to crack a smile, you only have to say "bo***es" or give him a smile!
He has attended six festivals, met lots of friends familt and van life family, had plenty of cuddles, and made many of you smile. He truly is one of a kind (though I'm biased). One of his favorite things to do is swim; he gets so happy in the water that we can't walk past a sink without him trying to climb in!
Honestly, being a dad is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do—lack of sleep, constant worry, and wanting to protect him from every danger...... continues in coments
