Ahmed

I’m writing this at 8 AM in a park in Casablanca, one of the many morning walks I’ve been doing lately.

For some reason, Casablanca’s weird, busy roads make our new daughter sleepy, so I’m taking it! Anything that makes a baby sleep is a blessing.

As our first child, we had no expectations. But damn, I miss the sleep. On paper, a newborn seems simple: eat, sleep, and diapers. In reality, each cycle takes hours and then repeats right away.

Between cycles, you might get a few minutes to sleep, do chores, or attend to any other part of your life. But there is no pause button.

I’m on parental leave, and I’m extremely grateful for it. I don’t really know how people manage to do this while working full-time. It mainly falls on the mother, which is impossible to imagine.

Almost two months in, things are starting to feel more natural. We’re still early, but I’m curious to see where this goes and what kind of person is quietly forming before us.