A good scout I'M SO PROUD OF MY GIRL

It’s been a rewarding year for this family

- Lynley Ward

Little Pepi adores books, loves pottering in the dirt and easily makes friends – and her proud papa couldn’t be happier with the tot’s magical milestones and streaks of independence.

It’s been just over a year since Scout Barbour-Evans made international headlines after giving birth midway through changing gender.

The papa – who identifies as takatapui (the Maori term for LGBTQ+) and uses the pronouns they and them instead of he or she – says it’s been an eventful first 14 months, but their little girl is thriving.

Today the Christmas baby, known affectionately as “Pepi”, is walking and talking and showing her independence as she toddles off down a path, not caring to look back for an instant.

“Watching her grow so quickly into this little person is so special,” gushes Scout, 24, looking on. “The past year has been the biggest challenge of my life, and the most important one.”

Student flat parties have long given way to playdates, birthday parties and baby showers as the sole parent – who stood unsuccessfully for mayor in October’s local body elections – focuses on raising their little girl as a stay-at-home dad.

“It would have been lifechanging if I won, but I didn’t do as well in the last election as I did previously. But at the same time I raised this supercool kid and got a degree.”

When Woman’s Day joins the pair in the southern city, the little sweetie is a confident walker who loves to babble away as she plays.