12 Military Dads Meeting Their Babies

By Lindsay Tigar
June 21, 2015
Those nine months felt like they took forever, but for some families, the wait is even longer. While serving overseas or on special deployments, some of these military dads didn't meet their babies until months after they were born. But that look of complete awe and amazement that most dads get in the delivery room? These brave men have the same one, regardless of when they first saw their children.
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Father Meets Son

Courtesy of Vicki Tarantella

"This is my husband returning from Afghanistan last year and meeting our three month old son for the first time." -Vicki Tarantella

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Returned from Deployment

Courtesy of Drea Braddock

"This is my husband meeting our two-month for the first time, with our other children looking on, at the pier in Norfolk, Virginia after the USS STOUT returned from deployment." -Drea Braddock

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Our Little Sunshine

Courtesy of Laurra Dillinger

"My husband left for a deployment a couple weeks after we found out we were expecting, so we never thought that he would be able to make it home for the birth of our daughter. But, life threw a major curveball and his brother passed away both unexpectedly and tragically. He was home on emergency leave for the funeral and our little sunshine decided to be a beaming ray of hope and happiness during such a difficult time. She truly is our miracle." -Laurra Dillinger

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Smiley Baby and Daddy

Courtesy of Morgan Eberdt

"My husband deployed to Afghanistan six weeks before our daughter Cecilia was born (our third child, but first daughter). This is when he got to officially meet her the night he returned just shy of 6 months after her birth." -Morgan Eberdt

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Reunited

Courtesy of Amanda Ramirez

"This is my husband seeing our six-week old baby boy for the first time." -Kayla Helton

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The Perfect Welcome Home

Courtesy of Brittany Duhamel

"This is my husband meeting our son after he returned from active duty overseas." -Brittany Duhamel

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Finally Meeting His Boy

Courtesy of Sasha Cecile

"Here is my husband meeting our son in the airport at five weeks old, after a year in Afghanistan!" -Sasha Cecile

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Magical Moment

Courtesy of Jessica McFarland Davis

"Daddy was away from about four months into my pregnancy until she was two months old. There was very little contact and five days before he was to arrive home, Addison stopped breathing. Thanks to Children's Miracle Hospital, this magical moment could happen." -Jessica McFarland Davis

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So Much Love

Courtesy of Heather Morgan

"My husband returning from Afghanistan July 2013, and meeting our 3 month old daughter for the first time." -Heather Morgan

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Locked Eyes

Courtesy of Yesenia Guerrero

"My husband enlisted in the Army, and unfortunately was away when I gave birth to healthy baby girl Ashanti. This was during a family day in his basic training were they locked eyes and met for the first time!" -Yesenia Guerrero

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A Bittersweet Moment

Courtesy of Holly Fernandez

"This was my husband meeting our three-month-old son for the first time after returning from a 10-month deployment in 2013. This picture always gives me chills and is bittersweet. We had just found out we were pregnant shortly before he left, so he missed most of my pregnancy and birth. But now, him and my son have an amazing, special bond." -Holly Fernandez

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Made It Home

Courtesy of Bobbi Lackey

"My wonderful husband holding our now 4.5 year-old son. We had found out I was pregnant two weeks before he left to join the Army, and missed the entire pregnancy due to training, but we were lucky to have him there for the birth!" -Bobbi Lackey

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