A Father's Love

I never knew I could fall in love with something so quickly. I love Katie more than anything in this world, but it certainly didn't happen instantly. We had several dates, many talks (both serious and laid-back), and a lot of time to figure each other out. It was on a missions trip to India where I got to see Katie's full heart, her love Christ and her love for children, and her positive and strong attitude until I finally said, "I'm in love with this woman!"

However, it took just a split second for me to fall in love with my boys. Without saying a word, I was hooked (and Katie would agree). From the first look and first cries, I knew that these boys would be something I'd love for the rest of my life. And the amazing part of it all is how much I love this family more and more each day. Each time my heart gets to its full capacity of love, I feel like I could explode. But something wonderful happens after that--I love some more. How can this be if I've already reached full capacity? It's because my family *enlarges* my heart and it continues to be filled with more love each day. I can't imagine how I will feel by my 3rd anniversary with Katie or the boys' 1st birthday. Just thinking about in the future puts a smile to my face.

Declan James

Ethan Emery

Declan and Ethan already show their mother's strength. They are fighters. They have lost a lot of weight since birth (more so than average), have had low blood sugar counts at some point, have had heart murmurs at some point, have had to deal with a lot of noise from visitors, had to learn how to breastfeed, had to learn how to finger feed and syringe feed, had to overcome low temperatures, had to endure a draft in the room for four nights, and more. Yet they keep fighting. Ethan has spent so much time fighting, that he may need to stay an extra night just to build his strength back up and get more calories in them. But already I have gotten that sense of fatherly pride--that "Atta boy" which my dad would (and still does) give me.

Already we have seen their personalities. We have seen their different facial features. We have had them grab our fingers and noses. We have had them stare into our eyes for 30 minutes at times. It is so precious it melts my heart. I love their cries, their yawns, their silly faces, their look when sucking a pacifier. I love my boys already, and they haven't said a real word to me, we haven't gone out anywhere, nor have we even left this hospital room yet.

How can I love something so much without having any words exchanged between us? Well all the mothers and fathers before me know...and I finally do, too.