We dare you not to cry a little bit while reading some of the most tender, heartwarming responses we’ve ever received on the Life of Dad Facebook page. Modern fatherhood has never looked so affectionate!
Here are the moments when real dads from our community really knew they were a father for the first time:
When my son peed in his face our 1st day home and I lost my mind. Thought he was going to be blind. — Joe Tabor
When i was holding my one week old son making noises to make him smile and he sneezed directly in my open mouth. — Travis Peterson
Probably the day she was born and within 2mins i held her and she decided to pee all down my hoddie jeans and trainers. — Peter Crick
I first heard my son laugh and ever since then the laughter only got louder! — RayFace Quiroz
I knew i was a dad when coming home to my daughter after long hrs of work was the best part of my day because seen her smile bc I was home brought me so much joy in my heart. — David Calderon
I started making the same dad jokes as my own dad! — Robert James Rabin
When I was handed my daughter for the first time in hospital and she opened one eye to look at me when I began speaking to her. — Tom Williams
The nurses came to get me after my daughter was settled in the NICU. They informed me that she had pulled out all of her lines and tubes and was very upset. When I went in to see her she was screaming and generally ticked at the world. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Hi Addison, it’s daddy.” She instantly calmed down and stayed that way as long as I was there talking to her. That was my moment. — Chris Nielsen
One day I came home from work, and my daughter was sitting/waiting on the porch for me yelling “hey daddy!” This went on for months until winter came. All day at work I looked forward to hearing those words as my mind went from work mode to family mode. — Ethan Boles
Make no mistake about it, stepdad love is every bit as real as biological dad’s:
My daughter said I was dad, not her biological dad. Long story to that, but that’s when I knew I was a dad. — Martín Navarrete
Wasn’t the first time I felt it, but when I got to go to her school for “Daddy Daughter Donut Day” that was awesome. Definitely felt dad-ish then.
It’s been kind of strange for me, since I’m not her bio dad. I was wary at first, because I was scared of the responsibility, but I fell in love with that little girl and now being Dad is the greatest thing in my life. Wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I’m about to have a bio son next month! — Jeff Thompson
She asked her mother (my g/f at the time, and now wife) “he seems like a nice man. Do you think your mechanic friend could be my daddy?” — Greg Brennan
Share your own ‘a-ha’ I’m a dad now moment on the Life of Dad Facebook page!
*Flickr photo by photosavvy, shared under Creative Commons license.