These viral photos capture a military dad meeting his baby for the first time 😭

Getting ready to meet Dad

“During the laboring and birthing process of Caspian, I was surrounded by family, but that did not fill the void of not having my husband by my side,” Mary told InsideEdition.com . “He was able to video chat during the labor and birth, but for both of us, it was not enough.”

While James had yet to meet Caspian, their 3-year-old son, Gage, missed his dad a whole lot, so this homecoming was going to be a big deal for him too. That’s why Mary arranged for her wedding photographer, Brittany Watson , to be with them for their reunion in Atlanta.

Gage was so happy to see his Dad

“[He] had no idea he was going to be getting to see his daddy that day,” Watson wrote on Facebook . “The family met at the Southeastern Railway Museum for Gage to go on a special train ride… little did he know, he’d be doing it with daddy!”

Watson did a beautiful job capturing the high emotions of every single family member, from Gage’s surprise, to the delight on baby Caspian’s face. It’s no wonder her Facebook post went viral last week.

“Caspian is natural, a very happy baby, but both James and I felt like Caspian knew who his father was almost immediately,” Mary told Inside Edition. “He was easily comforted by me husband right off the bat and seemed to have an instant connection. It was very emotional.”

The moment this dad had been waiting for

If we’re sobbing just looking at the photos, we can’t even imagine what it was like in real life.

“We are all so blessed and take so much for granted,” Watson wrote. “I cannot contain the joy I feel in my heart when I look at these images, and I hope you feel it too!”