“Open your eyes, Tina!”

The doctor shouts. She opens her strained eyes to welcome her child into the world. He wriggles about and locks eyes with his mother for the first time. An emotion is expressed that no camera could ever capture and no words could ever describe. A tear of happiness falls from her face. Hours of pain come to an end and one of life’s greatest joys begins as he takes his first breath. In a single moment, one becomes two and two becomes three.

A few moments later a nursery rhyme softly plays throughout the halls of the hospital to signal that a baby has been born.

I will spare you the details of childbirth and say only one thing of the experience. I stood next to the love of my life and one of the strongest people I know, holding her hand and comforting her, while she pushed through most of a lengthy and painful labor without any pain medication. She is Wonder Woman.

As I wrote in my first parenthood post nine months ago, we have truly been given love’s greatest gift. Our baby has arrived happy, healthy and incredibly handsome. And an incredible hand-full.

Meet Rylan Alexander, born March 4, 2013 at 5:28 PM. 7 lbs 1 oz.