Our Mighty Men: An Introduction

Meet Our Mighty Men

Sweet itty bitty fingers, sweet baby toes. Baby sounds, and baby smells. Smooth, chubby cheeks just begging to be kissed. These precious little bodies will continue to grow around the men the Lord has designed them to be. These are my boys. We loved them before we saw them, but now, having seen them, our hearts are swollen with delight. 

Gabriel Tamirat Hill

Mommy and Daddy had been praying about the first time we met our sons. We imagined that they would both be awake and waiting for us when we walked in the room, and wondered about who would reach for who first. We both wanted both of them! But God had it sorted. We walked into a quiet room where both of our boys were sleeping. We gazed over the crib rail at our beautiful sons, and tears welled up in our eyes. It was nice to take a few moments to just breathe in their smells, and soak in their faces. And then, my chubby cheeked, sweetest little puckered Gabriel stirred. I leaned over his crib as he blinked a few times and stared wide-eyed up at me. "Hi," I gushed, lifting his dense, warm little self into my arms. I couldn't stop smiling, and his big brown eyes just locked on my face. I leaned him back as he gazed steadily up at me. He was so beautiful, and so intent, I couldn't stop smiling back at him. "This is your Daddy," I whispered and turned him to see Cary who was crying quietly beside us. Gabe took a couple of Daddy glances, and then latched those big brown eyes right back on to my face. We all laughed. He continued to study and stare for about 10 minutes, before he allowed us to start cuddling him, kissing him, and passing him to Daddy. Gabe has the baby giggle of every Mom's dreams, and he's always looking for an excuse to use it. His favorite games are being flown over our heads, and being held by Daddy while Mommy swoops in to kiss his forehead. (He cranes his neck and raises his eyebrows to let us know he wants another turn, and since it's impossible to resist such cute gestures, the game goes on for awhile.) We love him, and look forward to knowing that laugh, and that stare, for the rest of our lives.

Ezekiel Zekarias Hill
Ezekiel was sleeping when we saw him for the first time. He's baby perfection. The smoothest, sweet round cheeks you've ever seen, with long beautiful eye lashes that curl back on their own. His Daddy and I were eager to hold him, but didn't want him to feel yucky if we woke him up from a nap he wasn't finished with, so we waited. I hovered over his crib when I saw him stirring - about to wake up from his nap. His little eye-lids started to flutter, so I leaned in. I reached for him as his eyes opened, and without hesitation, Ezekiel reached for my face. As I scooped him into my arms, he looked into my face as he moved his little hand across my mouth and chin. I couldn't help but smile and talk to him, my beautiful son with his intensive stare. He's a deep-thinker, my Zeke. His Daddy and I learned that he likes to be bounced and rocked, read and sung to. You can see enjoyment in his eyes, but his smiles come in quick flashes. He reserves his giggles for the utmost occasions, and he does NOT perform for cameras. You either want to play with him, or you want his picture - it's one or the other. Zeke enjoyed the airplane toy and teething ring we brought him. He'd slowly turn them over in his hands, studying their colors before he'd cram them in between those little teething gums. Ezekiel has one baby tooth in the middle of his bottom gums right now. It makes those hearty giggles worth all of the effort it takes to get them. We already love him so much, and we always will.