One month after learning his wife was pregnant, First Lieutenant Jake Osborne was deployed to Afghanistan. It was a heart-wrenching moment for the father-to-be, knowing he wouldn’t be able to care for his wife during the pregnancy.

Once he was deployed, the soldier learned he may not even be able to come home for the birth. It was a long nine months, but on May 12, Osborne’s commander came in and told him to pack his bags. They sent him home on leave so he’d be able to go home and meet his newborn baby.

Although his baby was born while he was flying home, his family made sure to capture the beautiful moment he finally got to meet his baby girl at Athens Regional Health System Medical Center hospital.

“I rounded the corner… and froze at the door. I didn’t know what to say. I was giggling like a little schoolgirl,” Osborne recalled of seeing his baby for the first time. “It was unreal, unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

When he finally holds the baby, he’s in complete awe. His family looked on, as they all shed tears of joy.

Both mom and baby are healthy. Congrats to the new parents. We can already tell this is going to be one spoiled baby.

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