On September 3, at 10:17 a.m., Lily Tirone made me a dad … for the fourth time.

The birth of all of my children has been unique and beautiful.

Ava was our first. Fro

m her, two parents were born.

Dominic was the fastest. Lily labored a long time with Ava, so she expected the same with Dom. We stopped by Mass on the way to the hospital, but when Lily went into active labor in a church pew, we decided it might be time for a trip to the hospital.

And Lucas surprised us and came six weeks early. He was tiny, but healthy and perfect in every way. For the past three years, he’s been our baby. Now he has the privilege of being a big brother.

Little Emma Therese Tirone was born in our home.

We planned it that way. Lily awoke from a contraction in our bed around 7:00, and 3 ½ hours later, she was a mom for the fourth time, and she was taking a nap in our bed.

It all felt so … familiar. The familiar feeling of family.

At my 40th birthday party, Lily gave a toast. She told everyone how amazing it was to bear witness to another person’s life. She was talking about me, and how she had the privilege of watching me succeed, fail, pray, laugh, grow, and struggle.

But the privilege is mine.

Being a spouse is hard work—and Lily and I both sometimes joke that the celibate, lonely lifestyle of our priest is probably a lot easier than ours. We have to keep a solid, vigilant commitment to keeping our relationship on track.

I know for certain that I’m the one who is harder to get along with.

So today, there’s no post about credit or your finances. Instead, I want to thank my bride for letting me bear witness to her life, and all the miracles that have unfolded over the years.

Thank you, Mrs. Lily Tirone, for giving me our growing family.

Phil

Format

On September 3, at 10:17 a.m., Lily Tirone made me a dad … for the fourth time.
The birth of all of my children has been unique and beautiful.
Ava was our first. From her, two parents were born.
Dominic was the fastest. Lily labored a long time with Ava, so she expected the same with Dom. We stopped by Mass on the way to the hospital, but when Lily went into active labor in a church pew, we decided it might be time for a trip to the hospital.
And Lucas surprised us and came six weeks early. He was tiny, but healthy and perfect in every way. For the past three years, he’s been our baby. Now he has the privilege of being a big brother.
Little Emma Therese Tirone was born in our home.
We planned it that way. Lily awoke from a contraction in our bed around 7:00, and 3 ½ hours later, she was a mom for the fourth time, and she was taking a nap in our bed.
It all felt so … familiar. The familiar feeling of family.
At my 40th birthday party, Lily gave a toast. She told everyone how amazing it was to bear witness to another person’s life. She was talking about me, and how she had the privilege of watching me succeed, fail, pray, laugh, grow, and struggle.
But the privilege is mine.
Being a spouse is hard work—and Lily and I both sometimes joke that the celibate, lonely lifestyle of our priest is probably a lot easier than ours. We have to keep a solid, vigilant commitment to keeping our relationship on track.
I know for certain that I’m the one who is harder to get along with.
So today, there’s no post about credit or your finances. Instead, I want to thank my bride for letting me bear witness to her life, and all the miracles that have unfolded over the years.
Thank you, Mrs. Lily Tirone, for giving me our growing family.
Phil
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