As far as my two sons are concerned, their dad is a superhero who's capable of anything. He can fix a broken toy, help them shoot a BB gun, kiss a booboo, hold a living room wrestle-match, build a marshmallow-ready fire, cook a perfect Sunday morning waffle, and perhaps most impressively, perform a front wheelie on his bike. Sure, I may be able to do these things too (well . . . not so much the front wheelie trick), but there's just something special about fathers.

A loving dad is a wonderful thing to behold, from the day their child is born to all the milestones and moments that happen after that. Just for fun, I've rounded up a series of amazing dad photos that I hope will put a smile on your face today. Enjoy:

Totally meltworthy: a proud dad and his brand-new baby.


Whether or not you approve of tattoos, you have to admit this kid is going to go NUTS for his dad's pirate-themed ink when he's older.



This photo's from 1969, providing that the loved-by-children, hated-by-mothers tradition of tossing babies has been around for a long, long time.



His baby girl may be a little on the frowny side here, but I am super in love with this sweet image.



This is my husband, gazing at our first son the day he was born. To me, that look embodies everything I remember about those first hours: everything has changed now.


So tender and awesome.



Babywearing AND cooking? High five, dad!



He's probably not saying OM NOM NOM NOM NOM but I'm going to go ahead and pretend he is.



Taking the "sleep when the baby sleeps" advice to heart. Good choice, sir.



Strength, gentleness, protection: an absolutely perfect Dad moment.

Do you love seeing photos like these? What do you think makes a great dad?

Images via Flickr: devinf, MissMessie, mricon, eugeniowilman, Linda Sharps, serenityphotographyltd, criminalintent, naritheole, juhansonin, merille