Apparently 9 months was too long for one little boy to wait to hug his mom after she returned home from service in Afghanistan.

At a ceremony to welcome home the National Guard’s 114th Transportation Company, little 3-year-old Cooper ignored military protocol to jump in his mother’s arms.

“It just melts my heart,” Cooper’s mom Kathryn Waldvogel said.

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time little Cooper and his family have had to wait.

“He kind of did the same thing for me,” Cooper’s dad said.

Cooper gave his dad Adam Waldvogel the same big, bear hug when he returned home from Afghanistan.

“I can’t even imagine that she’s home right now,” Adam said of his bride Kathryn–who he hasn’t seen in over 19 months.

“Can we play all day?” Cooper asked his mom.

“Yes. We can play all day,” she responded.

Here’s an extended video clip of little Cooper and his mom and dad. Grab some tissue, ‘cuz this one’s a tear-jerker.

Thank you, Adam, Cooper, and Kathryn Waldvogel, for your service and for this amazing story.