Proud papa Ricky Martin is showing off some new pictures of his adorable twin sons Matteo and Valentino. And not to get all smushy and girly, but they are way too cute. Ricky either has a special kind of love for his sons or is just better at putting it into words, because when he talks about them my heart gets all fluttery. There might have been tears. I’m not saying one way or the other. But his undying affection for them is clear, both in the cute pictures and his interviews.

He used to live the “vida loca,” but life has slowed down considerably for Ricky Martin since welcoming his fraternal twins, Matteo and Valentino, by gestational surrogate last August.

Sharing personal photos of himself enjoying the sun and surf with the boys on his Web site, Martin, 37, says that fatherhood “feels amazing.”

“I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing,” Martin says of his 1-year-old twins. “This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.”

[From People]

Ricky gave a really touching interview to People when the boys were seven months old (which People excerpted above) in which he talked about the joys of being a father and how different his sons are. He doesn’t have a nanny and takes care of Matteo and Valentino on his own – though admits he has an assistant who takes care of HIM.

PEOPLE: Describe this time in your life
MARTIN: I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. Being a father feels amazing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.

How hands-on are you as a father?
I don’t have a nanny. I’m doing this on my own because I don’t want to miss a moment. I have a personal assistant who helps me, someone who takes care of me while I’m taking care of them, but I’m the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep. For any parent, the first couple of months tend to get a little bit intense.

Why did you choose to become a parent via surrogate?
Adoption was one option, but it’s complicated and can take a long time. Surrogacy was an intriguing and faster option. I thought, ‘I’m going to jump into this with no fear.’

Tell us about Valetino’s and Matteo’s personalities.
Valentino loves to sleep. I call him ‘Mr. Peace and Love’ because he’s so chill and serene. Matteo is more alert and active. He was up at 3 a.m. the other night and just hanging!

What is your philosophy on raising your sons?
I love to read books to my sons and tell them stories. I play music for them so they develop their own personalities. I want to give them information and raise them with honesty and love, and give them self-esteem and a lot of acceptance.

[From People]

Clearly Ricky wanted to be a father badly and it seems like he’s incredibly appreciative of his blessings. His sons are so cute, and even though they don’t look all that similar to each other, they both still look like Ricky. Here are the adorable pictures from Ricky’s website. Photos are credited to Pablo Alfaro.