William Hawk White
Zack Knudsen
Country star Drake White can officially call himself a dad. He and his wife, Alex, welcomed their son William Hawk White on Jan 20. The couple told PEOPLE that they plan to call the little one by his middle name.
“William is Drake and his Dad’s first name, and we saw hawks almost daily throughout the entire pregnancy and IVF process. A hawk sighting symbolizes you’re going in the right direction,” the new parents explained to PEOPLE. “We took it as a sign from God and knew we’d use the name Hawk if we had a boy.”
Hawk’s arrival is a long-awaited one for the couple, who have endured a six-year-long journey to parenthood filled with fertility struggles among other health issues on both sides.
“We’ve been through so much, from my having a stroke on stage to Alex being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and having an autoimmune disorder,” Drake told PEOPLE of their experience in September 2022. “And then this was just something else that tested our faith and tested our strength.”
Now that their little bundle of joy has finally arrived, they are soaking up every minute with him. “We are over the moon excited to have our baby earth side with us. It is truly life’s biggest blessing and such a holy moment in our lives.”
Clover Jade McCain Domenech
Meghan McCain and her husband Ben Domenech welcomed their second daughter, Clover Jade McCain Domenech, on Jan. 19.
“Yesterday morning, we welcomed our newest addition, Clover Jade McCain Domenech, to our family!” the couple, who married in 2017, told the DailyMail in a statement confirming their newborn’s arrival. “Ben and I are overjoyed to introduce Liberty to her baby sister and start this new adventure as a family.”
“Meghan’s strength and love for our daughters is boundless,” added Domenech. “I feel so blessed that her and Clover are both doing well, and I cannot wait for our entire family to meet our baby girl.”
At home, Clover Jade joins McCain and Domenech’s eldest daughter, Liberty Sage, who arrived in September 2020.
Leonardo Scout Bellour
Baby No. 4 has arrived for designer Rebecca Minkoff and her husband Gavin Bellour. Minkoff told PEOPLE that their son Leonardo Scout “entered the world as a peaceful and calm being” on Jan. 19. “Our family is complete!” she said.
The couple shared the meaning behind their son’s name: Leonardo means lion, and Scout means “one who listens.”
In some of the photos shared exclusively with PEOPLE, the family’s newest addition can be seen in the arms of his 8-year-old big sister Bowie. Minkoff noted that her other two, sons Nico, 4, and Luca, 11, were also excited to welcome baby Leonardo into their home.
Karter Brian Haze Cooper
Country crooner Kolby Cooper is a dad once again. He and his wife Jillian welcomed baby No. 3 on Jan. 19, son Karter Brian Haze Cooper. The duo already share daughters Charlee, 2, and Josie, 4½.
“Jillian and Karter are both happy and healthy! We are so overwhelmed with all the feelings of bringing a new life into the world,” the couple said in a statement to PEOPLE. “We already love little man so much. Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes!”
Cooper also gave PEOPLE the inside scoop on the sentimental value behind his son’s middle name. “We chose Brian because it was my dad’s name,” Cooper said. “He passed away, so I’ve known since then that I wanted to do this!”
Abram Shay Mooney
Shay Mooney and his wife, Hannah, are officially outnumbered. The pair became parents of three with the birth of their son Abram Shay on Jan. 17. The Grammy-winning country singer shared the exciting news on Instagram, where he shared a video of him singing to his little one.
“Grateful doesn’t begin to cover it ❤️,” the new father of three wrote. Hannah, who posted the same clip, captioned her post, “First song sang to the newest family member… Abram Shay, you’re so loved and so prayed over, baby boy. Thankful for all that God has done for us this week 🤍.”
Baby Abram has two older brothers: 5-year-old Asher James and Ames Alexander, who was born in February 2020.
Dylan Rose Lawrence
Joey Lawrence is a girl-dad again! The actor and his wife Samatha Cope welcomed their daughter Dylan Rose Lawrence on Jan. 16, per his Instagram announcement. “Mom, Dad and big sisters are all so smitten with you sweet girl,” wrote Lawrence alongside photos showing off the baby’s sweet face as well as her tiny feet.
“We welcomed her into this world with the most amazing midwife, everyone is happy and healthy and we are overjoyed with gratitude.” Lawrence continued in his caption. “Wow what a beautiful journey. thank you for all your continued love surrounding this beautiful new life! stay tuned for baby spam xoxo.”
Dylan Rose is Cope’s first-born and Lawrence’s third. He shares daughters Liberty, 12, and Charleston, 16, with his ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson.
Kyro Aumua Te’o
Manti Te’o and his wife Jovi just added another player to their team. On Jan. 16, the couple – who married in September 2020 – welcomed their second child together, son Kyro Aumua Te’o.
“Welcome my little King. We’ve all been waiting for you!” Jovi wrote on Instagram to announce the news. She shared two shots from the hospital: one where the couple poses with the tiny newborn and another showing him fast asleep.
The duo are also parents to daughter Hiro, who was born in August 2021.
Olivia Ray Gomez
Country singer Frank Ray is a dad times three as of Jan. 14, when he and his wife, Emily, welcomed their daughter Olivia Ray Gomez. The new addition makes big sisters of Ray’s older two, Mackenzie, 6, and Chloe, 18.
“It’s incredible how fast you can fall in love all over again; and just like that, my whole world got so much bigger,” the “Country’d Look Good on You” singer told PEOPLE in a statement. His wife added, “My heart is so full. Watching Mackenzie meet Olivia for the first time was the perfect picture of true love.”
Micah Parsons’ Daughters
Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parson enjoyed two major wins on and after Jan. 14. First, he became a father of two when his daughter was born, and then his team scored a wild card win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two days later. Scott Van Pelt was the first to bring it up in an interview with the linebacker following his team’s victory.
“Hold on, did you just have a daughter two days ago?” the sports commentator asked Parsons. When the NFL star confirmed the news, Van Pelt launched right into talk about fatherhood: “Man, who cares about this football stuff, man. Being a girl dad, there’s nothing like it, man. Just wait, you think you are in love now, just wait,” the sportscaster said.
“Man, I already know,” gushed Parsons, who is also dad to 5-year-old son, Malcolm. “Every time she cries, I play my favorite artist, Rod Wave, and I sing it to her. She’s got me wrapped already.”
India Moon English
Former WAGS LA star Nicole Williams and her former NFL player husband Larry English welcomed their first baby together on Jan. 13. A rep for the couple confirmed to PEOPLE that their daughter, India Moon English, had arrived after a difficult labor for Mom.
“Our sweet baby girl is here and we are over the moon in love!!!” Williams told PEOPLE in a statement. “We went in for our routine fetal monitoring appointment, and it turned out that I was developing preeclampsia. My doctor said, ‘we are having this baby like, TODAY.'”
She continued, “We drove directly to the hospital, and within a few hours, our baby girl was in our arms. It was the scariest moment but as soon as we both heard her cry it was the happiest moment of our lives.”
Safe and healthy at home, the reality TV alumna and her husband were able to enjoy their new addition. “Larry and I can’t stop staring at her!” Williams said.
Esti Maxine Stephens
It’s a rainbow baby for Chrissy Teigen and John Legend! The couple – who are already parents to daughter Luna Simone, 6½, and Miles Theodore, 4½ – welcomed a daughter on Jan. 13. The news came hours after, during a private concert featuring the “All of Me” singer. Legend told the crowd that they’d welcomed “the little baby” that morning. The event’s attendees turned to social media to share the news and their congratulations for the family.
Days later, the couple shared a bit more information about their newest addition. Teigen added that Esti Maxine Stephens, whose name was revealed in the post’s caption, was healthy and home.
The cookbook author detailed that her house was “bustling” and that their whole family “could not be happier 💕.” She continued, “Daddy sheds nightly tears of joy seeing Luna and Miles so full of love, and I am learning you still need diapers with a c section!? We are in bliss. Thank you for all the love and well wishes – we feel it all! X”
Esti Maxine comes nearly two-and-a-half years after Teigen and Legend lost their third child, Jack. Since then, Teigen and Legend have opened up about their grief and fertility challenges. Speaking to PEOPLE in March 2022, the singer shared his and his wife’s hopes to destigmatize the struggles many women go through.
“I think both of us have felt like it’s good for us to share this with other people because other people are going through it too, we don’t think they should suffer in silence without knowing there are other people out there who are feeling the same thing,” he said. Both Miles and Luna were conceived through IVF as well.
Harlem Herro
The Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro welcomed his second baby with girlfriend Katya Henry on Jan. 12. The NBA star announced the big news with an Instagram Story post. The snapshot revealed the baby boy’s name, Harlem, as it was written on a whiteboard wishing the newborn a happy birthday.
On Henry’s Instagram Story, she shared a precious photo of herself holding her son while still in the hospital. In accompanying text, she wrote, “welcome to this big, beautiful world baby Harlem.”
The duo are already parents to their daughter Zya Elise, who was born in September 2021.
Jenna Johnson & Val Chmerkovskiy’s Son
Dancing with the Stars duo Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy are officially parents! The couple, who tied the knot in April 2019, announced their son’s arrival with a black-and-white photo of the baby’s tiny hand in theirs.
“𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕕 🤍 1.10.2023,” read the caption on the dancers’ joint Instagram post.
The new parents didn’t share the little one’s name at the time, but in the following days Johnson dropped a hint and opened up about her process for divulging more details.
“One week with my little love ✨,” Mom wrote alongside a photo of the baby clinging to her chest. In the snapshot, an “R” necklace dangles above the tiny infant. Johnson continued, “I promise I will share more when we are ready. Trying to soak up all of these precious moments and transition into parenthood the best we can.”
She finished, “I do finally understand what everyone has been preaching to me… ‘You think you know what love is, and then you have a child.’ My heart is forever his and my world is so much brighter with him in it 🤍”
Eleanora Joy Richard
This Broadway baby already knows the value of good timing. Elizabeth A. Davis, who played Founding Father Thomas Jefferson in the revival of 1776, and her husband Jordan Richard welcomed a baby girl one day after the show ended its Broadway run. The actress broke the big arrival news on Instagram.
“Eleanora Joy Richard arrived January 9th at 8:15 PM just in time for Scene 3; her fave scene to dance around,” Davis captioned her post, which included two images: a photo of a loved one cradling the newborn and another of the couple’s first-born, 5-year-old son Josiah, peering over his little sister.
The Tony Award nominee continued in her caption: “Per her exquisite comedic timing she waited til a day after closing as her role of Metaphor Of A Nation couldn’t be compromised.” Davis added that she and her family were “cocooned in exhaustion & muscle soreness from the work of labor & also lots of bliss.”
Addison Brooks Toth Jr.
As of Jan. 6, Broadway’s Taylor Louderman is officially a mom. She and her husband, Brooks Toth, welcomed their son, Addison Brooks Toth Jr., just a few days before they announced the news on Instagram.
The Mean Girls musical alumna posted an adorable photo of her baby alongside the caption, “Our new roommate is here!” Toth shared similar images on his own account, and announced the baby’s name in his caption.
The brand new mom also spoke to PEOPLE about her growing brood. “I feel so grateful for this new addition to our family and excited for the challenges of motherhood! I’ve been lucky to have amazing support from family. Especially my mom, who’s staying with us these first few nights to help us get an extra few hours of sleep,” Louderman said.
Aury Bella Morales
This Married at First Sight couple are officially parents! PEOPLE exclusively confirmed that Briana Myles and Vincent Morales, who met and wed on the reality show, welcomed their first daughter together on Jan. 3.
“Our little love is finally here! After a long-awaited almost 10 months, Aury Bella Morales graced us with her presence on 1/3/23 and we couldn’t be more elated,” the season 12 stars told PEOPLE in a statement. “She’s even more beautiful than we could’ve ever imagined.”
Elise Ansel
Dominique Ansel celebrated his birthday in an extra special way this year. On Jan. 3, he and his wife, Amy, welcomed their second child together. The renowned pastry chef revealed his daughter’s arrival and her name on Instagram, sharing a precious photo of him bottle-feeding the newborn with a smile on his face.
“The best presents anyone can ask for on their birthday. Welcome to the world Elise,” Ansel wrote in the caption.
A second slide from the post showed a video of the couple’s son, 2½-year-old Celian, singing happy birthday to his dad while holding a candlelit cupcake.
Elliot Landon Ratfcliff
Country music star, husband and now a brand new father! Brandon Ratcliff and his wife, Lexie, welcomed their daughter Elliot Landon Ratfcliff on Jan. 2 – just four days before the release of his latest album, Tale of Two Towns.
The singer, whose mother is Suzanne Cox of bluegrass group The Cox Family, shared his happiness with PEOPLE in a statement following his baby’s arrival.
“We are beyond words with excitement and so grateful to welcome our little angel into the world, Elliot Landon Ratcliff,” he said. “Her mom and I are so happy to be a family of 3 now and overjoyed by the gift of the purest form of love we’ve ever known.”
Ratcliff also detailed the significance of his daughter’s name, noting that he and his wife have “always loved the name Elliot for a girl.” Her middle moniker, Landon, is a combination of her parent’s names, something Brandon and Lexie dreamed up a while back. “It’s a name we’ve talked about since high school, and it’s surreal to give this name to our first daughter,” he said.
Pernilla Sjoholm’s Twins
Pernilla Sjoholm, one of the victims featured in the Tinder Swindler documentary, became a mom to twins on Jan. 1. In an Instagram Reel she posted after her deliveries, Sjoholm shared that when she went into labor on New Year’s Eve, she was worried she’d have her son and daughter in different years.
But her babies – whom she welcomed with partner Calle Schirren – arrived one hour apart in the afternoon on New Year’s Day. “It was a long delivery. They were healthy throughout the delivery,” Sjoholm detailed in her social media post. “But for me, it was very difficult, and I lost a lot of blood and had preeclampsia.”
The video included sweet photos of the babies in the days post arrival, which showed the twins breastfeeding, wearing matching outfits and snuggling together.
