Former “The Real” co-host Adrienne Bailon and her husband, gospel singer Israel Houghton, have welcomed their first child via surrogate.
The couple have been outspoken about their struggles with infertility, and Bailon revealed Tuesday on Instagram that they are now parents of a baby boy, according to People.
“Ever James / For this child we have prayed / Just to hear our baby cry / Skin to skin and face to face / Heart to heart and eye to eye,” Bailon writes in her poignant caption, accompanying a photo of the couple looking at the infant’s face. She’s holding the baby, and Houghton is embracing Bailon.
“Our baby boy is here & we are so in love! If you have followed our love story… you know that our journey to baby has been very challenging – But God is true to His word and His promises. We have quietly prayed while sitting on this most magnificent secret for the last 9 months,” she shared.
“He is worth every tear, every disappointment, every delayed prayer, every IVF cycle, every miscarriage. Everything. All we feel is joy and overwhelming love & gratitude,” the new mother continued. “Grateful to God, to our angel surrogate and to all of our friends and family who have stood with us for over 5 years on this journey. He’s here and we have never been happier to lose sleep!”
Bailon and Houghton were wed in Paris in December 2019. Houghton has four children from a previous relationship, but the couple desperately wanted a child of their own.
On her previous talk show, back in 2018, the former “Cheetah Girls” star said of infertility: “I think so many people are very insensitive to that, in the sense [that] I know you guys are like, ‘Is she pregnant?’ ‘Her face is fuller’— FYI, I’ve always had a really chubby face, so that’s not what it is.”
“I think that as an audience, we should be sensitive to the fact that everybody doesn’t get pregnant right away,” Bailon continued. “I think for myself, I thought it would happen so easily for me, and it just hasn’t happened that way.”
Fans and friends alike are sharing their joy for the Bailon-Houghton family. The Instagram post announcing Ever James’ birth was flooded with comments of congratulations. Former “The Real” co-host Tamera Mowry wrote, “Wooooo-hooooo!!!!! Cried so many tears of joy today! So happy for you my love. See you guys soooon!!!”
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