Gospel artist Israel Houghton and his wife, Adrienne Bailon Houghton, announced the birth of their first child Tuesday after nearly six years of struggling to get pregnant.
“Our baby boy is here & we are so in love,” the new mom wrote on Instagram. “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.”
It is a picture worth 1,000 words as the couple welcomed their son, Ever James, via surrogate.
“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,” wrote the former The Real co-host.
“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,” she added.
The couple wed in November 2016 during a private ceremony in Paris, France, and made plans to start a family in 2018.
Shortly after, Bailon Houghton, 38, shared that getting pregnant was not as easy as she had hoped.
“I think that as an audience we should be sensitive to the fact that everybody doesn’t get pregnant right away,” Bailon Houghton said on The Real in 2018. “I think for myself I thought it would happen so easily for me and it just hasn’t happened that way.”
“I’ve had to come to peace with that it’ll happen when it’s God’s timing and I believe in that and I have faith in all of that,” she said. “But it can be really discouraging and it can be really frustrating.”
Friends and family took to Instagram to congratulate the couple.
“HE IS HERE!!!!” Jeannie Mai, a former The Real co-host, responded. “Lord thank you for this gift You spent quality time making for Israel and Ade. Every second of perfection.”
Model and soon-to-be mom Nicole Williams replied, “He’s finally here!!!!! God is great!! I can not wait to meet him!! I’m so happy for you guys!”
“He’s here and we have never been happier to lose sleep,” Bailon Houghton joked on Instagram.
Israel Houghton is already a father to four children from previous relationships – Mariah, Jordan, Milan, and Israel.
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