MacKenzie Porter’s family just got bigger.
The “Easy to Miss” singer (34) and her husband Nashville actor Jake Etheridge, welcomed their first child together, daughter Bowen (Bowie) James Porter Etheridge, on Thursday, March 14, a rep for the couple confirmed to PEOPLE.
Born at 7:21 a.m., baby Bowie weighed 7 pounds. and measured 17.5 inches long.
“On March 14, 2024 at 7:21 a.m. our lives changed completely. Our daughter took her first breath and she is now forever the reason we breathe,” the couple tells PEOPLE. “Life just got a lot sweeter, cozier and sleepier in a matter of minutes. Mummy and daddy love you little Bowie girl.”
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MacKenzie Porter, Jake Etheridge and their baby.
Bree Marie Fish
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“We left the hospital on March 16 and took the slowest drive in the world trying to avoid every bump in the road as we had our most precious cargo strapped in the back seat,” they continue.
“The last four days have been filled with endless cuddles, 800 Google searches of ‘is ___ normal for a newborn’, a few tears of stress, but many more tears of joy. There is an endless loop of images on the monitor where we check to make sure he’s still breathing or just standing still over his cradle and looking into his perfect little squishy face.”
“My body is healing and my heart is now whole. We imagined this kind of love, but what we dreamed of could never even touch the real thing,” they say.
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MacKenzie Porter and her baby daughter.
Bree Marie Fish
Porter announced on Instagram in November that she was expecting her first child with Etheridge, posting some sweet snaps from a maternity shoot. In the caption, the mom-to-be took a minute to reflect on her emotions.
“Our sweet baby. We couldn’t be more excited to meet you, hold you, kiss your little squishy cheeks and let Will lick your toes,” she wrote.
“To say we’re a little nervous would be an understatement, but what we know without a shadow of a doubt is that we will love you more than anything in this entire world. We will never go back to the way we were before. There are now THREE of us (well 4 including furry bean) forever. Love Mom and Dad.”
Porter and Etheridge married in July 2020, eloping in Nashville.
“Since all of our plans have been postponed due to COVID-19, we’ve decided this is the perfect time to get married and then host our big party next summer. We can’t wait to celebrate with all our family and friends,” Porter told PEOPLE at the time.
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Source: HIS Education