Jesse Palmer, 44, and his wife, Emely Fardo, 34, are going to be parents! The Bachelor host and the brunette beauty took to Instagram on Aug. 18 to announce that she is pregnant with their first baby due in early 2024. “We’ve been keeping a secret… our family is growing and our hearts are so full!”, they captioned a carousel of maternity photos. “This is a dream come true for us and we’re so thrilled to be welcoming our baby girl in January 2024.”
The soon-to-be “girl dad” spoke to PEOPLE about the wonderful news during an interview that same day. “I have two brothers and four nephews, so we are finally getting a female addition to the Palmer family!” Jesse gushed. “Emely has always wanted a daughter and she is so maternal by nature, I’ve always known that she is going to be the best mom.”
Emely also expressed her excitement to welcome her first child into the world. “I’m so excited to share life with our daughter, take her on fun adventures and share with her the lessons this life has taught us,” the model told the mag. More so, the 44-year-old admitted that he is “nervous” as he did not grow up with female siblings. “I know our daughter is going to walk all over me — she already has me wrapped around her finger!” he said, before adding, “I’m a little nervous since I never grew up with girls in the house.”
As far as her pregnancy goes, the 34-year-old told PEOPLE that she has felt “really good up to this point.” The expecting momma even admitted that she is a bit hungrier than usual. “I’m working out daily and my appetite has increased exponentially, which I’m not complaining about!”, Emely said. The expecting lovebirds noted that their Aussiedoodle, Lou Lou, will now be a big sister. “We think Lou Lou is excited about having a baby sister!” they gushed. “Every time we mention the words ‘sister’ or ‘baby,’ Lou Lou perks up and becomes very focused and interested in what mommy and daddy are talking about.”
Soon after Jesse and his wife of three years shared the baby news, many of his 219K followers took to the comments to gush over the photos. “OH MY GOODNESS! Congrats ! can’t wait to meet this little peanut,” fellow Bachelor alum Kaity Biggar wrote. In a separate comment, Bachelor In Paradise alum Serene Russell added, “I am so beyond excited for you two! the sweetest thing to see on my timeline today.”
Just last week, Emely sparked pregnancy speculation after she shared a photo via Instagram in a loose blue sundress. “Family pic! Loulou understood the assignment,” she joked in the caption. A few of her followers took to the comments to inquire if Emely was expecting. “Mama has an unusual dress on. Is the family expanding?”, one admirer asked, while another penned, “Baby bump???!” The soon-to-be first-time mom and the NFL alum began dating in 2017 and got engaged two years later. They eventually had a low-key ceremony amid COVID-19 in Jun. 2020.