O’Connor/AFF-USA.com
Congratulations are in order for Hallmark star Jill Wagner!
The actress and her husband, David Lemanowicz, welcomed their first child together – a daughter named Army Gray Lemanowicz.
The couple’s daughter was born on Friday, April 17, at 12:36 pm, weighing 7 lbs., 8 oz., and measured 20 inches long.
Want the Top 5 news stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox before you even wake up? Sign up for the Fame10 Top 5 newsletter and receive 5 breaking news stories every morning!
“She was conceived on July 4 so we wanted a patriotic name and my husband is in the military so we chose her first name to be Army,” Wagner told PEOPLE. “We thought that was a good name to honor both. Her middle name is Gray (spelled the American way, with an A) because I have always loved that name. It is strong, intelligent, soft and feminine all in one … which is what I want her to be.”
This is Wagner’s first child, and the second for Lemanowicz, who has a 10-year-old daughter named Lija from a previous relationship.
“Lija is loving being a big sis and all of the dogs are super curious about little Army Gray,” Wagner said. “I have a feeling Hank the farm dog is going to be super protective over her.”
Since Army was Wagner’s “first baby,” she “really had no idea what to expect. I didn’t really have much of a plan going into [giving birth] except just to be open to anything the doctor said that would be best for the baby.”
“Having to give birth in a mask was not ideal but the silver lining throughout was that it allowed my husband and me to have this one-on-one intimate time with [Army] before we brought her home with no distractions,” Wagner said. “It was some of the best sleepless moments of my life.”
Now, Wanger is “in the most blissful state of mind” and her “whole world has been turned upside down but in the best way” – including that she sees her husband “in a whole new light.”
“He has been my rock through all of it,” Wagner told the publication. “The most I have ever been attracted to him was when I saw him hold her for the first time. This has definitely created a bond with us like no other. Army has been a great baby so far. We actually got a decent block of sleep last night, a whole 4-hour run, which was amazing. While I know it’s hard not getting my whole 8 hours, which I love … I don’t mind the lack of [sleep]. She is worth it all!”
Check out the first photos of Army Gray here.