Celebrating their newest addition! Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) have received plenty of well-wishes from loved ones after the birth of their first child together — which includes the HGTV star’s ex-wife, Christina Hall (née Haack).
“Christina congratulated us, of course, and she’s very happy for us,” Tarek, 41, exclusively reveals in a joint interview with Heather, 36, in the new issue of Us Weekly. “When it comes to gifts, we got so many gifts. I was actually surprised … It was really, really nice.”
The reality TV couple, who welcomed son Tristan Jay in January, began dating in 2019 after the Flip Your Life author finalized his divorce with Hall, 39. Tarek shares daughter Taylor, 12, and son Brayden, 7, with the Christina in the Country star.
After the pair tied the knot in October 2021, Heather gushed about taking on the role of a stepmom.
“These kids are truly our everything, so we decided to say our vows first to the kids and second to each other,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “This is just a tiny portion of what I said to the kids, but I truly meant every word: When your daddy and I decided to be fully committed, I was 100 percent committing myself to you too. I am beyond honored to be your bonus mommy. Thank you for allowing me to love your daddy with all my heart. I love you both more than you will ever know.”
Tarek and Heather later announced that they were expanding their family. “Surprise!!! Baby El Moussa coming early 2023!! 🤍,” the Selling Sunset star captioned a July 2022 maternity shoot photo alongside her husband.
Ahead of their son’s birth, the real estate duo offered a glimpse at their coparenting approach with Hall.
“Communication is important and honestly, we were talking about this earlier, it’s so nice to have a good relationship with the other parent because everyone’s happier, the kids are happier, it’s just been incredible,” the former model shared with Us in December 2022. “We have them 50/50. So, at our house, I’m mom to them and then they have their mom, and me and her communicate well, and we talk almost every single day about the kids and it’s just important. We’re raising good humans.”
Tarek added: “The key is just putting the kids first. Our feelings or emotions don’t matter, but the truth is, we’ve all been getting along fantastic. It’s funny, now we team up against the kids because they don’t know we talk, so it’s like, ‘Hey, I was talking to your mom, I heard what you did.'”
Earlier this month, the Flip or Flop alum confirmed their little one’s arrival, telling Us in a statement, “Becoming a father for the third time is just as exciting as it was the first time. Our baby boy is doing amazing and Heather was a rockstar during labor. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tay and Bray as happy as they were when they met their little brother.”
The real estate investor gushed about how the milestone was “truly a special moment” for him and his wife. “We are on cloud 9 and soaking in all of the snuggles and bonding with our little guy as an official family of 5,” Tarek added. “My heart has grown even bigger and I’m feeling like the luckiest guy on the planet.”
Since bringing their boy home, the new mom discussed how she adjusted to life with a baby. “Having my own and carrying him and then going through the labor … it’s just such a beautiful thing that the female body can do,” she tells Us.
For more on Tarek and Heather’s first days as parents to son Tristan, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
With reporting by Leanne Aciz Stanton
