More than a week after they welcomed Shai Aleksander Chmerkovskiy to the fold on Jan. 4, "Dancing With The Stars" pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd both broke their social media silence on Jan. 12. In addition to thanking fans for their support and reflecting on early parenthood, they also took the time to explain the decision to keep their newborn son's face out of the spotlight... for now.
Peta Murgatroyd: Shai has an 'incredible appetite'
Murgatroyd, 30, who owns two trophies for her work on "DWTS", was the first of the two to address fans.
In her afternoon Facebook post, which featured a stunning image of the couple's nursery, she thanked fans for their well-wishes following her son's Jan. 4 birth. She proclaimed the tiny tot "a healthy boy with an incredible appetite for food and love" and said that though they're eager to share him with the world, they've opted to keep him to themselves for the "first most crucial weeks" of his young life.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy praises all aspects of fatherhood
The 36-year old Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who won "Dancing with the Stars" season 18 with world and Olympic champion ice dancer Meryl Davis, followed his fiancee's lead a few hours later with a Facebook post of his own that echoed her comments.
He shared that fatherhood had made him "the happiest person that's ever lived," but also noted that he understands why parents are protective of their children. He shared that they hadn't yet allowed many people to visit Shai, and that he wasn't yet ready to share photos on social media. He closed with an amusing postscript that read "Farts, poops, and throw-ups are the best!"
Although Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are keeping their son's face away from the prying eyes of the general public, Murgatroyd's best friend gushed over the new arrival.
In a Jan. 5 Instagram video, pro dancer Sharna Burgess --who finished the fall season of "DWTS" in second place with racecar driver James Hinchcliffe-- called the newborn "quite possibly the most beautiful little man that I have ever seen."
"Dancing with the Stars" is expected to return for a 24th season this spring.
