Proud new parents Giuliana and Bill Rancic (Getty Images)By now you've heard that Giuliana and Bill Rancic received their special delivery — a healthy baby boy — and the "blessed" new mother and father are already settling into life as new parents.
Bill was first to share the happy news that their gestational carrier had given birth to their son. "The 'Duke' has landed! Edward Duke Rancic was welcomed into the world last night at 7lbs 4oz.," he posted on Twitter in the wee hours of Thursday morning. "G & I feel blessed beyond words. We did it!"
After a rocky road to parenthood, which included fertility treatments, a miscarriage, and breast cancer, Giuliana happily spilled some details about Duke's arrival, which took place Thursday night in Denver, Colorado, where their surrogate resides. The "E! News" anchor and "Fashion Police" commentator told E! that she and Bill were in the hospital room with their "baby mama," as she jokingly calls their gestational carrier, during the four-hour labor. After the baby was born at 10:12 p.m., Bill cut the umbilical cord and Duke was placed in Giuliana's arms, so she could be the first one to hold their son. Giuliana then passed off the baby to Bill, who had his own little cuddle session, and then they both took turns feeding him. Soon after, Duke had his first bath.
"Bill and I are blessed beyond words to welcome Edward into our lives," Giuliana added. "Thank you so much to everyone who supported us along the way. We are so in love with the little guy already! ... He is doing incredibly well."
This Saturday, the Rancics will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary — and a lot has happened to them since they said "I do" in 2007. They openly shared their struggle to conceive on their Style Network reality series, "Giuliana and Bill." And it was while Giuliana was being treated by a fertility specialist that they insisted she have a mammogram — a test that changed her life. When it was discovered that she had breast cancer, she immediately underwent a double mastectomy last fall. Because she is taking an oral medication for the cancer over the next five years, Giuliana was told she could no longer try to conceive. So the couple took embryos they had stored prior to the cancer diagnosis and tried their luck with a gestational carrier, who immediately became pregnant.
"This was our last stop," Bill said, while announcing the baby news on the "Today" show in April. "This was it. We had those two embryos that we had banked prior to learning about the breast cancer, and with the medicine she was on, this was our last effort. The prayers were answered." And although they've traveled a difficult road, they've been willing to share the details of their experience, which now has the happiest ending of all. "One of the things we've always tried to do is help others with our story," Bill said. "Whether it's with the infertility issues, whether it's with the breast cancer, we said we're gonna turn these negatives into positives. And if we can help others by sharing our story, then it's worth it."
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