Brian Dowling has shared the first glimpse of his surrogate sister Aoife with his newborn daughter.
The Big Brother star and his husband Arthur Gourounlian welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Blake Maria Rose Dowling Gourounlian, on Thursday, September 1.
Brian’s younger sister Aoife acted as the couple’s surrogate, and the TV presenter previously thanked her for giving them “the gift of life”.
Sharing a photo of Aoife with his newborn daughter Blake, Brian wrote: “Today was REUNION TIME in the Dowling Gourounlian household.”
“We had a little visitor in the form of [Aoife] ❤️. It was an emotional reunion as the tears flowed. Times like this are so special.”
“I still find it hard to believe that Aoife, Arthur & I created this BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BABY.”
“Blake LOVES her Auntie Aoife so much & was so content in her arms. How SENSATIONAL does Aoife look especially only 5 days after giving birth 🥰 #auntie #reunited #family.”
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Brian shared a touching tribute to Aoife on Instagram on Monday, writing: “You are an ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE HUMAN. From our first jokingly conversations about [surrogacy] back in 2015 when you moved in with us in London, to our more serious chars about it in January 2021 in the middle of the pandemic when we would go on our daily walks.”
“This has been in the works for YEARS. But everything happens when it’s supposed to and for us, everything really clicked. Your dedication and focus has been out of this world. You have also put yourself out there publicly for everyone to voice their opinions about this & you never faltered.”
“Even the vile/disgusting messages we all received just encouraged us to be more open regarding our surrogacy journey. From dramas regarding trying to get you on hormones, especially here in Ireland where there’s no legislation regarding surrogacy and the lack of any real information and guidance.”
“To numerous conversations about your cycle and when you would or wouldn’t get it. To the night of mum’s birthday dinner last December when we made it by minutes to the pharmacy and purchased the very last ovulation test,” Brian continued. “We have been THROUGH IT ALL. At one point we actually thought it wasn’t going to happen and Arthur and I debated stopping everything for a few months & you were like NO we have this, so let’s keep going.”
“And boy did we keep going. To that magic day last December 30th when those 4 pregnancy tests all turned positive. Then there was the situation of getting you to ‘hide’ the pregnancy until a time when it was safe and we were happy to reveal the MOST AMAZING NEWS. Plus let’s be honest, there were accusations & rumours during this time also and you handled it all like a pro.”
“You glided through your pregnancy with such joy and elegance, and overcame obstacles in your way medically or other wise. Just when we thought we couldn’t be in awe of you anymore, you handled our delivery day last Thursday, September 1, like a BOSS.”
“I’m here writing this actually thinking you need a medal or indeed be knighted. I think Dame Aoife Dowling has a FABULOUS ring to it. Seeing you hold Blake for the first time was so emotional for all of us. We know her because of you, because of all the time we spent together.”
“All those take aways or dinners you cooked for us. To all the belly rubs where we could feel her move. To the million cups of tea we had and the gossip sessions WOW they were THE BEST.”
“You aren’t just my sister or Arthur’s sister-in-law, you are AN ANGEL and also our BEST FRIEND. You DESERVE the WORLD AND EVERYTHING YOU DESIRE. We LOVE YOU, AOIFE DOWLING. YOU ARE OUR QUEEN AND LONG MAY YOU REIGN.”
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