The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd have made their son, Shai, their star since welcoming him in February 2017.
The Dancing With the Stars couple’s first child was born six months before the twosome tied the knot in New York in July 2017. As she watched her little one reach a few memorable milestones in the first few months of his life, Murgatroyd reflected on the indescribable experience of motherhood.
“My Prince Shai….you gave me the title of Mother, and you have given me my proudest moments in life. I am forever your protector and you will always hold a special place in my heart,” the professional dancer wrote in a lengthy Instagram tribute to her baby boy in May 2017. “I understand what my mother used to say now…a mothers love for her child is unlike any other, I had to have you though to understand . … I have learnt more about myself in these past 4 months with the joy of having a child. It’s moments like these, where I find myself looking back and appreciating my greatest influencer, my mother, more than ever before.”
One year later, the New Zealand native told Us Weekly that it was “too early to tell” if Shai would inherit his parents’ sense of rhythm. In September 2020, however, the little one had come a long way.
“He has started dancing,” she told Us at the time. “I don’t know if I would call it dancing dancing but he’s trying. He’s 3, so I can’t expect that much but he’s trying to do the cha-cha right now and he did a little bit of waltz the other day.”
While watching Shai grow up has been rewarding for the ballroom pros, the couple has been eager to expand their family. In March 2020, Chmerkovskiy revealed that he’s hoping baby No. 2 is a little girl.
“I want to experience that relationship,” the Ukraine native told Us at the time. “When Peta said [her last pregnancy] was a boy, I had this elated reaction like, ‘Thank God.’ But immediately after that, I was like, ‘OK, now I’m ready for a girl.’ I just think it’s a special thing.”
Nearly three years later, Murgatroyd announced in January 2023 that she is pregnant with the couple’s second child. “It brings me immense joy to finally announce that @maksimc and I are expecting our Chmerkovskiy #2 ,” she wrote via Instagram. “After 2 years of constant struggle and heartache, 3 miscarriages and a failed embryo transfer … we have a healthy bun in the oven.”
Scroll down to see some of the DWTS couple’s cutest memories with their son, Shai: