NEED TO KNOW
- Adrian Portelli has welcomed a daughter, Ayla Grace Portelli.
- He already shares a son, Mercy, with his partner, Karlie Butler.
- They have been together more than two years, but keep things private.
Adrian Portelli has welcomed his second child with his partner, Karlie Butler.
The couple confirmed they have welcomed a baby girl called Ayla Grace Portelli after a secret pregnancy, which they kept quiet from everyone apart from their closest family and friends.
Speaking exclusively to New Idea, Adrian revealed why they decided to keep the news under wraps and gushed over their precious new arrival.
“We really wanted to protect that time and just enjoy it together without outside noise. Some moments are too special not to keep close,” he shared.
“My work life is very public; however, we choose to keep special moments like these as a family without anyone else’s input, so moments like these are shared just between loved ones, making it that little bit more special.”
The Block bidder said apart from his “immediate family and people within the friend circle”, nobody knew they were expecting their second child until his public Instagram post on Sunday, February 15.
But it wasn’t always smooth-sailing keeping such big news a secret, with Adrian admitting, “There were definitely a few close calls!”
“You become very aware of what you say and how you say it. But it also became a bit of a game between us, which made it fun.”
Adrian and Karlie already share a son, Mercy, two, and the happy parents are overjoyed to have welcomed their second addition.
“We’re honestly just overwhelmed in the best way. There’s a calm kind of happiness that comes with welcoming another little soul into your world. Our hearts feel very full,” he gushed.
“This new love we have feels like a new chapter. There is going to be less sleep, but there’s so much joy for us both.”
Adrian and Karlie have called their baby girl Ayla, and the businessman revealed that they didn’t pick out the beautiful name until after she was born.
“We could not decide for the life of us the name of our baby girl. Even after birth, it took a moment to decide on a name that flowed nicely, and that was elegant, unique, but not too over the top,” he shared.
“There were definitely a few debates! There were many names before this one. But once we both said this name out loud, we just knew.”
Describing the moment he first laid eyes on Ayla after her birth, Adrian said he would “carry” it with him forever.
“It’s hard to put into words. The room kind of disappears for a second, everything slows down,” he gushed.
“We locked eyes, and instantly we felt this deep sense of responsibility and love. It’s one of those moments you carry with you forever.”
Despite a few “surprising” moments during the birth, Ayla arrived healthy and happy, after being delivered by the very same nurses at St Vincent’s Hospital that brought her brother, Mercy, into the world.
“The strength and calm in the room really stood out,” Adrian explained.
“The St Vincent’s staff were incredible. We had the same nurses and crew that delivered Mercy, so it was a very intimate moment between everyone, and there were a lot of hugs and tears.”
Adrian said he and Karlie feel more “relaxed” and “present” as second-time parents, adding that the love is “just as intense” as the first time.
Now a family of four, Adrian said their son, Mercy, has adjusted to becoming a big brother “better than [they] imagined”.
“There’s curiosity, a little bit of protectiveness, and a lot of sweet moments already,” he said.
“He knows he had a his baby sister and he is already mushing his face against hers.”
Adrian said the most joyful part of Ayla’s arrival has been giving Mercy a sibling, adding that it brings him “so much joy” to see his son interact with her.
He revealed he is now “excited” for what’s ahead and joked that he hopes his two children are still living at home in their 30s.
“[We want to be] the kind of parents who create a home full of love, laughter, and security. We hope by the time they’re 30, they’re still living at home!”
Of what this new chapter has taught him, Adrian added, “That family is everything. Success, work. It all fades into the background when you’re holding your child.”
Adrian and Karlie have been together for more than two years, but keep their relationship out of the public eye.
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