Hilarie Burton shares first pics of baby girl George

Leena Tailor?

Updated March 7, 2018 at 7:06 AM

Burton and husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan are overjoyed at the arrival of their little girl, following years of tearful fertility struggles.

One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton has shared the first photo of her baby daughter, George, and the heartbreaking reason why she stares at her little girl “in wonder” all day.

The 35-year-old actress and her husband, The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, welcomed George Virginia Morgan on Feb. 16, with Morgan confirming the news on Twitter.

The couple already have a 7-year-old son, Augustus, but in a touching new Instagram post, Burton opens up about their difficult journey to becoming parents again.

“The first time I got pregnant, it took a year and a half,” Burton explains. “I surprised him on Christmas with baby Seahawk booties. We cried. We celebrated. We picked out names. And we lost that baby. More losses followed, and as so many couples know, it was heartbreaking. It still is heartbreaking.”

Burton confesses that for five years she would sit at her kitchen table checking out news and photos of celebrities showing off their baby bumps and babies and “weep out of jealousy,” at how “corporate sponsored baby showers and magazine covers [were] capitalizing on this human miracle that wasn't happening for us.”

When she did get pregnant with George, the couple remained cautious.

“I didn't want to celebrate for fear of jinxing it,” she admits. “I didn't want a baby shower. I checked her heartbeat every day, up until the day she was born. And now that she is here, I just stare at her in wonder all day. I see her in her daddy's arms and I don't take any of it for granted. She screams bloody murder and I smile because she is so wildly alive.”

“So now that folks know she's here, I don't want her birth to cause any other woman to weep at her kitchen table,” Burton continues. “If anything, my wish is that she would restore hope for others. Fertility is a fickle thing. And for the other couples out there who have had dark days, we want to introduce our miracle baby to you and send you our love and support in finding yours.”

Burton’s post was accompanied by a collage showing George peacefully sleeping on a rug, and cuddling up to Burton, Morgan, 51, and big brother Augustus.

As some of you know, @jeffreydeanmorgan is off in Europe getting ready to do some big conventions. And he's self aware enough to know his track record for "spilling the beans" isn't so great (bless his heart!). So before he starts tripping up in an attempt to maintain our privacy, he asked that I go ahead and post something about our little girl's birth. But before I do that, there's something I really want to say to all the women out there who are trying..... It took a long time for Jeffrey and I to have this baby. The first time I got pregnant, it took a year and a half. I surprised him on Christmas with baby Seahawk booties. We cried. We celebrated. We picked out names. And we lost that baby. More losses followed, and as so many couples know, it was heartbreaking. It still is heartbreaking. And every morning of the five years it took us, I'd open my computer at the kitchen table and see the news and I'd grow bitter over the endless parade of celebrities showing off their bumps and babies. I'd weep out of jealousy for how easy it was for them. Didn't they know something could go wrong? Didn't they know that there were other women out there struggling? It pained me to see the corporate sponsored baby showers and magazine covers capitalizing on this human miracle that wasn't happening for us. So when this pregnancy started, we were cautious. I didn't want to celebrate for fear of jinxing it. I didn't want a baby shower. I checked her heartbeat every day, up until the day she was born. And now that she is here, I just stare at her in wonder all day. I see her in her daddy's arms and I don't take any of it for granted. She screams bloody murder and I smile because she is so wildly alive. So now that folks know she's here, I don't want her birth to cause any other woman to weep at her kitchen table. If anything, my wish is that she would restore hope for others. Fertility is a fickle thing. And for the other couples out there who have had dark days, we want to introduce our miracle baby to you and send you our love and support in finding yours. Please meet George Virginia Morgan. She was born February 16th. Her daddy delivered her. We love her very much.
A post shared by Hilarie Burton (@hilarieburton) on Mar 6, 2018 at 10:13am PST

Hey y’all... baby gal morgan is spectacular. We just respecting her wishes for laying low a bit longer. But we super appreciate all the well wishes n stuff. Thank you. Xojdhilgusandbabygal
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) March 1, 2018