The couple's baby was born three months premature.
Survivor: Fiji winner Earl Cole and his wife, Shelley Lee, welcomed their second child prematurely on January 17, in Santa Monica, California, ET has exclusively learned.
The couple's baby girl, Alani Ellyse Cole's, due date was April 17, but she arrived three months early. Alani was born weighing 2 lbs., 7oz. Baby and mom finally went home from the hospital on April 30 and both are doing well.
Earl tells ET that doctors told the couple that Shelly had suffered a placenta abruption. "In January, my wife out of nowhere was washing dishes in the kitchen and started bleeding so we went to the hospital for a checkup," he explains. "No one thought much of it, as this can be common with pregnancies. They monitored her overnight to be safe. The next day we were told that they would have to do an emergency C-section."
However, the parents are now "overjoyed to finally have our baby girl home."
"She has overcome all challenges in the three-plus months she was in the NICU, and has developed perfectly normal," Cole tells ET. "It was very worrisome and scary each day, as you never know what might happen during her development and progression being born three months premature, but she took it all like the champ that she is! Proud father of two beautiful little girls, a gigantic dog, and one amazing wife!"
Earl adds that, "Shelley is doing great physically as it's been a few months since the birth. However, emotionally it has been pretty tough on us both."
The parents announced that they were expecting a second child in November of last year, during their daughter, Kaia JoAnn's, first birthday.
"The highlight of my daughter's 1st birthday party, was the look on her face once her biggest gift was opened! ??? #aloha#sweetie ?," Earl captioned his Instagram post.
Meanwhile this past week, both Blake Lively and Keira Knightley revealed that they were expecting babies. See more in the video below.
Reporting by Brendon Geoffrion.
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