'American Idol' Fan-Favorite Gives Birth to Baby Girl
American Idol alum Janelle Arthur is basking in the new mom glow! The singer, 32, and her husband of four years welcomed their first child, daughter Lovelyn, Sunday at 9:37 a.m. in Nashville. The new mom, who came in fifth place on Season 12 of American Idol, shared the big news on Instagram over the weekend, sharing a photo of her cradling her little one.
"She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace," Arthur wrote in the caption, quoting Proverbs 3:15-17. "Just 3 days before her due date, our baby girl joined us on January 16th at 9:37am. We are in awe of God and in love with our Lovelyn."
Arthur announced her pregnancy in September, telling PEOPLE at the time that she had previously suffered a devastating miscarriage. "It's hard to put into words what you go through because you have so many different emotions," she told the magazine at the time. "It was as if my brain wasn't prepared for the loss and the sadness of it all. I let myself cry and grieve. And then I just had to trust Him. I just had to trust God's timing."
Upon learning that she was pregnant again, Arthur felt it was a sign that her due date was the birthday of her musical hero, Dolly Parton. "When I went in for my 20-week ultrasound, they determined that the due date was Jan. 19," she gushed at the time. "I mean, you can't even dream this stuff up!"
While she was still healing from the loss of her previous pregnancy, Arthur said focusing on the future and helping others was part of what kept her going. "I want people to know that they are not alone," she said. "For me, I feel like I have a child in heaven that I will see someday, so I don't have to really look at it as a loss. It's just delayed, and that's okay. I knew that it was only going to happen when it was right. God was always going to give me the children that I'm supposed to have."