Michael Phelps Poses With Son Maverick in Adorable New Selfie

Former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps surprised his fans in September 2019 when he posted a photo on his son Boomer’s Instagram account. This image officially announced the birth of his second son, Maverick. Six months later, Phelps is showing how much his son has grown.

The 13-time gold medal winner posted a selfie on Instagram that showed him and Maverick. They were both smiling broadly at the camera. “Smiles for days,” Phelps wrote in the caption of the photo. This post prompted many of his fans to reach out and declare that he is truly enjoying parenthood. Although one other Instagram user wanted to ask if Maverick would soon have the same facial hair as his father due to the Phelps’ sizable mustache.

The parent of three has been showing the growth of his children in recent months, as well as their outings as a family. He posted a photo that showed his three sons in matching pajamas during a visit with Santa Claus. Phelps was impressed with how they handled the situation and said that there had been “no tears.”

Phelps previously spoke to PEOPLE about being a father and learning about patience. He also revealed that figuring out the best way to raise his and Nicole’s children the way they want is a journey. Adding a third child to the mix has only further changed the dynamic.

“I have learned a lot of patience,” Phelps said. “Being able to be at that point where we are able to teach and raise our two kids exactly how we want is a journey we are really looking forward to and is going to be super fun. But I believe we are really just getting started. We are looking forward to wherever this is going to take us. It’s been a great learning process. But I think the biggest thing is patience.

“It is difficult, but you just figure it out and make it work. That is what you do as parents. There is no manual on how to do it. You figure it out along the way.”

Phelps has now been a father of three boys for six months, and he is enjoying the time with his children. He has posted multiple selfies on Instagram, and he even taught Boomer how to properly kiss a gold medal in case he needs to do so in the future.

(Photo Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)