Carrie Underwood’s youngest son turned 1 year old on Jan. 21, 2020. After a heartbreaking battle to carry her second child, the country singer celebrated the joyous milestone with a series of comic photos of her toddler burying his face and hands into a huge birthday cake.
Underwood took to Facebook to share the birthday fun. “Happy birthday, Jacob!” she wrote. “How are you already 1 year old?”
“You are smiley, crazy, smart, soooo fast and into everything,” Underwood continued. “And, apparently, you love cake! I can’t wait to see your personality continue to shine. I have a good feeling you’re going to keep us all on our toes for years to come!”
Underwood married her husband, former NHL hockey star Mike Fisher, in 2010. The couple welcomed their first son, Isaiah Michael, five years later; they hoped to expand their family but soon experienced a devastating setback.
Underwood suffered three consecutive miscarriages in 2017. “[A]t that point, it was just kind of like, ‘Okay, like, what’s the deal? What is all of this?’” the 36-year-old singer reflected, speaking to CBS Sunday Morning.
“I had always been afraid to be angry because we are so blessed,” she added. “And my son, Isaiah, is the sweetest thing. And he’s the best thing in the world. And I’m like, ‘If we can never have any other kids, that’s okay, because he’s amazing.’”
The singer and her husband realized their dream of welcoming a second child into their family, though Underwood had been plagued by fears that she would never carry a second baby to full term. She sought comfort in her Christian faith and credits God for the eventual resolution.
“I feel like I actually told God how I felt,” Underwood told CBS. “[T]he Monday I went to the doctor to, like, confirm another miscarriage, and they told me everything was great!”
The couple’s second son, Jacob Bryan, was born on Jan. 21, 2019. The singer took to Twitter to make the announcement. “Our hearts are full,” she wrote, “our eyes are tired and our lives are forever changed. Life is good.”
Reflecting on her journey through a second successful pregnancy shortly after Jacob’s birth, Underwood told Today that she took it one day at a time. “I started putting one foot in front of the other,” she said, “instead of trying to plan everything out.”
While Underwood had previously revealed in an interview with People that she had hoped her children would be closer in age, the singer admitted there were benefits to having an older child that was willing to help care for his new baby brother.
“Being almost 5 years old, [Isaiah is] just so helpful, and he looks out for his little brother,” she said. “[I]f you ask him to do something, he wants to feel helpful and he wants to do it and be a part of things.”
Baby Jacob’s first birthday was an occasion to celebrate for the whole family. According to People, Jacob’s adorable green-iced birthday cake, complete with an icing sugar baby clad in a blanket on top, came from the family’s favorite Nashville bakery, Ivey Cake. As the photos show, little Jacob wasted no time in digging in, quite literally, to the tasty birthday treat.
“I thank God for you each and every day,” Underwood reflected in her Facebook post, adding, “You are truly our miracle baby! Mommy loves you!”
