Dancing With the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold opened up about the moment she and her husband Samuel Lightner Cusick learned the sex of their first baby on the way, how they announced the news to their loved ones, and what’s she’s mostly looking forward to about motherhood with PEOPLE on Thursday, May 21.
As for the big reveal: It’s a girl!
“We were convinced it was a boy,” the 26-year-old professional dancer told the outlet. “I was already looking at boy nursery ideas and boy names. We were both extremely shocked, but so happy. Our whole family was just as shocked. We all didn’t think this was going to happen!”
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“I would’ve been truly happy no matter if it were a boy or a girl,” Arnold continued. “But knowing it’s a girl, I’m so excited to help her through life and hopefully pack on things that I’ve learned throughout the years being a woman and growing up as a girl.”
“It can be tough and I look forward to encouraging her, supporting her and helping her find things that she’s passionate about and that she loves. That means a lot to me,” she added.
Last week, Arnold announced that she is pregnant and expecting her first child with Cusick. “Ohhhhhh baby 👶 ,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a series of photos alongside the post. “Mom and Dad love you already ❤️❤️.”
Also, the Dancing With the Stars pro uploaded a video about her pregnancy announcement to her personal YouTube channel, starring sweet moments when she told her family, friends, and fellow castmates Jenna Johnson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Emma Slater and Sharna Burgess.
Arnold tied the knot with high school sweetheart Cusick on June 18, 2015, during a small, private Mormon ceremony at the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City.
“Sam is going to be the best dad,” Arnold told PEOPLE Now. “He’s a very manly man so a boy would’ve been natural for him, but he has such a soft side and I’m so excited to see him be a girl dad. He’ll be able to love on her and give her whatever she wants!”
As for whether or not Dancing With the Stars will be returning in the fall, Arnold says she has a set plan for the future.
“I won’t be dancing this season, but I’m excited to possible explore other ways I could be a part of the show,” she told PEOPLE. “I love the show. It’s been a part of my life for so long now. The plan is, I have all intentions to have our baby, spend that time with her and get back on the dance floor for the next season!”
For the time being, Arnold and her husband are taking it one day at a time and are looking forward to the next chapter of their lives.
“Honestly, at this point, I’m just excited to see her,” Arnold said. “That’s the hardest part is that you know you’re pregnant, you know you have a little girl growing inside of you, but you have to wait so long to finally see her. That’s going to be rough for us. We’re just so anxious to meet her!”
Brittany R
Brittany is a writer who is obsessed with rom-com movies, Gossip Girl, reality television, fashion, and pop-culture. When she isn't reporting on the latest celeb buzz, she is filling up her online shopping cart without checking out.