“I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve done so much in my life already, and now I get to start over,’” he explained. “It’s all brand new. I get to do this whole life thing, but in a totally different way now, and it has a lot more meaning and fulfillment and excitement.”

For her part, Erbert has embraced motherhood with a beautiful mix of emotions.

“Motherhood is even more complex and contradicting than I could have ever imagined,” she wrote on Instagram in April. “It feels like living in two places at once. Where joy and heartache can both be true, all of the time.”

Still, the Dancing With the Stars alum addressed Everley directly to share her joy for the future.

“So excited for all the ‘firsts’ and the life ahead of you/us,” she added, “yet wishing I could freeze time and never have any ‘lasts.’”

For a back look at Hough and Erbert’s relationship, including life with baby Everley, keep reading…