“My Boy” singer Elvie Shane will be singing a new tune now as he’s now a girl dad! The singer and his wife Mandi welcomed a daughter on July 20. Zaelyn Journey Payton made her arrival at 2:21 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, in Somerset, Kentucky, weighing in at 8 lbs., 1 oz., and measuring 19.5 inches long.
“Our hearts are so full! Celebrating a top 15 single about ‘our boy’ and the birth of a beautiful, healthy, baby girl all in the same week is more than we could have ever hoped for,” the couple shares in an interview with PEOPLE.
“A while back, my mom called me to tell me she had a dream that God told her I was going to have a baby girl — I didn’t think much of it until we decided on the name Zaelyn and looked it up. Lo and behold, it means a ‘gift of God.’ “
The couple first revealed that they’d be expanding their family back in March, sharing that they’d talked about a new addition for nearly a decade.
“We’ve spent nine years waiting for the perfect time to have a baby, only to realize there is no such thing as the perfect time!” they shared. “We’re feeling beyond blessed and thankful to give ‘our boy’ a sister and bring this gift from God into the world.”
Before Zaelyn’s arrival, the couple have been raising a teenaged son, Caleb. Caleb is Mandi’s biological son from a previous relationship, but has since become Shane’s entire world, as he recently adopted the boy and cemented their relationship in the breakout hit “My Boy.”
“Parenting is a challenge, but one I feel like I’m getting better at every day and the reward far exceeds the sacrifice. If it weren’t for Mandi having a son when I met her, my life would have probably continued down a path leading to little promise. If Caleb hadn’t come into my life, I would not have written “My Boy,” the song that has done so many incredible things for my family, fans, co-writers and team. I wouldn’t have started making a living writing music, signed a record deal or been able to reach so many people through my music. Mandi being gracious enough to marry me and let me become some kind of father figure has been the most defining moment in my life. Thank God,” wrote the singer in a blog for Sounds Like Nashville in honor of Father’s Day.
“You might not see it now, but keep going to those games, recitals, lessons, just keep being there because one night you’ll be laying on the couch and this kid who doesn’t have your smile, your eyes, or your blood will come out of nowhere and land in your lap with a big hug— just wanting to lay there and watch TV with you,” he continued. “Congrats, you’ve made it.”