For Halsey’s birthday this year, they’re paying tribute to the best gift they’ve ever gotten: Ender Ridley Aydin.
On Wednesday, September 29--their 27th birthday--the singer uploaded a photo to Instagram showing off her baby’s sweet face for the very first time.
The pictures feature Halsey’s partner, Alev Aydin, holding their 2-month-old up in the air as the little one gives a tiny side smirk to the camera. For the photo-op, Ender is wearing a multicolored onesie and a matching blue beanie, also rocking a tiny pair of socks.
Halsey captioned the flicks, “The best birthday gift there is 🚀.”
Halsey and Alev welcomed their first child together back in July, and in the couple months since, the singer has gotten to experience many memorable moments as a new parent--unfortunately, not all of them good.
Last month, they told Zane Lowe that they “feel so full of gratitude” after giving birth to Ender, but admitted the experience has come with its own set of challenges, specifically when it comes to public perception of her pregnancy and beyond.
“I got treated like a teen mom a lot of the times, you know what I mean? Where people were like, ‘Oh my God, you’re so young, and you have so much to do in your career, and you‘re not married and you’re this,‘” Halsey said, going on to admit that the criticism triggered “feelings of shame.”
The New Jersey native also said that their pregnancy and life after giving birth inspired their most recent album, If I Can‘t Have Love, I Want Power.
Just a few days before giving birth to Ender, Halsey shocked fans by posting the cover art for the album, which they described as “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.”
During their pregnancy, the singer revealed that one of the biggest side effects she had was some intense food cravings. Halsey said that they usually eat very healthy--“I was on tour for six years and all I was eating was grilled chicken breast and rice and spinach”--but quarantine combined with pregnancy had them eating some new concoctions.
“I started making Rice Krispies treats but, like, without the Rice Krispies,” she said on an episode of the Kelly Clarkson show in January. “I know that doesn‘t make any sense, but I’ve been making them with other cereals, like Fruity Pebble treats, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch treats.”