The holidays came early this year! Big Brother alum Christmas Abbott gave birth to her first child, a son named Loyal Atticus, with fellow fitness star Benjamin Bunn on Monday, October 8.
“My family has a history of strong and unique names, so I wanted to follow suit,” the new mom told Entertainment Tonight. “I chose his first name, Loyal, because I believe it will guide him to have strong integrity through his life. It’s a reminder that family comes first, which is why it is his first name. I chose his second name, Atticus, from the Greek educator and philosopher to embrace balance and fairness through understanding. Neither is a family name but I hope he will embrace his name as his own and follow the greatness he can bring to this world through love, understanding, and fair action.”
The 36-year-old surprised fans when she announced on Instagram in March that she was pregnant. “Well, I’ve always expected the unexpected and this year is no different! In January I discovered I am actually EXPECTING and a whole new life would be laid out for me,” she wrote at the time, adding that she is “over the moon excited about this wild, new journey.”
Abbott continued to document her road to motherhood on the social media app in the months that followed. Weeks before welcoming her son, she shared a photo of herself cradling her baby bump in a blue dress.
“I can’t get enough of his wiggles and rumbles! It’s so frequent now. I love it,” she captioned the September 3 snap. “I could just sit, feel him wiggle and read to him all day everyday. … I’ve become calmer and happier over the last week anticipating his arrival. Even with the anxiety of life and bulls–t I’m having to deal with, it all is nothing compared to my excitement to meet him, love him and be his mother. It’s already the best job in the world!”
The reality star finished in third place on season 19 of the CBS reality series in 2017 behind winner Josh Martinez and runner-up Paul Abrahamian. Prior to becoming pregnant, she told Us Weekly that she was willing to explore a romantic relationship with Abrahamian, 25, outside of the house.
“You’re spending 92 days with somebody and I think we had a real connection night one,” she said in September 2017. “We had a game to play. We developed a really true friendship, and I think that it’s special in its own way. The Big Brother house is different from the real world so we haven’t talked, we haven’t seen each other, it’s been a whirlwind. … I’m coming out of the house without expectations, so I have no idea.”
The status of Abbott’s relationship with Bunn is unclear.
