Maria Menounos and husband Keven Undergaro welcome baby via surrogate

Maria Menounos' longtime dream of becoming a mother has finally come true.

The TV host and her husband, Keven Undergaro, have welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Athena Alexandra, she confirmed on Instagram.

The couple's bundle of joy was born on June 23 via surrogate and Menounos, 45, described the experience as "the most special moment of my life."

“The doctor literally grabbed her and hiked her onto me. I sat with her on my chest, and Keven and I kept looking at each other like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was just pure joy,” she said in an interview with US Weekly.

Undergaro, 55, likened the moment to "Christmas morning times a million."

The couple has been open about their fertility struggles over the past decade, with Menounos calling her daughter their "miracle baby."

While reflecting on these first few weeks of motherhood, Menounos said it has been a surreal experience and “better than I could’ve ever imagined.”

“It’s euphoric. For so long, I’ve felt something’s been missing. I’d go to kids’ birthday parties, and I’d be a little sad because I wanted my own family. And now I feel so grounded, like I finally know where I belong,” she said.

Athena was born in Wisconsin, with her parents ready to welcome her at the delivery and the days leading up to her arrival. Menounos said she instantly bonded with her daughter.

"It felt amazing, but also really natural, like we had been together a long time. A psychic said she was going to be my mom from another life. So I remembered that after, and I (thought) maybe that’s what that feeling was," she said.

Menounos also said she’s grateful that she bonded with her surrogate and felt involved in every step of the pregnancy.

“It was a magical experience. Throughout the pregnancy, I would send voice recordings for her to play for Athena. We love her and her family so much. They gave us the greatest gift ever. We still talk all the time and consider them family,” she said.

Menounos and Undergaro are happily taking in all the chaos a newborn brings.

"The whole house is on happy crack! My dad, her Abuelita, her baby nurse, all of us just, it’s just so much love. People say you won’t care about your dogs anymore, but if I’m not squishing Athena, I’m squishing them," Menounos said.

The new mom, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while awaiting her daughter's arrival, also shared how she and her husband chose their baby girl's name.

"We knew we wanted a Greek name. We had a list, and everyone says when you see the baby, you’ll know, but that was totally untrue for us. We were like, “What do we do?” Athena is the goddess of war and wisdom, and Keven loved the power of that name, so that was it!" she said.

Adjusting to parenthood typically takes a bit of time for most couples, but Menounos said she and her husband are already making sure they prioritize their marriage, and they have already had one date night together.

When asked how their relationship has changed since welcoming a child, the TV host offered the following response.

“I think the biggest shift has been me going into my feminine side. In years past, when I was flying millions of miles a year, Keven was like, ‘Maria, stop worrying; when we have a baby, you’re just going to hike it to me, and I got it from there.’ So that’s what we thought the journey was going to be like, but our roles have really shifted,” she said.

The new mom said she’s enjoying nesting at home with her newborn and isn’t in a rush to return back to work.

“I joke every day I love maternity leave. I called my boss and said, ‘I might need a little more time.’ The boss was like, no problem. I’m the boss! It’s so great that Keven has been running my show, so I’m able to take this time,” she said.

The star also said she isn't ruling out additional children in the future.

“I want 50 more. I have one good embryo left. We’ll see, it would have to be fast. The joy that Athena has brought to this house — I want more of that. It feels so good. There have been a lot of rough times, but I know all of that is behind us, and all of the good stuff is ahead,” she said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com