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Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert Hough, are one step closer to welcoming their first child — and fans can’t handle how sweet the moment was.
On his Instagram Stories, Hough posted a simple yet powerful update: a photo of the crib he’s putting together, captioned with just two words — “It begins.” The understated post instantly tugged at fans’ hearts, marking one of the couple’s biggest milestones yet as they prepare for their baby’s arrival.
Hough and Erbert, who married in August 2023 after nearly a decade together, announced in July that they’re expecting their first child. The couple hasn’t publicly revealed the baby’s gender, but fans are hanging on every update as the pair transforms their home for their growing family.
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Earlier, Erbert gave followers a peek at their nursery prep — and it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In her Instagram Stories, the dancer shared videos of herself clearing out the guest room and accidentally peeling off layers and layers of paint and drywall while removing a decorative wall map. “Note to self and everyone really,” she joked, “do not do a self-adhesive map on your wall. It might be cute, but it will rip off everything on your wall. Started out small with like little things and then all of a sudden it was like, ‘And I’m gonna just keep taking off your wall’ and it’s still, you can kinda still see the map of the world, so, fun times.”
Hough also weighed in on his wife’s nesting energy, playfully scolding her in another clip for climbing a ladder while pregnant. “Is it just me, or does anybody else hate when their pregnant wife gets on a ladder to grab something? I hate this. I hate this and she’s like, ‘Babe, chill,’ and I’m like, ‘Why am I freakin?'” he said with a laugh. Hayley, ever unbothered, calmly came down the ladder and replied, “I’m fine,” with an exasperated smile.
Between the repairs, the laughter, and the new crib, the Houghs’ journey into parenthood is unfolding in real time — and their followers are loving every minute. “It begins,” indeed.
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The entire Dancing With the Stars family is super excited for the couple, who have overcome a lot after Hayley’s very serious health scare in December 2023. At the time, Derek shared on Instagram that she became disoriented while on tour and had to be hospitalized, where she was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma that resulted from a burst blood vessel and had to have an emergency craniectomy.
Derek later told People that the abject fear was almost too much to bear.
“I was on stage, and she’s supposed to come out. The stage manager walked out and just said, ‘Hey, she’s not coming on stage.’ She was on the side of the stage having full seizures and, essentially, dying. It’s really hard to even put into words other than just pure fear,” said Derek.
He continued, “We rush her to the hospital, she’s still in her costume, and the doctor came to me and he said that, ‘She has a severe brain bleed, so we have to operate right now. He said that she might not make it and that even if she does make it, she won’t be the same person.”
It is pretty miraculous that Hayley has fully recovered, even dancing again on an emotional return to Dancing With the Stars in the fall of 2024.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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