All About Lea Michele's Son Ever Leo

Broadway star Lea Michele is a future mom of two!

Michele and her husband, Zandy Reich, welcomed their first child, son Ever Leo Reich, on Aug. 20, 2020, after tying the knot in March 2019. In March 2024, Michele announced that she is expecting her second baby,

Now that she's three years into motherhood, the Funny Girl star has found that the experience has given her a new perspective.

"I've been so career-focused my entire life, I think to a fault," the actress told Drew Barrymore on the latter's eponymous talk show. "When I met my husband, and then having our son, it was a real sense of grounding for me."

Michele starred in the musical Funny Girl, but she bid farewell to the Broadway show in September 2023. She is now enjoying "some good family time" with Ever and Reich before returning to work.

From her difficult pregnancy with Ever to announcing that she's expecting again, here's everything to know about Lea Michele's son and baby on the way.

He was born on Aug. 20, 2020

Michele and Reich welcomed their son Ever Leo on Aug. 20, 2020. "Everyone's happy and healthy, and they're extremely grateful," a source told PEOPLE at the time, adding that "he's been an easy baby so far."

A week later, the Glee star shared the first snap of baby Ever: a black-and-white photo of the parents' hands cradling the child's tiny foot. "ForEver grateful for this true blessing💙," she captioned the post, marking his name in the capitalization of the first word.

In August 2023. Michele marked Ever's third birthday with a sweet Instagram tribute. “Happy 3rd Birthday to our beautiful son!" she captioned a snap of her family of three dressed in white. "Ever we love you so much!”

The actress also shared photos on her Instagram Story from Ever’s PAW Patrol-themed birthday party, including a picture of an adorable cake and cookies.

Michele had a difficult pregnancy

After news of her pregnancy broke, Michele often posted pictures of her growing baby bump on Instagram, but privately, she was going through a difficult time.

The actress, who was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome at age 30, opened up about her struggle to get pregnant during ​​an appearance on Katherine Schwarzenegger's Instagram Live series Before, During, & After Baby. She explained that having an irregular cycle (a common symptom of PCOS) made it hard to get pregnant and that her journey to motherhood was "really complicated" from the very beginning. "Emotionally, it just started to build and build," she said.

Several health complications during her "very intense, very scary pregnancy" made her question whether the pregnancy was going to last: she was put on bed rest and even experienced bleeding so heavy that she had to be rushed to the hospital. "It was horrible. It was the lowest I've been in my entire life," she added.

Although she would "never wish them on anybody," Michele shared that the health challenges she experienced during the pregnancy brought her and Reich closer together.

Michele dedicated a lullaby album to Ever

Michele's 2021 studio album, Forever, is a collection of lullabies dedicated to Ever.

Covering songs by Guns N' Roses, Fleetwood Mac, Kacey Musgraves and Christina Perri among others, the singer and actress released "a special album" that was "such a dream come true" for her, which is why she wanted to name it, with a play on words, after her son.

"As an artist, I've always loved the idea of making a lullaby album, but throughout my pregnancy and this year with my baby, that passion has grown even more," she told PEOPLE. "Whether I was singing songs to [Ever] or playing music for him in my belly, music was my way of communicating with him to let him know that everything was going to be fine."

As for Ever's favorite song on the album? A cover of Coldplay's "Yellow."

"I'm such a huge Coldplay fan. I walked down the aisle at my wedding to one of their songs and so I really wanted this song to be on the album," she shared. "So it makes sense that this would be his favorite track!"

He loves music and hearing his mother sing

During an October 2022 appearance on Good Morning America, the actress shared that Ever "loves that momma sings." The little one is also already following in his mother's musical footsteps.

"He does sing a little bit already, which is kind of crazy! I've always heard that singing is genetic, and it just might be," the Glee star told Access Hollywood in 2021.

While he loves his mother's voice, he doesn't appreciate high notes as much. "The other day, I hit some high note and he started hysterically crying," Michele shared during an appearance on The Tonight Show. "I'm like, 'OK, that was a big fail!' "

On Mother's Day 2023, Ever attended a performance of Funny Girl, where he got to hear his mom sing on stage. In a TikTok video, Michele could be seen picking up her son from the crowd and bringing him center stage for the curtain call. According to the actress, Ever's favorite song from the show is "I'm the Greatest Star."

Michele says motherhood has "softened" her

While speaking to Extra about how motherhood has changed her, the Scream Queens actress said: "I feel like it definitely has softened me a lot, and I probably could have used a little softening." She added, "[Ever] really is just the thing that has changed me the most."

When asked about her favorite part of motherhood, Michele shared that it's hearing her son say "mama." She added that hearing him call for her felt "as good as you think it might be," admitting that she cried the first time he said it.

During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Michele also explained that she "couldn't see things clearly" before becoming a wife and a mom. "I think I have this sense of drive that created a lot of blind spots for me in my life," she said.

On National Son Day, Michele penned a sweet tribute to Ever on Instagram. "You have opened up chambers in my heart that I didn't even know existed," she wrote in the caption. "You have changed me and made life more beautiful in ways I did not know were possible. You are the greatest gift god has ever given me."

His first day of school was on the same day as Michele's Broadway opening night

In September 2022, Michele sent her son off to his first day of "little school" — which happened to fall on the same day that performances began for the Broadway revival of Funny Girl, in which Michele stars as Fanny Brice.

"I cried as I tied your little shoes this morning," the actress captioned an Instagram Story featuring Ever sporting a school backpack with his initials. "I feel like just yesterday you were born. And now you have your first day of little school. I'm your mama before anything ever and I love you."

Speaking to PEOPLE, Michele said she was "nervous to go back to work and leave him." However, she added, "I spoke to so many incredible women in the Broadway community who are also moms. And all of these women just said it's important for him to see you working, and for him to see you doing what you love. So I just have to keep reminding myself of that."

He has his parents' full support to do "whatever brings him joy"

Should Ever decide to take his singing passion further, Michele and Reich would be "fully" supportive.

While speaking to PEOPLE in September 2022, Michele shared that while she feels "very protective" of her son and would prefer to shield him from the "aspects of this industry that are not pretty," it's important to her that Ever feels supported in whatever makes him happy.

"Would I like him to go to college and maybe get a degree? Yeah, definitely," she shared. "But for me, my parents always supported me doing what I loved and what brought me joy. And I have to do the same thing with my child."

He was hospitalized twice as a toddler

On March 22, 2023, Michele announced on Instagram that Ever had been hospitalized for a "scary health issue" and that she'd be missing several Funny Girl performances. A few days later, she shared that her little boy was on the mend.

"Thank you for all your well wishes this past week," Michele wrote in a second update. "We are taking our boy home from the hospital soon. Thank you to all the amazing doctors and hospital staff."

Just a couple of weeks later, Ever was taken to the hospital again.

"Today was a hard day. As parents, we have to be strong for our kids. But sometimes you just want to break down and cry," Michele wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her son in his crib. "These hard times show you truly what matters. Our boy is such a champ and is going to be okay."

In April 2023, Michele gave PEOPLE an update on Ever's health at the Time 100 Gala.

"Ever's doing good. He's doing well," she said. "We still have a little bit of a long road ahead of us here, but he's doing well, thank God, and healthy."

He's "obsessed" with Halloween

Ever loves spooky season!

"Since my son was 1 year old, he's been obsessed with Halloween," Michele told PEOPLE in September 2023. "Seeing the decorations on the street every year and picking out what costumes he's gonna be, it’s a huge deal in our house."

On Halloween in 2022, Ever dressed up as a doctor.

He will become a big brother in 2024

In an Instagram post Michele shared in March 2024, she revealed that she's expecting another baby. The photos show her posing in a white shawl and matching underwear as she cradles her bare bump.

"Mommy, Daddy and Ever are overjoyed. 💛," she wrote.