Celebrity Celebrity Birthdays Lily Collins Celebrates 'First Birthday as a Mama' as She Reflects on 'Magical Year' — 'I Truly Couldn't Be Happier' Collins' husband Charlie McDowell also dedicated a sweet post to the actress, writing that he and their baby girl Tove "are so lucky to have you in our lives" By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 19, 2025 12:36PM EDT Comments Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell with baby daughter Tove. Photo: Lily Collins/Instagram Lily Collins' 36th birthday will forever be a standout in her memory. The Emily in Paris actress celebrated her big day with a pair of family photos posted to her Instagram grid on Tuesday, March 18. The sweet images showed her beaming as she stood next to husband Charlie McDowell holding their baby daughter Tove Jane, whose birth the couple announced on Jan. 31. "First birthday as a mama and I truly couldn’t be happier or imagine it being any more special," Collins wrote in her caption. "What a magical year it’s been and what a beautiful year I’m stepping into." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell with baby daughter Tove. Lily Collins/Instagram Lily Collins Shares Cute Family Selfie from First Beach Day with Baby Daughter Tove She concluded, "Grateful doesn’t even begin to express how I feel ... " McDowell, 41, shared his own tribute to his wife for her birthday, posting a black-and-white photo to his Instagram grid that showed Collins peering down lovingly at their baby girl. "Happy birthday to my stunning wife," wrote the filmmaker. "You are patient, kind, hilarious, and so loving to our beautiful Tove. Both she and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. I love you forever. Happiest birthday mama." "Love you so much and couldn’t have imagined a more perfect way to welcome this new year. ❤️," Collins wrote in a comment. "Just the most special with our little family ❤️." The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Lily Collins' Baby Daughter Tove Begins Her ‘Musical Education’ with Grandpa Phil Collins’ Song in Sweet New Video McDowell's mom Mary Steenburgen also left love for her daughter-in-law in the comments section of her son's tribute to Collins. "We all love you so much, Lily. Xo ❤️," wrote the Oscar-winning actress, 72. Collins and McDowell welcomed baby Tove via surrogate earlier this year, announcing the happy news in a joint Instagram post on Jan. 31. “Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell," the proud parents captioned their announcement, which featured a photo of the newborn in a knit bonnet. They added, "Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again." Close Leave a Comment