'Real Housewives of Potomac' Star Ashley Darby Welcomes 'Absolutely Perfect' Son Dean Michael

Ashley Darby has officially welcomed her son into the world!

On Sunday, July 7, the Real Housewives of Potomac star, 31, gave birth to her first child with husband Michael Darby — son Dean Michael Darby.

“Michael and I are overwhelmed with joy and love,” Ashley told PEOPLE exclusively of her son, who weighed in at 8 lbs., 1 oz. “Dean is absolutely perfect. We couldn’t be happier.”

Prior to speaking with PEOPLE, Ashley announced the news of her new baby on Instagram. “I never thought this day would come. When I learned I was pregnant, I started thinking about when I’d feel the first kicks,” the new mom wrote, captioning a photo of herself and Michael in the hospital, he holding baby Dean.

“Then, when I was feeling the flutters, I wanted to know when I’d finally start to show. After watching the bump grow, my mind went to birthing day (WILL THIS REALLY HAPPEN?!) And when the day finally came that this sweet child came into our world, it felt like the sunniest day after a sky filled grey,” she said.”The most sensational day of our shared life. Mickey and I are savoring every moment with our wonderful son.”

“This is the happiest day of our life!” the Bravo star wrote on her Instagram Story. “What a beautiful day we had.”

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Michael has two adult children from a previous marriage.

He and Ashley wed in May 2014 after two years of dating, but split for six months between the second and third seasons of RHOP after several arguments surrounding their now-closed restaurant, Oz in Arlington, Virginia.

After a whole season of going back and forth about having children, the couple conceived and, shortly after, lost the pregnancy in a miscarriage.

The RHOP star recalled the experience as “traumatic” at the season 3 reunion of the show. “At the time, I didn’t fully understand the magnitude of how it would affect us as a couple and as individuals because we kind of thought it would be a given that we would just be able to have children,” she said.

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Luckily, the pair were able to conceive again. The couple admitted they weren’t “actively or consciously trying” when they conceived, revealing their pregnancy news to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in February.

“It was a surprise,” Ashley recalled. “We found out in the beginning of November and I had just been healing out of it and I thought I was getting sick because of the change of season. I wasn’t feeling too well. Something just told me to take the test, really not expecting a positive result. And then lo and behold, there were two solid lines.”

Michael was Ashley’s main support system throughout the pregnancy. “It was very impactful for him because he understands the feelings of being a dad,” she told PEOPLE.