It was a very special Christmas surprise for Joss Stone and her husband Cody DaLuz this year. The couple had been waiting for 18 months to adopt a younger sibling for their children, Violet, three, and Shackleton, two, and were expecting to bring him home in the new year.
But, as Joss reveals in this exclusive HELLO! interview, baby Bear was born more than two months early and was welcomed into the family home in late November.
Introducing her and Cody's new son in these heartwarming pictures, the singer can't wait to celebrate the festive season at home in Nashville with her new family of five in a "little love bubble".
"He's the best Christmas gift ever," Joss, 37, tells us. "What’s crazy is that we brought him home the night before Thanksgiving. So we woke up in the morning with our son – and that is something to be thankful for."
She and Cody, who she married in 2023 after three years together, could not believe they would be able to finally adopt a baby after 18 months of waiting. Cody was adopted himself, and Joss paid tribute to all "bio mums" for their "selfless love" when she announced Bear’s arrival on social media. "We were shocked it was happening because we've been through a lot with the adoption process and there’s been a lot of umming and aahing."
"You put your trust in the powers that be and you have to let it go. But then there's a piece of you that wants to protect your heart. So when we got the call it was like: 'Oh my God, this is happening now!' And then there he was."
Bear was born 11 weeks early – his due date was 31 December – and is now "really healthy and doing really well".
The young members of the family were similarly delighted to meet him. "Violet knows Bear is a boy but she keeps calling him 'her'," she says. "It's almost like she wants to put a little bow on his head.
"It's such a lovely space for him to be in and I hope he's feeling that love."
The family will stay in the US for Christmas, as Bear cannot mix with others yet. "He's brand new, so it feels more special to be in this little safe love bubble, as he’s so delicate. He’s a very special, precious little guy and we have to protect him until he is big enough to go out into this big bad world."
He'll soon get a chance to spend more time with his English family, though, as Joss, Cody, their children and three dogs plan to move back to Devon next year.
"England is my home," Joss says. "As much as I love it here, I had such a lovely upbringing, which I would love to give to my kids. And Cody feels the same.
"I really miss my family more than anything, and I hate that I'm missing the children's cousins growing up. It's really a decision about what's the best thing for our babies – because if they're happy, we're happy. We just need to get on a plane and get home. Hopefully that'll happen in 2025."
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO!. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.