Hallmark star Jill Wagner welcomes baby daughter Army Gray

The Hallmark Channel actress Jill Wagner gave birth to a daughter with her husband David Lemanowicz on Friday.

The couple named their first child Army Gray Lemanowicz, according to People.

‘She was conceived on July 4 so we wanted a patriotic name and my husband is in the military so we chose her first name to be Army,’ Jill, 41, revealed.

‘We thought that was a good name to honor both. Her middle name is Gray (spelled the American way, with an A) because I have always loved that name,’ she continued.

‘It is strong, intelligent, soft and feminine all in one … which is what I want her to be.’

David, 44, was previously a professional hockey player before joining the US Army Reserve and has a 10-year-old daughter Lija from his first marriage.

‘Lija is loving being a big sis and all of the dogs are super curious about little Army Gray,’ Jilly continued. ‘I have a feeling Hank the farm dog is going to be super protective over her.’

The Junebug actress shared a sweet photo of her sleeping newborn to her Instagram Stories on Monday.

‘Well folks, this is my heart,’ she wrote.

This was the first child for Jill, so she ‘really had no idea what to expect.’

‘I didn’t really have much of a plan going into [giving birth] except just to be open to anything the doctor said that would be best for the baby,’ she said.

Though her labor was relatively quick, coronavirus precautions complicated the birthing process.

‘Having to give birth in a mask was not ideal but the silver lining throughout was that it allowed my husband and me to have this one-on-one intimate time with [Army] before we brought her home with no distractions,’ she said. ‘It was some of the best sleepless moments of my life.’

Wagner is best known for starring in a series of Hallmark Channel original movies since 2015, including the mystery film series Mystery 101.

Her previous film parts include a lead role in the critically acclaimed 2008 horror film Splinter, as well as a small part in 2005’s Junebug, which earned Amy Adams an Oscar nomination and helped launch her career.

Army’s birth came less than two weeks after Jill and David celebrated their third wedding anniversary. 

She wrote: ‘3 years today I married the love of my life and my best friend . You are the reason I am so happy and now you have given me a baby to call my own . (The best gift of all ) Thank you so much my love . You are my favorite and have always been since I was 17 🙂 #happyanniversary.’