Blue Bloods star Vanessa Ray adopts baby boy with husband after ‘whirlwind’ process
Vanessa Ray, who plays Eddie Janko on Blue Bloods, has opened up about the ‘whirlwind’ process of adopting a baby boy with her husband Landon Beard.
Blue Bloods star Vanessa Ray and her husband Landon Beard have welcomed a baby boy through adoption.
The couple, who are starring in the tenth season of the popular show, adopted their son Isaac Ray Beard. They were inspired to adopt by co-star Peter Hermann.
After initially being unsure about becoming parents, Vanessa said she had an “overwhelming sensation of family” while at work one day.
She called her husband in floods of tears, telling him: “I think we’re supposed to be parents.”
“I think we’re supposed to adopt,” she told him.
Vanessa explained the adoption process in a candid interview with People magazine.
The couple put their information into an adoption website on a Monday and were on a flight on the following Saturday to meet a potential birth mother.
“It went super fast,” Vanessa explained. “She was like, ‘He’s due in four weeks, so we have to do this quickly.’ We were like, ‘Whoa, okay.'”.
Isaac was born a week early on November 7 last year, one day before the actor’s strike ended. “So we can attribute Isaac [to] ending the strike,” Vanessa joked.
“It all happened in three weeks, really from zero to three weeks. Then we were bringing him out and it was incredible. You’re going through the process of speaking to different birth mothers and learning the laws in different states and things, and it just doesn’t feel like you can buy a crib. You’re not going to buy a crib and pacifiers for a baby that you don’t even know you have.”
Vanessa and Landon revealed their adoption news to Bridget Moynahan first. “I literally was at work crying and I went to Bridget Moynahan and I was like, ‘I just called Landon and we think we should be parents’. She was like, ‘Great, you need to talk to Peter Hermann.'”.
They’d never met Peter, but Vanessa knew he and his wife Mariska Hargitay had adopted two children.
“Graciously, he really held our hand and walked us through everything that we would need to know about adoption.
“It’s a lot of first dates almost. It almost feels like there’s a ton of heartbreak that comes along with it,” she explained.
The happy couple, who have been parents for a few months, say things are going well so far.
Ray shared a funny thought, saying: “I don’t want moms and dads to come for me everywhere, but he does sleep,” and added with a laugh, “He’s just like me. He’s just like his mama. He loves to sleep and he loves to eat.”
