Jillian Harris Expecting First Child: ‘I Can’t Remember a Time Where My Heart Has Been SO Full’

Another Bachelor baby is on the way!

Former Bachelorette Jillian Harris and her boyfriend of four years, Justin Pasutto, revealed Friday they are expecting their first child.

“I can’t remember a time where my heart has been SO full,” Harris, 36, captioned an absolutely adorable shot of her and Pasutto (and their dog, Nacho!) cuddling in bed, pointing to her growing belly as she lifts up her tank top.

“A total dream come true!! We are over the moon, stoked, blessed, [ecstatic]!!!! Little babe, we CANNOT wait to meet you!!!!!!”

Jillian Harris, Justin Pasutto
Jillian Harris, Justin Pasutto

The Love It or List It host took to her blog to spill all the details about the happy news.

“I have dreamed for years of being a mama … thought about how I would tell people … how I would feel … what kind of mom I would be … and here we are … Justin and I couldn’t be MORE STOKED to grow our little family!!” she writes.

“I was 32 when we met, and Justin was a fresh ripe 24 (BTW I SWEAR he told me he was 27, which I rounded up to 28… so in my mind we were basically the same age HAHA),” she continues.

“Our age difference was never really an issue for us, our love was always strong and very real and that’s all that mattered. But truth be told, I could have gotten knocked up with his baby on that second date and I probably would have been over the moon… haha… ok MAYBE too soon, but I WAS smitten.”

The reality star, who writes she “waited patiently for Justin to ‘catch up’ in age” until he was ready for fatherhood, says she and her beau decided together 36 “would be primetime” — and ‘lo and behold, the timing worked out perfectly!

“In late 2015, right before my 36 birthday, we ‘practiced for baby’… and got lucky, we found out 12 days BEFORE my 36th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!” she writes.

Jillian Harris, Justin Pasutto
Jillian Harris, Justin Pasutto

Meanwhile, Pasutto took to Instagram to share the news with his own sweet announcement, complete with a picture of Harris and their dog, staring up adoringly at her belly.

“So everyone has been waiting and waiting and waiting and frankly I’m tired of everyone telling me to lock it up… I mean if you know Jill she will [lose] the ring,” he wrote. “So I came up with the best invention ever for the love of my life. A little baby miracle in her tummy. Words can’t express how lucky and blessed we feel to introduce a new life into ours and that our wish has finally come true. @nachocilantro on the other hand, it’s quite sure what that means for him but he’s excited too.”

The couple also hilariously shared the announcement from their pup Nacho’s account (yes, he has his own Instagram profile): “K what!!?? I just thought Mom needed to go the gym… There’s a baby in there!!!?? How did you guys keep this a secret from me!!!?? I promise I will be a good big brother but how does this affect our sleeping arrangements??? #mindblown.”

Harris, who came in third place on Jason Mesnick‘s season of The Bachelor in 2009, went on to become the Bachelorette for season 5. She got engaged to contestant Ed Swiderski, but later broke it off.

“I’ve become more patient, and more understanding [since then],” Harris told PEOPLE ahead of The Bachelor at 20: A Celebration of Love. “I think that’s opened my heart to love more.”

“When I met Justin, there were so many things I’d learned and so many things I’d gotten out of my system,” she added. “It’s so hard when you’re going through a tough time, you just want to punch people when they say things are going to work out. But they really do!”

— Aurelie Corinthios