Pete and Chasten Buttigieg 'Beyond Blessed' for Christmas with 1-Year-Old Twins: 'My Heart Was Unprepared'

Chasten Buttigieg/instagram

Chasten and Pete Buttigieg are "beyond blessed" for the joy that their 1-year-old twins Joseph "Gus" August and Penelope Rose brought to Christmas morning this year.

"My heart was unprepared for the joy that was Christmas morning with one year old twins," Chasten, 33, wrote on Twitter Sunday morning. "We are beyond blessed to have a home full of love and laughter today. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from this living room full of happy babbles, box tunnels, and wrapping paper hats."

The secretary of transportation, 40, echoed his husband's message, writing: "It really is magical. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!"

The politician previously announced that he and Chasten were parents on Twitter in August 2021. "For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family. We're overjoyed to share that we've become parents!" he wrote.

RELATED: Pete and Chasten Buttigieg Reveal Their Twins' Names with First Family Photo: 'Beyond Thankful'

Chasten Buttigieg/Instagram (2)

Since then, the couple have offered occasional glimpses into new-parent life, sharing their first family photo last September and sharing sweet photos from the twins' outdoor birthday party on Instagram in August.

Last year, the couple took the twins to the White House to take in the decorations, with Pete telling PEOPLE in an earlier interview: "I took them to the White House. Chasten and I took them to the Christmas tree lighting at the White House. That was a fun performance, although that was a little much for them. They definitely respond to lights and to music."

RELATED: Pete & Chasten Buttigieg Tell Their Love Story: 'Hallmark Movie' First Date, Double Proposals and What's Next

Chasten Buttigieg/instagram

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, shot to national recognition with his 2020 bid for the presidency, which made him the first major openly gay candidate for a political party. He very narrowly won the Democratic caucus in Iowa and very narrowly lost in New Hampshire's primary, ultimately suspending his campaign and endorsing Joe Biden.

While on the campaign trail in 2020, Pete told PEOPLE that he wanted his next focus to be on family life.

"No matter what happens, I think the next chapter in our personal lives is going to be about kids," Pete said.

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Now in D.C. as transportation secretary, Pete has said life as a parent has changed his outlook.

"My hope is that my kids can go to school in an environment where they know they belong," he told PEOPLE in an earlier interview, "and they understand that they're the most important thing about their family, that it's a loving stable family, which is what it takes for any kid to be set up for success."

He added that balancing family and work life has been a challenge, but one he's more than willing to take on.

"Any time that doesn't belong to work has pretty much been devoured by family," he said. "Well in the first weeks, it first felt like any time that didn't belong to work belonged to childcare. But I think now we're learning to weave family life into a little bit of a social life. I'm looking forward to that."