Scotty McCreery and his wife Gabi (Dugal) McCreery may have recently welcomed their first child together, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t already have a little one running around the house.
Before their son, Merrick Avery McCreery came along, the married couple were the proud parents of an adopted yellow Labrador named Moose, who they called their fur baby.
That all changed, of course, on Monday (Oct. 24) at 4:34 am, when McCreery’s wife gave birth to the couple’s infant, whose legal name is Merrick Avery McCreery.
“Never known a love like this🥹 Merrick ‘Avery’ McCreery joined us 11 days early on October 24th at 4:34 am! 7 lbs 13oz of nothin but love💙. Thank y’all for all of your prayers during this exciting season of life! Healthy baby and a healthy mama! Praise God🙌🏼🙏🏼,” McCreery captioned a post from the hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Folks who saw the post may have noticed Moose absent from the pics. But it turns out that while Gabi was in labor, the family dog was in good hands.
“While we were in the hospital, Gabi’s mom took care of Moose,” McCreery tells Music Mayhem of the pup who had not yet met Avery.
And, since Moose has gotten so used to being the baby of the family, McCreery and Gabi knew there was a chance that their dog might not be too keen on the idea of having someone else around to fight for their attention.
In a recent interview with Country Now, McCreery noted once the baby arrives Moose would inevitably have to adapt to his new role as big brother.
“He’s going to have to adjust for sure with the baby coming because he is definitely used to being the center of attention,” the “It Matters To Her” singer said. “He’ll bring us his Frisbee or the ball, like, he is ready to play at all times of the day.”
At the time, McCreery also pointed out that Moose was already getting vibes that a change was on the horizon.
“I think, he’s starting to realize something is up,” McCreery shared. “There are toys showing up at the house, and momma’s belly is getting a little bigger. I think he’s figured this out.”
Since welcoming Avery, McCreery and Gabi have now returned home from the hospital with their bundle of joy in tow. And it appears things are going much more smoothly than they had anticipated.
“Once we got home, [Gabi’s mom] brought Moose to us, and he came up and sniffed Avery,” McCreery said. “He’s been by his side most of the last week.”
Avery has been home for a little over a week now, which means he has already celebrated his first Halloween with his parents and Moose.
“Normally, we have a Halloween party with some of our close friends, but this time it was just us celebrating Avery’s first Halloween, and it was amazing,” McCreery shared.
The family of four celebrated the boo-filled occasion by posing for a family photo. In the shot, Gabi sits beside McCreery and holds little Avery in her arms. Moose, meanwhile, pokes his head between them.
“One week with our little pumpkin 🎃🧡. Moose is still a little spooked by the newest family addition 👻😅,” Gabi captions the adorable Instagrammed post, showing her and McCreery dressed as pumpkins and baby McCreery wearing a Halloween-themed onesie.
Since becoming a new dad, McCreery has been enjoying his time on “paternity leave.” On Nov. 30, he is scheduled to perform a show at the Downtown Hoedown on Fremont Street in Las Vegas.
