The Young and the Restless' Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson, Y&R; ex-Annie McDermott, All My Children) got a big surprise a year ago when her second child arrived a little bit earlier than planned. After a rough start, Egan and her family settled into life with two kids, and now little Jake Katrosar just turned a year old.
Egan celebrated her son's birthday by sharing a series of adorable photos of Jake and his big brother, Caden, on Instagram.
"Baby Jake! Jake Joseph. We can't believe you are 1 today," Egan wrote. "You came into this world a month early, 10 days in the NICU, you were and are such a fighter and strong little boy. Every time you lock eyes with someone, you smile. You're a true little angel and bring everyone such joy. We love you so much, Happy Birthday my baby."
Egan's fellow soap stars chimed in, wishing Jake a happy day. General Hospital's Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) was so taken with the adorable little boy that she commented with, "Does he need another grandma?" Egan's Y&R son, Judah Mackey (Connor Newman), also wished the new one-year-old a happy birthday.
When Egan announced the impending arrival of Caden in 2021, she revealed that it had been a long road to parenthood for her and her husband, Matt Katrosar.
"As happy as we are, the journey to get here has been filled with lots of tears, stress, sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, and 2 miscarriages," she said. "To anyone going through this process or any kind of fertility issues, I feel you, I see you, you're not alone. I wish I could jump through this phone and give you a big hug. Please do not give up hope. Keep trusting and have faith. You got this!!!"
On-screen, Egan's character, Chelsea, also has two sons. However, her first son, Johnny, is being raised by Billy Abbott and Billy's ex-wife, Victoria.
Are you glad when actors share their real-life struggles to help fans feel connected? Would you like to see a change in Chelsea's on-screen mom drama? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
