U.S. national women’s soccer star Julie Ertz and her NFL player husband are expecting their first child. The 29-year-old future mother released maternity photos that depicted her alongside her husband Zach.
The NFL player is lightly cradling her while kissing the baby bump in the photoshoot. Taking to Instagram, the couple shared the announcement with fans this week. “Adding to our starting lineup… Baby Ertz! Psalms 30:11-12,” they wrote in the caption of the exciting news.
The baby announcement comes five years after the two decided to tie the knot in 2017. After meeting through a mutual friend while Zach Ertz was playing for Stanford University’s football team and Julie was playing soccer nearby in Santa Clara, the couple has been together since 2012. They had been dating for years before the football player popped the big question and the two wedded at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California the following year.
As the power couple embraces their expanding family, the Ertz’s have been candid about what makes their relationship work: both holding jobs in professional athleticism.
Julie Ertz discusses how both she and her husband’s career impacts their relationship
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With Julie a position in the U.S. national women’s soccer Team and Zach playing tight end for the Arizona Cardinals, the soccer player cites their busy professions as a ground for understanding.
“Being married to a professional athlete is a huge blessing because he understands the lifestyle completely,” she explained to PEOPLE the previous year. “We both know what it takes to reach the top of our sports, so we are always on the same page with our daily routines, and we keep each other disciplined.”
Ertz also went on to explain that having more free time during the COVID-19 pandemic made it easier to spend quality time together, which has improved their relationship.
“We both had to find unique ways to stay in shape while everything was shut down [amid the COVID-19 pandemic], and having someone who has to keep that as a priority made it so much easier to stay on track even with all the obstacles the pandemic brought,” she shared. “We have both experienced a lot in our careers and those experiences help us both support each other when the other one needs it.”
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