Valerie Bertinelli celebrates her boyfriend Mike Goodnough’s 54th birthday on Instagram

Valerie Bertinelli’s boyfriend is a year older, but as she jokes in a new birthday tribute, he still hasn’t caught up with her!

The Indulge The 64-year-old author wished her boyfriend Mike Goodnough a happy 54th birthday on Instagram on Saturday, August 17, and poked fun at how much the two love taking selfies.

Bertinelli paid tribute to Goodnough, who goes by the name Hoarse Whisperer on social media, sharing a selfie of the costumed couple in which she gave him a kiss on the cheek. The photo was complemented by a pretty sky in the background, which Bertinelli also joked about in her caption.

“If there’s one thing about Mike (and there are many things), it’s that he doesn’t like backlighting,” she wrote. “I, on the other hand, find backlighting beautiful. As evidenced by this picture… that Mike took.”

“Sometimes it pays to listen to your elders,” Bertinelli added. “Happy birthday, Mike ♥️ You may be a year older, but you’re still younger than me 😆.”

Bertinelli also posted a snapshot of her boyfriend in his all-black suit on her Instagram stories, along with the simple caption: “Happy birthday Mike.”

The couple’s latest milestone sees the former Food Network star celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday for the first time since they began dating in January. Bertinelli was initially tight-lipped about their relationship, telling PEOPLE in April that she was “in love,” but did not reveal Goodnough’s name at the time.

“It’s a rollercoaster of emotions because I was determined never to fall in love again,” she said, explaining that she met her East Coast boyfriend on Instagram a few years ago. “It was purely platonic, but something about him felt familiar.”

It wasn’t until early 2024 that their conversations and feelings turned romantic. “It’s crazy how comfortable these two are,” she added. “It feels incredibly right.”

The couple went public with a joint appearance in April and have been raving about each other on social media and in interviews ever since. They finally made their red carpet debut at the Daytime Emmys in June.

Bertinelli and Goodnough even established a “three-week” rule early on to stay in touch during their bi-coastal relationship. “We never see each other for longer than that,” she said at the time. Four months later, Bertinelli has updated PEOPLE.

“It’s been a challenge,” she said in July. “The summer is fully booked. It’s a challenge.”

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The duo have been very public about their relationship, with Goodnough revealing on Instagram just this week that Bertinelli supported him when his childhood friend was “nearing the end of his life” in March. As he noted, his partner canceled “family plans that were important to her” to be there for him.

“There are people who show you they care and people who just tell you they care. Take note of each of them,” he wrote. “Hold the former and give the latter space. The former – the people who are there for you – are life’s greatest blessings. Cherish them, for they are treasures.”