Serena Williams is reminiscing as her daughter Adira celebrates her first birthday today. On Instagram on Thursday, the tennis star shared never-before-seen pregnancy photos from her 2023 pregnancy.
In one shot, Williams poses amidst a flowerbed, dressed in a sheer pink dress that accentuates her baby bump.
“One year ago today – August 15th – I gave birth to my second little girl, Adira River Ohanian. She is a true miracle child. Here’s a look inside my maternity shoot,” she wrote in the caption.
Another photo shows Williams with her husband Alexis Ohanian and their six-year-old daughter Olympia, who is kissing her mother’s baby bump.
Williams also took the opportunity to explain the meaning behind Adira’s name.
“Adira is a girl’s name of Hebrew origin and means ‘powerful’, ‘strong’ and ‘majestic’. The elegant name is popular in many cultures around the world. Adira is the feminine form of the classic name Adir. It is a biblical name and means ‘the strong one’.”
In the comments, Ohanian marveled at how quickly her daughter has grown, writing, “She is ONE! How did this happen so fast?”
Serena Williams recently spoke about what it’s like raising her second baby. “I think the second time around, I’m a little bit more of a ‘if Adira falls, I’m not going to die like I did at the Olympics,'” she said. “Now I’m like, ‘Oh, she’s tough, she’s going to make it.’ And she is tough.”
While Serena is focused on getting back in shape after pregnancy, she is equally committed to promoting positive body image in her children. Earlier this year, she stressed the importance of self-love and positivity, telling ET, “For me, it’s super important that they love who they are and what they look like.”
She continued, “I also encourage that positivity by encouraging her to compliment others, especially other girls. So when I see a girl in her class, I think, ‘Oh, she looks pretty, doesn’t she?’ She says, ‘Yeah, I like her hair.’ I say, ‘I like her hair too.'”
