Becoming a parent changes everything — but for Justin VerlanderAnd Kate Upton, it’s all been for the better.
“I get out [to golf] occasionally, but not quite as much,” the Houston Astros player told reporters during MLB spring training in February 2019. “[Having a baby]It certainly changes the afternoons a bit. [But]It’s so exciting to see her smile every time I go home. It seems like every day it’s something new, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
Verlander and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, who tied the knot in November 2017, welcomed their daughter, Genevieve — whom they call ViVi — in November 2018. Upton has been frequently praised by the athlete for her transition into motherhood. Us Weekly in March 2019 that she was “amazing” with their little one. “She’s been the most amazing woman and mom,” he gushed at the time. “I knew that she would set a great example for our daughter, no matter what. It’s the person that she is, it’s the person who I married. I’ve always appreciated her for her strength.”
He continued: “But just seeing her interact, all the nurturing and everything that goes on with being a mother, it’s been tremendous to watch. I know it’s not easy for her either, but it’s quite a connection that they have, and it’s really special for me to be able to witness that and be a part of it.”
Upton has been equally effusive about her husband, describing him as “the best dad” to their daughter. “He’s always so involved,” the Other WomenStar said during an April 2021 appearance at the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “He’s the best partner. He’s just not the best dog dad. He helped Norman almost zero, but he worked almost every night with Vivi. So, I still am a little bitter about that.”
In addition to showing them a new side of one another, becoming parents has changed the couple’s perspective on the world around them. “Everything I do is for her,” Upton said during a November 2020 appearance on Today. “Wanting to make the world better for her, wanting to be better for her, wanting to be with her more — it’s really just changed everything.”
Cofounder of Strong4Me, the cofounder uses her career to change the pressures placed on women. She even took completely unretouched photos during an August 2019 shoot. Health magazine. “We live in a world where we are constantly surrounded by retouching and filters, and we don’t even realize it – it’s become the new norm, creating unrealistic expectations,” she wrote via Instagram at the time while explaining the reasoning behind the shoot. “That’s why I loved the idea of doing this shoot unretouched, to take a step towards embracing our true, raw self. Months after giving birth, this wasn’t the easiest choice… but a choice I thought was important for my daughter and for women everywhere.”
Keep scrolling to see more of Upton and Verlander’s best quotes about parenting daughter Genevieve:
