Hayley Holt fell in love at first sight with her baby, Kingston. Photo / Emily Chalk
It was love at first sight for the TV star and her sweet second son.
Before baby Kingston’s arrival, Hayley Holt wondered if it really would be possible to love her second child as much as the first. But the moment she laid eyes on her beautiful, blue-eyed bundle of joy, the TVNZ star was hit with that familiar tidal wave of emotion and she knew there was plenty to go around.
“It really was love at first sight,” she says, welcoming Woman’s Day into the home she shares with her fiancé, Josh Tito, and their boys, Raven, two, and five-month-old Kingston, who was born at Auckland Hospital on May 15. “As soon as he came out, the bond was instant. I fell totally in love and I couldn’t imagine life without him.”
Hayley, 43, has shared many of her milestone moments with Woman’s Day over the years, so it’s fitting she’s introducing her adorable second baby in our special 35th birthday issue.
And with Raven at daycare and Kingston sleeping peacefully in his cot, the broadcaster is enjoying a rare moment of calm as she sits down to chat in her lounge in Warkworth, north of Auckland.
“Life has definitely gone up a notch in terms of how hectic it is, but Kingston is such a dream baby,” she says, smiling. “He eats and sleeps, and he’s just the smiliest, happiest little bubba. We’re really lucky.”
While life as a mum of two is busy, Hayley says she’s found motherhood much easier than she’d expected the second time around. She admits that when she fell pregnant with Kingston, she couldn’t help but worry about how a newborn would fit into the family’s already busy lives.
With the former Breakfast host working full-time as a sports presenter for 1News, tradesman Josh, 34, at work each day and little Raven a barrel of energy, Hayley couldn’t quite get her head around the logistics.
But she’s surprised herself by how they’ve taken the extra family member in their stride and says even the sleep deprivation has been easier to manage this time around.
“I really worried about how I could actually cope with two,” she admits. “Life felt so full with Raven, but from the moment we brought Kingston home, everything just felt right. It’s busy, and there are times when I’m tired and irritable, and feel overwhelmed.
“But the reality is, a newborn is so much easier than a toddler! I’d been worried about going back to breastfeeding and sleepless nights, but I’d also forgotten how beautiful those newborn snuggles and cuddles are. I realised I had nothing to worry about.”
And as she recalls the day little Kingston arrived, Hayley can’t help but grin. Unlike Raven’s birth, which involved an emergency Caesarean after many hours of painful labour, Kingson was born via a planned C-section a week before his due date.
“I’d been off work for three weeks already, so I’d had time to rest and get everything ready. We’d had a good night’s sleep, Raven went off to Mum and Dad’s, and Josh and I drove to the hospital knowing we were about to meet our new baby. It was surreal!
“In some ways, it felt less special because it was all fairly clinical, but in the end, we got our wee boy safely into the world and that’s all that matters. It was really calm and lovely.”
And this time, Josh was right by Hayley’s side to meet their baby boy when he emerged at about 10.30am on the Wednesday. With Raven, Josh had let Hayley’s mum join her in the operating theatre, but this time, he wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
“This time felt so different,” shares Hayley. “There was none of the stress and panic that made Josh feel overwhelmed last time, and he was so happy to be there with me to meet our baby. It was amazing having him right there as Kingston was born and so cool that he was the first person to hold him. He’s such a wonderful dad.”
And Hayley says she’ll never forget the moment her newest baby boy was brought over and held up to her cheek.
“It was that feeling of total amazement and wonder that we had been given another unique soul to love. There’s nothing like it.”
After two nights in hospital and another two at a birthing centre, Hayley was delighted to finally take Kingston home and begin life as a family of four. As soon as they walked in the door, “the energy shifted”, says Hayley, who considers herself a deeply spiritual person.
“It was this whole new presence and a new life for us. It felt amazing.”
And the doting parents love watching Kingston’s playful personality emerge. Like his big brother, he is alert and engaged, and loves interacting with his family.
“Kingston has this big, open, innocent face. He feels like a really pure soul. He’s very quick to smile and giggle.”
The couple chose the name Kingston as a tribute to Josh’s cousin and best friend Kingi, who is Kingston’s godfather. Their son’s middle name, Kawenata, means “covenant” in te reo Māori and is a family name from Josh, who is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāpuhi descent.
Hayley is keenly aware of the importance of raising her boys with a strong connection to their culture. She and Josh – who was brought up in a Māori-speaking household and full-immersion school – recently took Kingston to Hatepe in Taupō, where much of Josh’s whānau is based.
“I’m in awe of what a gift it is for my boys,” the star says. “We were driving towards Hatepe, across the Hinemaiaia River, and Josh said, ‘Look, boys, we’re crossing your river now.’ I had this moment where I realised how special this is and that Josh’s place is now my boys’ place too. It’s beautiful.
“Raven is in paradise there with his cousins. He has so much fun running off in a pack with all the kids.”
Seeing Raven become a big brother has been special, she says. From the moment he first met Kingston in hospital on the day he was born, Raven has embraced his wee mate, but Hayley jokes that a new pair of light-up shoes probably helped as well.
“We told him the shoes were from the new pēpi and he was stoked – he thought he was pretty cool bouncing around with lights on his shoes! He was very sweet with Kingston right from the start. He had a little hold and gave him a kiss.”
And the pair’s sibling bond is already strong, with Kingston hugely entertained by his big brother, who Hayley says is a big ball of toddler energy.
“Raven is a real boy’s boy!” she enthuses. “He’s always climbing, jumping, running and throwing things. He’s loud and fun. Kingston just thinks Raven is the bee’s knees and he giggles when he’s jumping on the bed or making faces at him. As that grows, Raven’s going to have a ready-made audience.”
As an older mother, Hayley still can’t quite believe how fortunate she is to have welcomed another baby at this stage of her life. She had almost given up hope of expanding their family when she and Josh discovered there was another baby on the way.
After the devastating loss of their first baby, Frankie Tai, in 2020, when Hayley was seven months pregnant, followed by a miscarriage a year later, being a mum is something she’ll never take for granted.
“Sometimes I almost forget what we’ve been through, then something will remind me again, and I’ll remember how grateful I am for that experience and for Frankie because he got us where we are now.
“I do have moments where I just cannot believe how blessed we’ve been. The family has just gone from strength to strength. Josh and I are really, really happy. We’re in such a good place together. There’s so much love in the house. I just can’t quite believe my luck.”
Hair and makeup: Chay Roberts. Styling: Courtney Joe. Hayley wears Caitlin Crisp, Moochi, Silk & Steel. Kingston wears Farmers.
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