New mom on Mother’s Day: Palm Desert couple welcomes baby girl

Selena Hernandez and her fiancé Joshua Manicat just became parents at JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio.

The Palm Desert couple welcomed a new baby girl three weeks ahead of schedule – a Mother's Day surprise.

"It's so surreal, like I can't believe I just had this little tiny human inside me for 9 months," Hernandez said. "It's crazy; I never expected for this to happen, especially not on Mother's Day... What better day?"

The baby girl weighed 6 lbs, 3 oz, entering into the world just after 3:30 p.m Sunday.

Her name: Arya, chosen after that famous Game of Thrones character, Arya Stark.

"That's what we want her to be; we want her to be fearless, bold, strong," Hernandez said. "We want her to be able to defend herself in the future."

Manicat, now a new dad, is being propelled into parenthood. "Excited, scared at the same time," he said. "It's going to be tough; she's a blessing to us though."

Hernandez, a first-time mom, gave her props to all the other Mother's out there. "I don't think many people appreciate the things that we go through while being pregnant," she said. "Just alone, the delivery can be super harsh so shout out to the moms on Mother's Day and I think every day we should celebrate moms – not just on Mother's Day."

She said she kept the birth a surprise from her mom and sister, both mothers themselves. "They actually didn't know what was going on until I gave birth and then I facetimed them and they were all so shocked and emotional."

As this family grows by one this Mother's Day, may Arya's life be a blessing.