According to an exclusive with People Shereé Whitfield had an extra-special Mother’s Day!
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star, 53, has her first grandchild — her son Kairo Whitfield, 27, and his girlfriend Alina Baber welcomed daughter Mecca Joie Whitfield last July.
“She’s adorable; the sweetest, cutest little girl,” Shereé tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue, sharing the first photos of Mecca. “She has the curliest hair, the best smile and is such a happy baby. I’m excited when I see her, but when we see each other, she gets so, so excited. It melts your heart!”
“It’s been so special to have her in our family, and it gets more and more special every day as I watch her grow,” she adds. “Just seeing the person she’s becoming, the way she reacts to me, the bond we’re building… it’s just so cool. I love playing with her, reading to her, taking to the park. And it’s funny because then I get say, ‘Here you go, I’m tired now’ and hand her back. That’s new for me!”
Jokes aside, the best part for Shereé has been the way it’s bonded her entire family, including daughters Kaleigh Whitfield and Tierra Fuller.
“I’ve always been close with my kids, but having Mecca has definitely brought another level of closeness and love into my family,” Shereé says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Still, the feeling she has now isn’t the same as when she raised her own kids.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” she says. “I always hear people say that being a grandparent is so much different than being a parent; that the love you have for that grand-baby is unique, and I definitely understand that now that I’ve experienced it.
“I love her, but I’m also just so proud of watching Kairo step up and be a dad. He’s such a hands-on father and it’s really incredible to see because you have to remember, I didn’t have someone putting in that effort to my kids when I was married. He’s over there doing everything and it makes me tear up to see it.”
But she’s quick to reject the term “grandma.”
“No, no, I’m not a grandma. Let’s make sure we get the word right. It’s Glam-ma!” Shereé says, joking that she won’t be sitting on rocking chair, knitting anytime soon. “I’m a Glam-ma. And she’ll call me GG, which stands for Gorgeous Glam-ma. I’m starting a new trend for grandmas: hot grandmas!”
Mecca Joie is Kairo and Alina’s first child together.
“I was shocked when he told me,” Shereé recalls, of when she learned the happy news. “Kairo came into my room one day and he was just standing there, looking like he wanted to tell me something. And it took him a minute to actually say ‘I have a baby on the way’ because I think he thought he was going to be letting me down, but I was just thrilled and Alina has become like one of my daughters now. I was only taken aback because I honestly thought Tierra would be the first to have a baby! But it turned out to be Kairo!”
The baby’s name has a special significance.
“Kairo came up with the name, it means the center of his world,” Shereé says. “He wanted something unique and something that had a meaning and meant something to him! So he picked Mecca because Mecca is the center of the world and his daughter is the center of his world.”
Joie, meanwhile, is a French for joy.
“Not only is Mecca the center of his world, but she’s the center of his joy,” Shereé notes. “It’s even more awesome.”
RHOA viewers will get to see Mecca Joie on this season of the show, starting with Sunday’s episode on Bravo. Her arrival even pushed the She by Shereé founder to start making some baby clothes.
“I’ve always wanted She by Shereé to be a lifestyle brand, branching into different areas like lounge, swim, home and baby. And when I tell you, Mecca has inspired me to start with babies. She’s like a little muse. So you’ll see me working on that this season as well.”
And as for her infamous Château Shereé, it’s already been cluttered with baby toys.
“My home looks like a play pad. It’s like a nursery!” Shereé laughs. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Mecca is spoiled, but she’s going to be so much more spoiled. Mecca’s going to want for nothing. That’s my girl.”
Congratulations to her and her family!
