Gigi Hadid's Mom Shares Rare Glimpse Into Baby Khai's Life on Her First Birthday

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik's daughter, Khai, celebrated her first birthday on Sunday, Sept. 19. To mark the special occasion, Gigi's mom posted rare photos of the little one.

By Alyssa Morin Sep 19, 2021 8:23 PMTags
Watch: Gigi Hadid Asks People to Blur Daughter's Face in Photos

Strike a pose!

It's been less than a week since Gigi Hadid made fans swoon with her sweet tributes to her daughter Khai during New York Fashion Week and the 2021 Met Gala. Now, the supermodel has an extra special reason to celebrate her little one once again.

Sunday, Sept. 19, marked baby Khai's first birthday.

While the 26-year-old star and her longtime partner Zayn Malik have kept details of their festivities under wraps, Gigi's mom shared a rare glimpse into the birthday girl's family life.

Taking to Instagram, Yolanda Hadid raved over her granddaughter and even posted never-before-seen photos of Khai, which came as a delightful surprise considering Gigi and Zayn's baby girl rarely makes social media appearances.

"Happy first birthday to our Angel Khai," Yolanda began her caption. "No words can express how much love and joy you have brought into our lives in just one year…"

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Gigi Hadid & Zayn Malik's Cutest Quotes

She continued, "I had to grow a whole other heart to absorb it all, you are such a magical little being that brings us smiles and blessings everyday. Thank you to your incredible mamma @gigihadid and bubba @zayn for the greatest gift of life!!"

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Along with her heartwarming message, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star uploaded a collage of images that showed baby Khai enjoying the outdoors at what appeared to be her Pennsylvania farm.

In one picture, Yolanda carried her granddaughter as they fed a calf in matching brown cowboy boots. Another snapshot showed the little one riding a pony as her grandmother stood by her side.

Ahead of Khai's first birthday, Gigi opened up about how she was raising her daughter during an interview with Vogue correspondent Keke Palmer.

"She's one next week and I just feel like I've been on mama duty," the supermodel said on Monday, Sept. 13. "I've been at the farm every day in my sweatpants and in our matching messy buns." 

"Tonight," she continued, "I'm showing her what it means to dress up, own it and have balance." 

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While the new mom has documented her road to motherhood, that doesn't mean she wants her daughter in the public eye. In July, Gigi penned an open letter to the paparazzi and asked them to respect Khai's privacy.

"As our baby grows up we have to realize that we can't protect her from everything the way we wanted to and could when she was smaller," Gigi wrote in a note shared to Twitter. "She loves seeing the world! And although she gets a lot of that out near the farm, she also gets to experience other places—a true blessing. On our most recent visits to New York, she has started to want her sun shade lifted up (something she is used to at home) and helps herself to it!"

Gigi continued, "She doesn't understand why she's covered in the city or what I've wanted to protect her from."

To that, the model asked photographers, "You know we have never intentionally shared our daughter's face on social media. Our wish is that she can choose how to share herself with the world when she comes of age, and that she can live as normal of a childhood as possible, without worrying about a public image that she has not chosen."

"It would mean the world to us, as we take our daughter to see and explore NYC and the world," Gigi added, "if you would PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE blur her face out of images, if and when she is caught on camera. I know it's an extra effort—but as a new mom, I just want the best for my baby..."