AceShowbiz -

Former actress of "The Young and the Restless" Julia Pace Mitchell has got the biggest role in her life, a mother. The 27-year old actress and her husband Stephen L. Hightower welcomed their first child on Wednesday, May 22.

Their baby boy, Stephen L. Hightower III, arrived at 7:45 A.M. in Middletown, Ohio. The couple's bundle of joy weighed in 7 lbs., 8 oz. and measured 21 inches. "Being new parents has brought us closer together, it's all about teamwork," Julia told PEOPLE. "Little Stephen is awesome. Being a mom is the greatest role I will ever play," the proud mother added.

Julia and Stephen got married in September 2011. The ceremony, which was held at the Shaker Run Golf Club in Lebanon, Ohio, was attended by 150 friends and family. "We were planning an outdoor lakeside ceremony, but due to rain, we had to move everything inside," Julia said, as quoted by Essence. "Other than that, everything went smoothly and the day was absolutely incredible. I'm so happy, I'm still pinching myself," the actress gushed at that time.

In January, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child, that was due in May. "I feel so blessed and hopeful about becoming a mommy for the first time," Julia said. The expectant mother, who already had on-screen experience about delivering a baby, cracked a joke, "I'm sure giving birth in real life will take a lot longer than on TV!"