AceShowbiz -

There's a baby on the way for Mel Gibson and his girlfriend Rosalind Ross. The couple is expecting their first child together, a ninth baby for the "Hacksaw Ridge" actor, his rep confirms.

Mel, who is already a father to eight kids, is thrilled to have a new bundle of joy in early next year. "Mel and Rose are so excited about the baby," a friend close to the couple tells PEOPLE, "Mel loves being a dad and he and Rose can't wait to be parents together. The last two years have been some of his happiest years he's ever had."

The "Blood Father" actor shares seven children with ex-wife Robyn Moore and one daughter with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.

Mel, 60, and Rosalind, 26, have been dating for two years. "She is great for him," another source previously said of the couple, "She has her own life, but also seems to enjoy Mel's... They are very much on the same page."

Mel is set to film his upcoming movie "The Professor and the Madman", opposite Sean Penn, in Europe.