Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus and his wife Allison announced in July that they are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in January. Now, with the due date almost four months away, the proud parents are sharing their daughter's name: Madeline Leigh.

"Leigh is Ali's middle name and we finally settled on a [first] name that we both liked together," Jay tells Country Weekly, adding that they will call her Maddy for short.

Jay has been anxiously awaiting his turn to be a father. "I'm really excited and can't wait to kiss [her] face off," he says. "I'm really, really close to my nephew and two nieces, and I love kids so much. This is a part of my life I've wanted for some time and just had to wait a little longer to get there."

Jay has both fellow band members -- Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney -- to turn to for parenting advice. Gary is a father to two daughters, and Joe Don became a parent for the second time a few weeks ago, when he and his wife, Tiffany Fallon, welcomed a baby girl. Jay's brother-in-law, James Otto (married to Allison's sister, Amy), also recently welcomed a daughter, Ava Katherine, born in August.

Rascal Flatts aren't letting fatherhood slow down their careers. Headlining their own Nothing Like This tour, along with opening acts Kellie Pickler and Chris Young, they are also watching their new single, 'Why Wait' steadily climb the charts. Jay admits he knew the tune would resonate with fans as soon as he heard it. "When we went into the studio, we knew instantly that it was something special for us, and it was going to be a showcase piece on the album," he tells The Boot. "It just rose above the rest, and it became a no-brainer."

'Why Wait' is the first single off Rascal Flatts' debut album for their new label, Big Machine. 'Nothing Like This' is set for release on November 16.

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