Jewel is a mom! The singer gave birth to a 7 lb., 6 oz. baby boy named Kase Townes at a hospital in Texas on Monday evening, July 11.

The Alaska native and her husband, rodeo star Ty Murray, are thrilled with the new addition. "Ty and I are so pleased to welcome our new baby boy into the world," Jewel tells People magazine. "We are overcome with happiness -- it really is as great as everyone told us it would be -- better even!"

The songbird struggled to conceive for about two years. She discovered she was pregnant while shooting her new reality competition show, 'Platinum Hit.' "I have always been a workaholic, so I had to learn how to slow down and take care of myself in a different way," she admits.

Jewel prepared for the birth of their new son by penning an album of children's songs, which will be released this fall. "I wrote this album for my child," she tells The Boot. "It was all the stuff I wanted to say to him."

The new parents dated ten years before tying the knot in 2008, but Jewel knew right from the start she wanted to spend her life with the Texan. "I began a US tour, and we began to talk on the phone frequently until we decided to finally have a first date -- about 6 months after we first met," Jewel recalls. "I know the exact moment I fell in love with him. We were sitting by a river in northern California ... It wasn't any one thing he said -- it was his whole being. It was his quietness. It was his toughness and strength, but it was the counterpoint of his kindness that set it apart. I knew I would love him. I knew instantly that he would be solid as a rock and someone I could depend on."

Congrats to Jewel and Ty on their bundle of joy!

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