Melissa Rycroft Welcomes Daughter Ava Grace

Melissa Rycroft Strickland is a mom! She and her husband, insurance agent Tye Strickland, welcomed a daughter on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 16, her rep confirms to PEOPLE.

Ava Grace Strickland, born in Dallas and weighing 6 lbs., 13 oz., is the first child for the pair, who wed in December 2009 in Mexico. Mother and child are resting comfortably.

“Our lives have changed so much in the last two years and today we’ve been blessed with the best change ever, our beautiful baby girl,” Rycroft, 27, tells PEOPLE.

Earlier this year, Rycroft — who was famously dumped by Jason Mesnick after becoming engaged on The Bachelor — said the turn of events had been an enormous blessing in her life.

“Everything is wonderful and life is exactly as it should be,” she said.

— Monica Rizzo