Oh, Babies! Meet the 'Small Miracles' Born to the Little Women: L.A. Cast

The cast of Little Women: L.A. grew by a lot this year when three of its stars — Elena Gant, Briana Renée and Terra Jolé — welcomed babies within three months of each other. Of going through this together, Renée says, “It’s very encouraging and empowering to see such wonderful moms within my circle.” And of potentially raising little people themselves (Gant and Jolé don’t yet know if their children have dwarfism), Jolé says she hopes parents educate their children about people’s differences. “Whether your children are average or short or have some other type of difference, it’s going to happen in life, and it’s just going to matter how you are as a parent that will reflect in your child.”

Though the twin boys, born May 12, ended up in the NICU for a week after birth, today they are thriving and “it’s been an awesome journey,” Gant tells PEOPLE. “My whole life is wrapped around their fingers. I’m so excited to find out what the years to come will bring us.” Noting that Kairo looks more like her, while Xavier resembles her husband Preston, “I’m happy that they’re different,” she says. “I’m their whole world right now,” she adds. “It’s so much responsibility but it makes me really happy. Everything I’m doing is for their future. That makes me a better person.”

“It’s been a ride,” she says of life with her 3-month-old son, who has achondroplasia and also spent some time in the NICU. “I’ve gone from ‘I’m the proudest mom because this is my mama’s boy and we have an unbreakable connection,’ to the colic, the acid reflux, he only wants me to hold him, he cries for no reason. I’ve had exhausted, happy moments.” While balancing life with her newborn and 7-year-old daughter Leiana (not to mention husband Matt Grundhoffer) has been tough, “When you become a mom, you become superwoman and your babies are everything you live and work for.”

Already mom to daughter Penelope, 19 months, the Dancing with the Stars contestant welcomed son Grayson on Aug. 1 (and hit the ballroom floor just three weeks later). But “my brother and I grew up very close in age and we always had a really strong bond. I wanted to share that energy with my children,” she says. “Little did I know it would be so much work! One day it will all be worth it.” She and her husband Joe Gnoffo didn’t find out the baby’s sex until delivery; “it was so exciting,” she says. “I always wanted a son so I was excited to hear ‘It’s a boy!’ It tugs on my heartstrings to have that boy/girl relationship.”