NEED TO KNOW
Angela Watson and her husband Brian Nahas are proud parents.
The Step by Step star first announced she had welcomed her first child, a baby boy named James, in an Instagram post on July 18, 2024. She was 48 years old at the time.
Throughout the past year, both she and Nahas, 64, have been sharing their journey as parents, from James’ time in the NICU to his experience with rehabilitation, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
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On Aug. 2, Nahas shared a video update to his Instagram account after 18 days of James being in rehabilitation. “The therapists seem to be seeing some strength and good moments in his daily work with PT [physical therapy], OT [occupational therapy] & Speech/language,” he wrote in the caption.
According to a GoFundMe created by a friend of the couple “to support Brian and Angela Nahas as they navigate this unexpected journey as new parents,” the toddler “was born with a serious heart defect that required extensive medical care from a team of specialists.”
The video showed nurses working with James as he played with toys, learning sounds and shapes — even receiving a high five from a furry friend.
Nahas called the first 12 days “tough,” adding that they were filled with “consistent throwing up,” but “Now almost 18 lbs his personality is shining more, with unexpected hand waves, fun giggles and unexpected sweet sounds😊 coming from him.”
James also did well on his swallow test when it came to checking whether or not he could handle liquids and purée. However, there were still some setbacks.
“Unfortunately from forced spitting up or his own strength he has had to replace his nose feeding tube 4 x’s in the last 6 days,” Nahas wrote, adding that James would be undergoing a procedure on Aug. 11 to replace tubes and “free him up for mobility … so he can come home and continue to grow and get stronger.”
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“This video is just some of the last 3 days of interaction in the life of Baby James. Sending love and hugs to all and we are grateful for the continued love, support & prayers,” he concluded.
The actress-turned-realtor last updated her followers with a July 11 post where she wrote #miraclechild as the caption.
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Step by Step premiered in 1991 and ran for seven seasons on ABC and CBS.
In the sitcom, Watson starred as Karen Foster, the teen daughter of late superstar Suzanne Somers’ character, Carol Foster.
Patrick Duffy, Staci Keanan, Watson, Christine Lakin, Christopher Castile, Jason Marsden and Sasha Mitchell reunited at 90s Con in Connecticut in March 2024, months after Somers’ October 2023 death.
