Derek Hough’s daughter is constantly cha-cha-changing.
Nine months into his new role as dad to his and wife Hayley Erbert’s daughter Everley, the Dancing With the Stars judge gave a peek at how she is growing up too fast.
In a picture shared to Instagram Oct. 4, Hough hugged his baby girl—whose face was turned away from the camera—to his chest with two arms and smiled at her, playfully lamenting in the caption, “She’s getting too big.”
While Everley might be waltzing into a new phase of life as a 9-month-old, her dad has made sure to embrace every unchoreographed step along the way. And yes, that even includes when she left a “nice surprise” (read: the aftermath of a diaper blowout) on his chest after a cross-country flight earlier this summer.
"It's one of those things, again, whatever you focus on is what you feel," the 41-year-old told E! News in June. "I was like, 'You know, what, I'm lucky that I get to have this on my chest right now.'"
As Hough sees it, her laughter, smiles and even minor milestones are all opportunities worthy of a happy dance.
“Every day is something different, something new,” he continued. “It's been incredible."
Plus, Hough is grateful to see the world from a fresh and new perspective after living “such a full and rich life.”
"I was like, 'Wow, I've done so much in my life already, and now I get to start over,'” he explained. “It's all brand new. I get to do this whole life thing, but in a totally different way now, and it has a lot more meaning and fulfillment and excitement."
For her part, Erbert has embraced motherhood with a beautiful mix of emotions.
“Motherhood is even more complex and contradicting than I could have ever imagined,” she wrote on Instagram in April. “It feels like living in two places at once. Where joy and heartache can both be true, all of the time.”
Still, the Dancing With the Stars alum addressed Everley directly to share her joy for the future.
“So excited for all the ‘firsts’ and the life ahead of you/us,” she added, “yet wishing I could freeze time and never have any ‘lasts.’”
For a back look at Hough and Erbert’s relationship, including life with baby Everley, keep reading…
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert meet back in 2014 when she performed on his and sister Julianne Hough's tour. A Dancing With the Stars producer is impressed with Hayley and she is called to interview to join the show's troupe, getting the job the following year, according to the Hutchington News. Also in 2015, she and Derek begin dating.
The two begin going out to public events, including at the 2016 premiere of the Tony Robbins Netflix documentary I Am Not Your Guru.
The duo get glammed up for a star-studded night out.
The dancers make their red carpet debut as a couple at the Television Academy's 2017 Choreography Peer Group Celebration at Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Calif.
Hayley joins Derek as his date for the Creative Arts Emmys, where he was nominated for Outstanding Choreography for his work on Dancing With the Stars.
The two attend the star-studded Casamigos Halloween Party.
Hayley joins Derek as he hosts The Americana at Brand shopping mall's Christmas tree lighting event in Glendale, Calif.
The two attend the Hollywood premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The couple steps out at HBO's post-Emmys celebration.
They aren't pumping the brakes as they attend the premiere of Netflix's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
The two pose for pics at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar viewing party.
Feeling festive, they dance on the special to ring in the Christmas season.
The two are all smiles at the premiere in Los Angeles.
The partners appear at the Creative Arts Emmys, where Derek wins Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for his work on Dancing with the Stars.
The two dance as they arrive at the 2022 Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party.
Hayley flashes her engagement ring at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
The two get cozy at the launch of the Disney-Pixar film.
The couple honeymoon in Italy following their Aug. 26, 2023 wedding in California.
Derek was by Hayley's side as she underwent emergency skull surgery due to a burst blood vessel. "It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant," he wrote on Instagram over a week later. "Her recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle."
After being given medical clearance to get back to performing, Hayley and Derek resumed their Symphony of Dance tour in April 2024. In October, she made her triumphant return to the ballroom as she joined her husband for an emotional routine set to Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things."
The couple announced they'd be welcoming a new addition to their family as they revealed they were expecting their first baby together. Alongside an Instagram video unveiling their unborn child's sonogram, Hayley wrote, "We can’t believe the biggest thing to happen to us could be so small."
Derek and Hayley welcomed their baby girl, Everley Capri Hough, on Dec. 29, 2025, writing in a joint Instagram post, "Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed."