Exclusive: MAFS Woody and Amani Welcome 2nd Child + View Photos from their Babymoon Maternity Shoot

Amani and Woody Randall of TLC’s Married At First Sight welcomed baby #2 on Tuesday, November 7th, 2023!

The pair, who first met and fell in love almost four years ago on Season 11 of the binge-worthy TV show, were overjoyed to welcome their second child early Tuesday morning.

Not knowing the gender of their baby, they were thrilled to add another healthy baby boy to their family. Rai Zahir Randall was born on November 7th, 2023, weighing 6 pounds and measuring 19 inches long.

As with their first baby, Reign, they opted for another intimate at-home birth, this time in the privacy and comfort of their first home together in New Orleans.

Woody and I are so excited to have completed our family! I am really happy to have been able to welcome our son into such a peaceful space at home with Woody and my birthing team. It was such a beautiful moment once Reign woke up that morning and greeted his little brother. Pure tears of joy watching the start of their relationship. 

AMANI RANDALL

This time around, Woody was also able to be more hands-on during the birthing process.

I’m feeling good about the birthing process because I was able to be more hands-on than with Reign. I feel like that experience makes Rai and I’s bond that more impactful. I feel like my connection with Amani was deepened also because I was able to assist and be more helpful. 

WOODY RANDALL

With Baby Randall #2 arriving two weeks ahead of Amani’s original due date, we were thrilled to hear the happy news!

Back in August, we were able to meet Amani and Woody in person at MunaLuchi Bride Magazine’s inaugural Muna Couple’s Retreat (August 28-31, 2023) at Sandals Royal Curaçao.

As a Married at First Sight fan myself, I must admit the lovable duo not only lived up to their on-screen hype but exceeded it. Amani and Woody are truly the sweetest couple and so in love!

Woody and Amani aren’t strangers to the MunaLuchi brand and were first featured on the cover of MunaLuchi Bride’s Winter 2021 Edition.

In anticipation of their second child’s arrival, the Muna Team cordially invited them to attend the retreat to enjoy a luxurious Babymoon in Curaçao and participate in an exclusive MunaMommy maternity photo shoot.

As an aspiring couple in business themselves, Amani and Woody were also able to listen in on the retreat’s educational panels (led by top-notch business professionals and relationship experts) including one of their old MAFS friends: Calvin Roberson (a.k.a. Pastor Cal!).

Following the retreat, we scheduled a Zoom call to catch up with the then-expecting couple.

From starting their love story on TV to navigating marriage and parenthood today, the Randalls gave us a glimpse into their daily lives.

We discussed all things baby Randall #2, how marriage has changed post-children, and exciting business announcements, such as Amani and fellow MAFS alumni Briana Myles‘ sustainable ‘mommy and baby’ clothing line! BellaReign & Co. which officially launched on November 16th, 2023.

As Amani and Woody settle into parenthood (now with two bundles of joy!), we invite you to get to know the Randalls in this exclusive MunaMommy interview. Their stunning maternity photos by Trene’ Forbes Photography are sure to inspire your very own baby moon getaway!

*This maternity shoot was produced by the MunaMommy team. Please see the participating vendors list below for proper credit. This interview was conducted by MunaLuchi Bride’s Associate Editor, Linda Wallentine, on Sep 7, 2023, at 03:30 PM Central Time.

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• Couple: Woody & Amani Randall
• Location of shoot: Various locations in Curaçao
• Photographer: Trene’ Forbes Photography

Starting at the beginning, did you ever think that you would meet “the one” on Married at First Sight?

Amani: I would say I definitely didn’t think it was going to happen, but I was open to trying it out. I went into it with an open mind. I was like, “They probably won’t find anybody that’s a good match, but let’s just try it anyway.” That was the energy.

What about you Woody?

Woody: Honestly, I went in signing on with the same sentiment as Amani.

I did not think that they would pick someone for me. I assumed that most of it was just a joke and I think that’s why I was brutally honest. Just because I was like, “They’re not going to find that person, it’s impossible.” But they did and I’m so grateful.

What was your first impression of each other when you met at the altar?

Woody: For me, I think initially out the gate I was in limbo just because standing at the altar, of course, you don’t know who she is coming in.

But I saw her bridesmaids and I got confused initially because her mom as well as her aunts had the same color on, so I assumed that they were the bridesmaids. So I was scared at first because I was like, “Oh, she is older than me.”

But then I saw her bridesmaids and I was like, “Okay, they’re cute.” Then I saw her and I was like, “Oh.” I smiled and thought, “Okay, cool, I’m cool.” So my first impression once I finally saw Amani was, “Okay, she’s cute. Let’s see where this goes.”

Amani: For me, the first impression I would say was mixed.

So I felt like he was attractive, so I was like, “Okay, he’s handsome.” I was a little nervous about going on TV and meeting somebody that I wasn’t attracted to. So that was a bit disarming to know that he wasn’t ugly.

And then his personality was immediately at you. At the altar, he’s dancing, we’re laughing. It was like, “Okay, this is going to be fun.” But it was also in the same moment, is he going to be serious about this or is he just a jokey guy? So I think that was my first impression. I was just like, it could go either way. I was just waiting to see.

When was that moment where you said to yourself, “This is my person”?

Woody: It was honestly probably the first day.

She told me to take a deep breath. It seemed like I was having a lot of anxiety happening. She knew to say, “Take a deep breath,” and that was one of the things that my therapist and myself was working on.

So I took that moment to myself to take a deep dive and say, “Hey, let’s reevaluate, this person might be here for the right thing.” So I think that’s when I started being intentional and realizing, “Hey man, this is something for real.”

Amani: I would say the first day also, but by the end of the night.

At the end of our evening, we were lying in bed together. We ended up finding out that we had already met two weeks before we got married and we had just gotten engaged by the experts. We were both in a space where we knew we were getting married, so we couldn’t go all in or flirt with each other.

So knowing that I had already met him two weeks ago and then he was my husband, it made me feel like, “Okay, this is alignment. You don’t just meet your stranger husband two weeks before your marriage.” So I think that was comforting for me to at least know that I was in the right space and this was supposed to happen.

I love being a husband and a dad.

WOODY RANDALL

Getting to Curaçao was a challenge. You experienced a few delayed flights and ultimately could only attend two days of the retreat. That made me wonder, how do you guys navigate stress and overcome conflict together?

Woody: We have a pretty great balance.

I would say I am not the person for instant change. The unknown sends me into a frenzy. I’m realizing now it’s becoming a thing. I do like to be in control a lot, but I didn’t realize it does send me into a spiral when I lose control of things.

So I would say that’s the balance. I tend to be upfront and aggressive at times when it needs to be. But then Amani is the person that’s calm and going to speak to you in a somewhat similar way, but it’s in a tone that you can hear, that you’re able to respond to and be able to continue to have a conversation with.

I’m on the opposite end. I’m the person that’s going to be at your neck, she’s going to say it nicely. I might attempt, she’s going to jump in, but if you’re still not listening to her nice approach, then I don’t mind being the bad guy.

Amani: I agree with that.

It’s funny that you asked that because we’re still learning about each other in these situations. So when we were in the airport stuck in New Orleans, he actually asked me, he’s like, “How are you this calm? How are you able to stay this calm in these situations?” And I’m like, “When things are out of my control, it’s like why am I getting worked up about it? I can’t do anything about it, so I might as well just relax and go with the flow.”

And I think he is observing that I’m not losing control or getting upset. So he’s trying to figure out “what is going through her mind?” to know that it is going to be okay. So sharing that with him also helps him to understand his immediate default response in those situations. And I think we’re still learning what each other is going to do in those situations and how to support each other in that.

How was your overall experience at the Muna Couples Retreat? Would you recommend it to other couples?

Woody: I thought the couples retreat was honestly informative.

I wish that we would’ve got there that first day. I think we missed significant points of it. All of the couples we were having conversations with talked a lot about those first two days of the marriage counseling session as well as the other sessions. So I wish we would’ve been there to be able to have that touchpoint.

But I think the second day, as far as going into business with each other, learning how to franchise and stuff like that, was very informative. Especially with most of the couples that are there, they’re in business with each other or are aspiring to be in business with each other.

So I think it was very helpful to also give us some touchpoints as well as some action items to then make moves on. So I would suggest it for other couples just because I think they gave us some gems and things to actually do.

Sometimes you go to a couples retreat and you feel like, “I spent my money, but I just took pictures and ate and dressed up nice.” But I think we left [the Muna Couple’s Retreat] with some actual things that we could put on our table to actually process and move forward on.

Amani: I agree.

I love that there was a balance of relaxation with your partner and also some informative sessions where you could get together and brainstorm on how to better your business.

I think I was a little intimidated at first because we aren’t technically in business together. We ourselves are a business and we are looking to start a business together, but I was nervous that it wasn’t going to be applicable for people who are just starting out. But it really was, so I enjoyed that.

How was it seeing Pastor Cal after all this time? And what’s something he taught you guys about marriage that maybe you didn’t think about before you were on the show?

Woody: It was pretty cool seeing Pastor Cal. We haven’t seen Pastor Cal in…

Amani: Years.

Woody: … years. Also haven’t talked to him in years either. We didn’t have that real connection with him outside of the show itself, but just seeing him in a setting that’s not the show, really relaxed, with his wife, it was nice to see.

In doing the show, he probably gave us the best feedback he could have ever given. It was to put everything in the objective base. I think that was the best thing he’s told us since we’ve been married. And I think we still use it when we come into a situation or have a conflict, we think about it in an objective base.

Amani: I agree with that. At the retreat, I also appreciate that he expressed to us that he was proud of us for how we’ve been carrying ourselves. He only knows us from social media right now at this point because we don’t talk personally. But he said he’s proud of us and happy for us to have made it this far with each other, being married as strangers.

So it’s nice to know that someone is proud of you and they know the background that you’ve come from. A lot of people know us from television, but they don’t actually or didn’t know us personally before that. So it’s nice to have someone that’s like, he was in the involvement of our marriage and he’s like, “I’m proud of you guys. You guys are doing a great job.” I think it hits a little differently than a fan base being proud of us.

In Pastor Cal’s presentation, he said: “Love is an intellectual decision you make to be committed to fulfilling a person’s legitimate needs.” Because you guys met and married in such a unique way, how do you continue to choose each other every day and love one another with intention?

Amani: That’s a good question. I would say, not that it’s easier for us because of how we started, but I think it comes more naturally to choose each other because we didn’t really choose each other to get married.

I feel like it’s natural for me to wake up and choose Woody because I chose him after to stay married to him. So it’s something that’s like, yeah, I want to be married to him, so how do I make this work? Versus somebody, you’re like, “Oh, I fell in love with them. We’ve been high school sweethearts.” And you forget that you have to choose that person. I don’t feel like it’s a real task for me to wake up and choose him because I already chose him. Does that make sense?

Woody: Yeah. I think what you’re saying is how we essentially just grow in love, right?

Amani: Yeah.

Woody: And I think that is an intentional thing. I think that’s how most people should honestly approach love with their spouse because every day you choose that person.

You wake up, you say that I’m going to do these things. I’m going to be this person that they can rely on, provide, and do all of those different things. So every day is a choice. And I think when you think of it in a way that you fell into it, then that means you can also fall out of it.

And if you think in a way of, “Oh, I can grow into this thing, I’ve grown to this, I’ve grown to like that.” If you think that way, I think you get more touchpoints with that person because you’ve grown to love all of those different things. So it’s hard to say I’m falling out of those things because I didn’t fall into them.

Amani: Yeah, it’s very intentional. Love and marriage have to be…

Woody: Intentional.

Amani: … super intentional.

Woody: I wish I’d known that early on in the dating process though.

I think when you’re in the dating process, you have this big idea of love as this thing you fall into or it’s just magic. And sometimes honestly, the person that you probably love the most is in your face or near you. And it’s just you didn’t take the proper steps to say that I’m going to grow into whatever.

You grow into liking food, you grow into liking your jobs, you grow into loving your whatever. So I think if you approach it from that way out the gate, which I wish I would’ve, honestly, no, I don’t wish it from the very beginning. I probably wouldn’t have met Amani then.

Amani: But I think that’s because of society. We have these unrealistic displays of what love and marriage are.

It’s supposed to be this fairytale butterfly feeling. And it’s like that is so not true. And if you do have this love or fairytale feeling for someone, just like you said, you can easily lose that if there’s no foundation of, “I want to be with this person because of these things.”

What was your initial motherhood journey like, Amani, and how has it been different the second time around?

Amani: I would say my initial journey with motherhood was like you’re learning on the job.

It’s like on-the-job training, super eager, and I just wanted to soak up all the information. Reading all the articles and talking to all the people who are already mothers, getting advice from them. So I think it was that I wanted to collect all the things I should know about being a mom.

This time around I feel a little bit more prepared because I’ve done a year of this. So more so checking in with myself and making sure that I’m okay to be the mother that I need to be for two children now, versus trying to make sure that I know all the things that I’m supposed to know to be a mother.

Woody, how was your experience becoming a father? And now the second time around, are you excited, or nervous?

Woody: The first time I was honestly overjoyed.

I think it’s just because it’s your first kid, you get the excitement out of it all. But I think in my spot as a guy, we don’t get to carry, we don’t have that major connection point. But I think being married and significantly liking your partner or whoever your spouse is when you’re having a kid, I think it’s great to have that connection because you all are bonding. You all are growing a human together.

And I think that part of being a dad and knowing that, oh, this first kid going to come out and he’s going to have half of my DNA and he’s going to look at me and genuinely love me every day. I think that part is nice to have.

And now we’re bringing another kid in that same house full of love and understanding and caring and all those things. And I think it is just going to be a better situation for the second kid because we’ve already had at-bats at the first one, lots of practice, you know what I mean?

Every day is practice. So I think coming in with the second kid, we have a little more practice at it.

Amani, what’s your favorite part of motherhood so far?

Amani: I think my favorite part is seeing the creation.

I feel the creation now, but to actually see something that you built inside of you, I still can’t even mentally understand it. It’s like, “I actually grew you in my body and now you’re here doing things.” And I think that’s the best part, it’s watching something that you created grow. It’s just really beautiful.

Do you feel like Reign is more like you or Woody?

Amani: I honestly feel like he’s a mix.

It depends on the day and maybe that’s because of his Gemini energy. They say that they have two different personalities anyway. He has chill moments and then he also is super turned up. But maybe then that’s like me because I have super chill moments and then I also can be turned up. I can’t say that Woody is ever super really chill. I think he’s a good balance of us though.

Woody: I think he’s a good balance. He’s a good mix.

What’s the biggest challenge that you have faced as parents?

Woody: I think the first thing I think about initially is just parenting.

When you come into parenting, I know for the beginning for me, it was a struggle because you have the way you were raised and Amani has the way she was raised. And I think bringing those parenting skills and those past things that happened in your life, you try to either perfect them or do things similarly or not do them at all.

So I think the two forms of parenting styles were the most challenging. Also, in the beginning, granted she has a bigger connection point because she’s breastfeeding and I’m trying to figure out what to do; how do I fit in this? What am I supposed to be doing? That was probably the biggest challenge and figuring out how I can assist and be helpful.

Amani: I would agree that parenting styles were a challenge for us.

I was serious about doing gentle parenting, and that’s not something that Woody (not that he was against it) was familiar with. So then it’s just having to learn that side of parenting. And then also parenting roles were a challenge as well because something in motherhood when you have a baby or before you even have the baby, something mentally clicks in you that you know what to do. You know what your baby needs.

Those are instincts for women, and I don’t think it’s natural for men to know immediately what to do. I think with that there were challenges because I’m like, “I know what to do, why don’t you know what to do?” So then you’re assuming that this person gets it already, and it’s like they don’t get it. And you have to have a level of empathy for your partner because they’re not going to understand the baby the same way.

Especially with society, we don’t really allow men to babysit. It might be their first time interacting with a child when they have their own. Whereas I’ve raised or helped raise other children and babysat, and I’ve done all the things, so this is their first time. They’re like fish out of water. I think that was a struggle because it’s like, “Okay, I need you to help,” but then he doesn’t know how to help. So then you have to also teach somebody how to do that.

Did your preparation change for your second baby?

Amani: I think it’s definitely changed because we already have things in place from Reign.

We know that we don’t need certain things as early as we had. You start baby-proofing the house and the baby can’t even crawl yet. There are certain things that we know now we won’t need for another seven to eight months. So let’s not even stress about having a nursery done because the baby’s going to be sleeping with us for the first couple of months.

I think we feel more prepared because we’ve gone through it, so closely together, too. Reign is 17 months now, so we literally just went through this. It’s easier for us to jump in for this baby.

How has your marriage changed post having a kid?

Woody: I think it’s changed significantly.

You can’t just hop up and say you want to go out to eat together, or go and have a hot date, or want to stay up all hours of the night. Amani can’t have multiple drinks or do whatever she wants to do. So it’s like the dynamic between the two of us, it’s definitely changed, because now we have a kid.

But I think that is also a phase that we are learning right now too, is who are Woody and Amani outside of just being parents. We still have to find our touchpoints as far as a married couple, too.

So I think that’s the biggest thing for us right now, just trying to figure out that good balance between the two. And trying to find time to still have Woody and Mani time as well as still be Woody and Mani as parents. It’s definitely a big change.

Amani: I agree, I think we have to be more intentional with our time.

Not that we weren’t intentional before, but I think it takes more because we have a child. So then you’re tired more or don’t have free time available to be with each other. So it’s like we have to prioritize each other in the spaces that we do have.

It’s easy to get caught up in just the children. We have to be like, “Wait, how do we get these kids?” We have to love each other. So we have to keep that going because they’re going to leave us and go love their spouses and we still have to be with each other, so we got to make sure we keep that going on.

AMANI RANDALL

What do you guys like to do together in your free time?

Woody: Go out to eat and watch TV.

We like outings too, so museums, movies, festivals, concerts, anything outside. We like massages, all of that stuff. So yeah, anything outside of the house that’s not baby-friendly will do.

Amani: Yeah. I like the indoor things also, but I feel like I bring him inside, we do self-care days together.

We’ll do face masks in the house and drink some wine and watch TV. Because we can’t always leave, we don’t want to miss the opportunity to be able to hang out. We are big binge watchers. We get caught up in different series together.

What’s your favorite show together right now?

Amani: We’ve been watching Designated Survivor and The Chi.

Amani, I saw on your Instagram that you read back affirmations to other moms. What affirmations do you tell yourself daily to keep your “mom energy” up?

Amani: I’m usually hyping myself up like, “You got this,” or “You’re amazing.”

It’s usually to take any self-doubt out and to encourage myself to keep going. Because sometimes you let that little self-doubt bug get in. It’s just like “Uh-huh girl, actually, you’re the bomb. Pull it together.” It’s usually something along the lines of, “You got this, you literally do this in your sleep.”

That’s awesome. Woody, do you have anything that you tell yourself whenever you’re going through a hard time?

Woody: When I’m having a rough time, I take a little quiet moment to myself.

I really struggled with quiet time, just having that quiet moment. Maybe it’s go and walk outside. Or now I realize being a homeowner, I’ve been doing a lot of manual stuff, so plumbing, gardening, doing gates, building decks. Stuff I thought I would never do I’ve been finding a lot more peace with it.

I also try to avoid the negativity of the world just because there’s a lot of negativity that happens. So I try to block it out for a good significant amount of time. Then I lock back in.

Woody, what is something that you want to instill in your children and your future children?

Woody: I know, especially knowing that I have a son, I would want him to be just respectful and loyal.

I think those are two key things that he has to have within himself, as well as give to another person. And then a lot of love. I think that’s one thing that a lot of people struggle with, just authentic, genuine love. And I want both my kids to know that they’re also genuinely loved and also know how to give genuine love. And know how to do it without thinking about it and not it’d be a forced thing.

Because I think for me, just being honest, I wasn’t always in a space where I felt like I was genuinely “love” loved. I know my people love me, I know they like me, but I think sometimes it could be forced at points in time. Like, oh, that’s my cousin though, my son, or whatever it may be.

So I think just making sure that you instill that inside people and letting them know, “Hey bro, I do love you.” And showing that without saying it is also something I want to make sure that they truly understand and can give back.

Do you want to add anything, Amani?

Amani: I would love to just emphasize self-respect because I feel like that takes you to your levels of success.

You respect yourself, you’re going to respect other people, you’re going to respect your house, you’re going to respect all of your belongings, how you make money. I think all of that just goes with each other. So I think self-respect is the main thing that I would love to emphasize with my children. Self-respect, self-love, just making sure that you prioritize that because I think that’s the pillar for everything else.

Do you have any tips or advice for other couples navigating parenthood?

Amani: I think prioritizing yourself is important because you have to be a whole person for your partner and for your children and then prioritize each other first.

I think we get caught up in taking care of the child and you have to remember that you have to take care of your spouse. And I think that helps the household flow better, especially when you’re going from zero children to one child. Because you’re so used to just having each other there. You have to make sure that you prioritize keeping that foundation so that your child is growing up in a great household and it’s not just them being catered to the whole time.

Woody: I think allowing yourself grace, especially because you’re going to make mistakes.

You’re not going to do everything perfectly. I think if you approach it with grace, you’re trying to say, “I’m allowed to mess up. I’m allowed to do these things differently and I’m allowed to correct those things,” then I think you’ll be okay.

I think from a guy’s perspective, guys just have to realize that sometimes you’re going to feel like you don’t know what to do. At times as a new dad, I just felt worthless, right? Because at points, the baby needs to eat, or the baby wants the mommy, and you’re just there. And I think as a guy you can get down on yourself and start doing other things. But I think you have to realize, hey, find out different ways. And that’s what we did. We navigated and figured out different ways to have different connections with the kid.

Thinking about how can you be intentional with your kids even though they are an infant. What can you do and how can you show up in their lives and let them know that, “Hey, I’m here too.”

Amani: Yeah, with that, I want to add that knowing that about your partner is helpful too. So communicating your feelings goes a long way.

I think there was a moment when we lived in another house before this, and I could tell that Woody was frustrated because he couldn’t get Reign to calm down. So just talking to him about it, what’s going on, and he actually expressed, “I just feel useless or worthless.”

I don’t know why I’m getting emotional, but to be vulnerable with your partner is important because then they can help you through that. And if you aren’t, then it’s like both of you are just working on a problem and don’t know what each other needs.

Do you have any exciting updates to share?

Woody: We are always thinking about ways to create a better life for our kids as well as our family.

And I know we both like fashion, so it would be crazy for us not to have some form of touchpoint with that, especially on both of our platforms, especially with the work that we are building right now and the clients. The clientele that we are around and connect with. I think it’s important.

And then we both do have those aspirations in life of like, “Oh, I want this. I want to be out there.” You know what I mean? And if you have the opportunity to create it, why not? I think just for our kids coming up, they also can have that, “Hey, my parents already are entrepreneurs and already doing these things.” It just gives them a wide toolbox to have a lot of different things to say they can or can’t do or want to try.

Amani: We are also interested in creating something for our entire family to be a part of.

So Woody is starting a suit line (The Randall Way). It can also be for men, women, and children. You just need measurements for everyone. My clothing line (BellaReign & Co) is with another MAFS mom actually, and it’s for mom and baby.

And then also we want to strengthen our presence through social media. So making sure that we’re actually treating our YouTube like a business. And I think we get passive when we’re having conversations about stuff like that, but just being more intentional based on what we learned from Ronnie and Lamar Tyler’s talk at the Couple’s Retreat.

That was really, I think eye-opening, because they’re like, “Actually have business meetings and sit down and talk to your partner and not just make it a casual thing.”

So we just want to be more intentional with making ourselves a brand and then also being able to take our separate endeavors for our family too.

Vendors:

• Featured Couple: Woody & Amani Randall
• Production/Creative Direction: MunaMommy
• Photographer: Trene’ Forbes Photography
• Wardrobe styling: Eronmwon of Ebokun
• Makeup: Felicia Graham
• Hair: Tinika Sadiku
• Location: Various locations in Curaçao