Metta World Peace and Wife Maya Are Expecting Their First Baby Together: 'Can't Wait to Meet Him' (Exclusive)

The retired NBA player is expecting a baby boy with his wife Maya

Metta World Peace is going to be a dad again!

The retired NBA player, 44, born Ron Artest, and wife Maya Sandiford Artest are expecting their first baby together, a rep for the couple confirms to PEOPLE. The new addition will be Metta's fifth child as he is also dad to sons Ron III and Jeron, as well as daughters Sadie and Diamond.

"We have been together for 12 years now, so it's been in the making for quite some time," the couple, who are expecting a boy, tell PEOPLE of their pregnancy. "But to be honest, I was told by my OB that I may not be ovulating."

"We expected it would take some time and may need to look into IVF, so it was definitely a surprise to find out we were pregnant just a few months later. We consider ourselves very lucky!"

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Related: Pregnant Mom's Viral Search for Baby Name in Cemetery Is Complete! Find Out the Unique Name She Chose Off a Grave

As she progresses through her pregnancy, Maya shares that it's been a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions.

"The first trimester was an absolute nightmare. I was sick every day. I feel like women don't talk enough about how brutal the first trimester can be, maybe in fear of appearing ungrateful," Maya says. "But I'm here to say that all women, the first tri can be absolute s--- and I think it's okay to say that and talk about it."

"Second trimester was a walk in the park compared to the first and now I am just getting into my third trimester and feeling large and uncomfortable. The back pain, heartburn, acid reflux and insomnia are no joke! I've heard it gets worse from here on out so wish me luck."

While it's been tough for Maya to deal with the ups and downs of pregnancy, the mom-to-be has been lucky to rely on her husband, who she says has been "amazingly supportive through it all."

"From cooking and bringing me food in bed, to holding my hair back when I was sick to putting up with pregnancy rage," Maya says. "The pregnancy rage is something else!"

Metta has been trying to pitch in when he can to make the whole experience go smoothly.

"Honestly, she's the pregnant one so I just help out when I can — in the cravings department, massages and stuff like that," Metta explains. "But she's handled it like a boss."

For their baby shower, there were a few must-haves the couple wanted as they celebrated their little one on the way.

"I had very specific inspo and a soft baby blue color palette I wanted referenced, and Archive Rentals helped me bring all my design visions to life so beautifully," Maya tells PEOPLE. "Another must-have was really great food, drinks and vibes. With thanks to Alamode Catering, Prince Street Pizza, Hidden Sea Wine, Hermosa Brewing, Beignets Box and LucBelaire, all of our guests were raving about the food and kept the drinks flowing and good times going all day."

"It was a collaborative effort [and] three of my best friends worked tirelessly for weeks to bring this day together," she continues of the shower, which was curated by Linda Luna of The Powerhouse Agency. "I couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect day."

As they get ready to welcome their little one, there are some things that the pair can't wait to do with their baby-to-be.

"Playing ball, just kidding," Metta jokes. "I'm just excited to be there for the birth and all of the early stages. I was working for a lot of the early years with my other kids so I'm excited to witness it all."

"I feel like I've been worrying about all the things instead of thinking about what I am looking forward to most," Maya shares. "I honestly just can't wait to meet and hold him!"

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.