Pete Buttigieg's 2 Children: All About Twins Gus and Penelope

Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, adopted their twins, Joseph August “Gus” and Penelope Rose, in August 2021

Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, became first-time parents in 2021 with the birth of their twins.

The U.S. secretary of transportation married Chasten in 2018 while Pete was serving his second term as mayor of South Bend, Ind. In August 2021, the couple expanded their family when they adopted fraternal twins, Joseph August “Gus” and Penelope Rose.

"It's been wonderful. It's everything people tell you to expect and more,” Pete shared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe two months after they were born. “I think the biggest thing that's surprised me is just how much joy there is even sometimes in the hard parts."

He added, "Don't get me wrong, it's the most demanding thing I think I've ever done, that Chasten and I have ever taken on. It's just amazing."

Related: Who Is Pete Buttigieg's Husband? All About Chasten Buttigieg

Since their birth, Pete has shared glimpses of his life with the twins including reading them bedtime stories about an important topic in his life: transportation.

"It is amazing how many books are in some way transportation-themed. Maybe I'm more attuned to that. Trains and planes, cars," he told PEOPLE in March 2022. "It will be fun to get into some of that stuff."

From their first trip to the White House to celebrating Easter in a famous tradition, here’s everything to know about Pete Buttigieg’s children.

Pete and Chasten had been wanting children for some time before welcoming their twins

Pete had been vocal about his desire to expand his family during his 2020 presidential run, admitting that joining the race delayed his and Chasten’s plans to have children.

“I obviously threw a wrench in our short-term plans,” Pete told PEOPLE in February 2020. “No matter what happens, I think the next chapter in our personal lives is going to be about kids.”

He added that he was “really excited” about fatherhood and that he believed Chasten was “especially wired to be a great parent.”

“We would hope to do [it] soon,” Pete said. “One way or the other.”

A month later, the former Indiana mayor ended his campaign, allowing him and Chasten to take more time to discuss how they planned on bringing children into their lives.

In September 2020, Chasten told PEOPLE that the two were still “navigating those conversations” and leaning on their family and friends for advice.

“It's one thing when you're in the middle of a campaign and there's just no room for anything else,” Pete said. “Not that there'll ever be an easy or simple time. I don't think there is for anybody, but it's time to take those steps.”

The twins were born in August 2021

In August 2021, Pete announced the birth of his children on X (formerly Twitter), sharing that he and Chasten had been wanting to grow their family “for some time.”

“We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents!” he wrote. “The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon.”

A few weeks later, Pete shared the first photo of him and his husband cradling their newborns, also revealing their names.

“Chasten and I are beyond thankful for all the kind wishes since first sharing the news that we’re becoming parents,” Pete wrote in the caption of his Instagram announcement. “We are delighted to welcome Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg to our family.”

Gus had to be hospitalized on his first Halloween

Due to a medical complication after having RSV, Gus had to spend his first Halloween in the hospital — but that didn’t stop the first-time parents from dressing him up for the occasion.

Chasten shared photos of the twins dressed as orange traffic cones — a reference to Pete's goal to pass the administration's bipartisan infrastructure bill, which was signed into law two weeks later.

"Happy Halloween from these #twinfrastructure safety advocates! ???? ????," he captioned his Instagram post. “As you can see, we're spending this Halloween in the hospital. Gus has been having a rough go of it but we're headed in the right direction.”

A few days later, Chasten gave an update that Gus was home with the family, thanking the medical care professionals who helped throughout his stay.

“After 3 weeks in and out of hospitals, 125 miles in an ambulance, and a terrifying week on a ventilator, Gus is home, smiling, and doing great!” he wrote on X. “We’re so relieved, thankful, and excited for him and Penelope to take DC by storm! Thank you so much for all of the love and prayers.”

Gus and Penelope went to the White House before they were even a year old

While some people may not get to see the inside of the White House even once in their lives, Gus and Penelope celebrated Christmas in the national monument when they were infants.

"Chasten and I took them to the Christmas tree lighting at the White House," Pete told PEOPLE in March 2022. "That was a fun performance, although that was a little much for them. They definitely respond to lights and to music."

Pete struggled to find a balance between work and family after welcoming the twins

The politician has been honest about his struggle to strike the right balance between his job and his family, telling PEOPLE it could be a challenge.

"Any time that doesn't belong to work has pretty much been devoured by family," he said. "Well in the first weeks, it first felt like any time that didn't belong to work belonged to childcare. But I think now we're learning to weave family life into a little bit of a social life. I'm looking forward to that."

Gus and Penelope participated in the annual White House Easter egg roll in 2023

Gus and Penelope joined an annual tradition in 2023 when they partook in the White House’s Easter egg roll. The theme that year was “EGGucation,” and the event was complete with not only an egg roll, but also an egg hunt, variety show, reading nook and snack time tent.

Chasten shared some photos from the day on his Instagram, including one of him balancing Penelope on his hip while holding Gus’ hand.

"Dad hip activated. ??,” he wrote in the caption.

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