Meet Magnolia, the first-ever adopted Gerber baby who has the most infectious smile

Little Magnolia Earl might've just turned a year old but that's not stopping her from making history in the most adorable way. This little munchkin was recently announced as the 2020 Gerber baby and is the first-ever adopted spokesbaby in the company's history. Baby Magnolia—who won the title from over 327,000 entries—"captured the hearts of the judging panel with her joyful expression, playful smile, and warm, engaging gaze," Gerber said in a press release on Friday. The company added that the Earl family's story "serves as a reminder of what unites all parents and drives everyone at Gerber: the promise to do anything for the baby."

"Our Gerber family of farmers, factory workers, employees, and customers are all united in our pursuit to do everything and anything for baby. We believe every baby is a Gerber baby and standing behind our babies has never mattered more than it does now," said Bill Partyka, the president and CEO of Gerber. "At a time when we are yearning for connection and unity, Magnolia and her family remind us of the many things that bring us together: our desire to love and be loved, our need to find belonging, and our recognition that family goes way beyond biology."

Baby Magnolia was adopted by Courtney and Russell Earl on May 9, 2019, and has two older sisters Whitney, 12, and Charlotte, 8, who is also adopted. The three girls enjoy playing together, splashing in the kiddie pool, and dancing to the Baby Shark song, revealed Courtney. "Magnolia has brought so much joy to everyone she meets. Her personality is beyond happy and joyful. On May 9th, 2019 we received a call from the Adoption Agency that there was an expectant mom that was in labor and wanted to talk to us! We pulled off the highway, got a chance to connect with her amazing birth parents, and a few hours later, this sweet baby girl was born," she said in a statement.

"Adoption is incredibly special to our family's story. Winning Photo Search is an opportunity to tell Magnolia's story and shed light on all the beautiful and different ways families are made," the doting mother added. The Earl family had a lot to celebrate this weekend with Magnolia's first birthday falling the very next after she was crowned the 2020 Gerber baby. The company sent wishes to the little one via a sweet Instagram video captioned: Our new Gerber Spokesbaby Magnolia turns one year old today, and we’re thrilled to celebrate this major milestone with her!

While we can't be there in person, we're still connected and sending our messages of love (in all keys) to Magnolia from across our Gerber family all over the country in honor of her first birthday. Thank you, Magnolia, for bringing us together to wish you a magical special day, it added. As the 2020 Gerber baby, this toddler will be featured on Gerber's social media channels and marketing campaigns throughout the year. She and her family have also been rewarded a $25,000 cash prize, $1,000 in Gerber Childrenswear, $1,000 from Walmart, and phones with a year of free unlimited service from Verizon, the company stated.

"Congratulations to the Earl family! We're excited to provide Baby Magnolia with an adorable new wardrobe for her reign as Gerber's 2020 Spokesbaby!" said Maria Montaño, President and CEO of Gerber Childrenswear. "Our mission is to ensure every baby has the best start to life and that is why we are so excited for Baby Magnolia and her family," said Melody Richard, Walmart US vice president for baby. "We love their story and are proud to contribute to this incredible opportunity with Gerber for Baby Magnolia and her family. We thank them for giving us this moment to connect and celebrate together as a community."