"We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives," "The Carter family" posted on microblogging site Tumblr.

The couple posted five photos which show the newborn, already sporting a head of long black hair, being cuddled by her proud parents and capturing intimate moments of family life.

Baby Blue Ivy, born on January 7 in New York, has been shielded from the public by Jay-Z and Beyonce until now. The couple shunned the popular celebrity choice to unveil their offspring in lucrative magazine deals and opted to make the pictures available at no cost on the Internet.

Former Destiny's Child singer Beyonce, 30, and "Watch The Throne" rapper Jay-Z, 42, married in 2008, and Blue Ivy is their first child.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; editing by Jill Serjeant)

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