Thomas Rhett, Wife Lauren Are Adopting … and Expecting!
Life's about to get a little crazy for Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren: The couple is not only expecting, they're adopting a child from Africa!
Both Rhett and his wife revealed the big news on Instagram on Wednesday (Feb. 15), sharing a photo of themselves holding gold balloons that spell out the word "BABY."
"Our hearts are exploding with happiness for y'all to meet our new baby who we are bringing home from Africa soon," Lauren writes, "who is also going to have a little brother or sister because, SURPRISE! There's a sweet baby in my belly too."
According to People, Rhett and his wife -- who are supporters of the charity 147 Million Orphans -- began the adoption process to bring home a child from Africa in 2016; at that same time, they stopped trying to get pregnant.
“When we began the adoption process, we said, ‘Let’s wait, let’s give this adopted child his or her time with us, and then we’ll continue our family,’” Lauren says. So, when they were in Tanzania in December and she started feeling ill, "I was 100-percent sure I was not pregnant ... I was convinced it was food poisoning.”
Still, Lauren took a pregnancy test -- and it was positive.
“I was in complete and utter shock!” Rhett shares. “No one is ever prepared for something like that. It is almost like we suddenly had twins.”
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Lauren adds that she and her husband "feel more than blessed,” especially because they tried for a while to get pregnant, without any luck.
“It was a good chunk of time, and our family is extremely fertile, so I was expecting it to happen easily. I was like, ‘Maybe this is the Lord’s way of telling me adoption is what he wants me to do.’ And I was okay with that," Lauren explains. "It’s funny to me how we tried so hard, and then we didn’t try at all and it happened! We feel like it’s all part of the plan.”
Rhett and Lauren have known each other since the first grade, and been married since 2012. Rhett is scheduled to begin his headlining Home Team Tour on Feb. 23 -- and he's already preparing for life on the road with two children: “I took a whole row of bunks out of my bus and got a baby crib put in there," he reveals.
“I think the way it all worked out, both of us have such a peace about this whole process, that it’s so right,” Lauren says. “We could not be happier. We feel like 2017 is going to be our big year.”
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