Life is about to get pretty busy for country singer Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins. They're expecting to welcome two new members to their family this year — but they're not having twins. The couple took to Instagram to announce a double-whammy of baby news. "We are so happy to announce that we are pregnant and we are in the process of adopting a child from Africa!" Rhett, 26, captioned an adorable picture.
So, how did that become the case? The couple, who met in kindergarten and wed in 2012, began looking into adoption after trying and failing to conceive. In 2016, they started looking at other options and stopped trying to to have a baby of their own, they told People. “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,’” Akins, 27, said. So when the nurse felt sick in December and took a pregnancy test at her husband's urging, she was shocked it came up positive.
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Rhett and Akins — who has spent a lot of time volunteering with orphans in Uganda and Haiti — are thrilled. “No one is ever prepared for something like that. It is almost like we suddenly had twins,” Rhett told People. “We feel more than blessed,” Akins added.
As far as the timeline of their family expansion, the parents-to-be are hoping to finalize the adoption in the next few months so they can spend time with the child before Akins gives birth in August.