Thomas Rhett, the beloved country singer and songwriter, is welcoming his fifth child with wife Lauren Akins. The couple are already parents to Willa Gray, 9, Ada James, 8, Lennon Love, 5, and Lillie Carolina, 3. Thomas announced the news to his Instagram, writing: "We've got some really excited big sisters in our house." While four kids may be the max for some, for Thomas and Lauren, their family is still growing. The family lives on a farm outside Nashville, Tennessee, often showing snippets of their lives to social media.
Thomas and Lauren met in elementary school and quickly became close friends. During high school, the two dated before breaking up. But they don't say true love conquers all for no reason. The couple reunited as adults and married in 2012.
"Everybody was telling us not to [get married at 22] but we just fell in love at a young age," Thomas told PEOPLE.
© Instagram @thomasrhettakinsThomas and Lauren's growing family
The honeymoon stage lasted five years before Thomas and Lauren adopted their first daughter, Willa Gray, from Uganda. "I don't think anyone can fully prepare you for the journey of adopting someone, especially from a third-world country where there are so many different laws," Thomas explained to PEOPLE at the time. "Every day you wake up with a whole new set of challenges that you never even heard of."
While the couple was in the process of adopting Willa Gray, Lauren got pregnant. Just three months after bringing her home, Lauren gave birth to Ada James. Ever since, their family has continued to grow. In 2019, the couple announced they were expecting their third daughter, Lennon Love. Thomas wrote to Instagram: "Excited to share that I will now be paying for 3 weddings."
© WireImage,In 2021, Thomas told fans at a concert that they were once again expecting a baby girl. Lillie Carolina was born on November 15, 2021. Four years later, the couple is expecting again. And this time, Thomas didn't announce the gender, making fans wonder if they could finally be having a boy.
One fan commented: "Could it be …. A BOY? Most anticipated gender reveal this side of the Mississippi."
Thomas and Lauren's careers are growing too
© Instagram @thomasrhettakinsOff the farm, Thomas and Lauren's careers are blossoming as well. Thomas is consistently topping the country charts with 24 number one singles. In 2020, he won the ACM Entertainer of the Year award and has been nominated for five Grammy Awards.
Lauren is successful too. In 2020, she published her memoir, Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life's Changes. The book, which dives into what it's really like to be "the perfect couple" became a New York Times bestseller.
© Instagram @thomasrhettakinsLeveraging the success of her memoir, Lauren launched the Live In Love with Lauren Akins podcast in May 2021. The mom of four shared her severe postpartum depression following the birth of her third daughter.
