The 'Home Town' Family Is Growing!

Ben and Erin Napier from our the hit show Home Town are expecting their second child, a surprise that the couple chose to announce on the show.

When it comes to buying real estate and navigating major life changes, it’s always nice to be in the company of family. So when Ben’s younger brother Jesse Napier and his wife Lauren were ready to relocate and settle down in Laurel, Mississippi, it’s no surprise that they leaned on Erin and Ben for advice and inspiration.

This family reunion doesn’t come without its share of exciting news – Lauren and Jesse are expecting their first baby! During the episode, Erin and Ben also announced that they're expecting, too.

Erin and her sister-in-law are expecting babies just three weeks apart. The families couldn’t be more excited at the opportunity to raise their children together in Laurel. She opened up to us after filming the episode to share more about her big reveal, and let us in on her, Ben and Helen's preparations for their new baby girl. Tune in to the episode yourself to see the full announcement.

HGTV fans will be so excited to hear about the new baby. How have the last few months been and why did you decide to keep it under wraps until now?

We considered not even mentioning it until after she was born, but as I begin to look a bit more pregnant it became harder to hide around town running errands. It's no secret we guard Helen's privacy and try to give her as much security as we can, so it just feels like such a tender secret to us, another baby. But in our line of work, being on TV as part of our real life, we also know we don't have the luxury of keeping it secret forever. With Helen we didn't tell the world until I was 6 months along and only because a stranger tried to leak it! This time we waited 7 months.

How has it been filming Home Town and Home Town Takeover during the pregnancy?

It's been the absolute hardest thing we've ever done, filming Home Town, Takeover AND Ben's Workshop all during a pandemic pregnancy. Home Town Takeover particularly was difficult, since we spent so much time in a place that was new, without our Laurel security blanket. We're convinced this was God showing us we can handle more than we ever thought possible. I've never felt this kind of tired in my bones, and Ben is so dedicated to being a hands on parent too, being there to swoop in and rescue me when I'm so tired. But we survived!

Why did you decide to announce the new baby during an episode of Home Town?

It felt like the right and most natural way to tell the world, that my sister-in-law (our homeowner in the episode!) and I are expecting babies within three weeks of each other. We are so thrilled they'll be growing up so close to each other and so close in age!

How does Helen feel about having a new baby in the family? Is she so excited?

Helen tells us daily something new she plans to teach her sister: "How to play with the mermaid toys," "How to walk!" "How to eat pancakes!" I so hope she won't feel jealousy, just love and pride in her little sister. I want her to feel like she's her baby, too.

Ben, you built some furniture for Helen’s room - will the new baby use this too and do you have any plans for more custom pieces? What’s the overall theme for the room?

Helen just moved into her new big girl room and got two beautiful hand-built mahogany twin beds by Reid Classics (Ben's woodworking hero!) and has been thrilled to make way for the baby in her old "baby room." She's just going to move right in to the nursery exactly as it was for Helen, into the crib Ben built. Helen checks the crib daily to make sure it's ready, that there's a stuffed animal in there waiting. I know now from experience how soon this baby will be a big girl too, and then she can pick how we decorate it! It nearly killed us the last night we put Helen in that crib, knowing it was the end of that babyhood season for her. We are so beyond thankful we will get to go through it all again.