Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines’ Quotes About Welcoming Son Crew

Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines are pretty focused on expanding their ever-growing Magnolia brand and business as home renovation experts, but nothing is more important to the couple than their five kids. The Fixer Upper stars have prioritized their children more than ever since welcoming their youngest son, Crew.

“He’s my little sidekick,” Joanna once gushed of her baby boy. “He comes to work with me every day and goes to all my meetings.”

Joanna and Chip were in for the surprise of a lifetime when they found out about their pregnancy with Crew. Considering it had been nearly a decade since the doting mom last gave birth, she had some reservations about welcoming another little one in her 40s.

The HGTV personalities started their family two years after marrying in 2003, welcoming their son Drake in 2005. The pair’s second child, daughter Ella Rose, arrived in 2006, followed by Duke in 2008, and Emmie Kay in 2010. It wasn’t until 2017 when the We Are the Gardeners author got pregnant with Crew.

“I had been feeling a little emotional and crazy and thought, ‘Wow, this isn’t me,'” Joanna told People at the time she was expecting. “Then all of a sudden I realized, ‘Hey, I remember this.’ [When I found out], Chip was in the driveway about to leave … I called him back and said, ‘We’re pregnant!'”

Reflecting on the surprising moment, Joanna said her “jaw dropped” when she “saw the results” of a pregnancy test she took. Fortunately, the lovebirds were nothing but elated about expanding their family once again. “[Chip] was so excited. We’re both just so excited,” Jo marveled.

The Magnolia Table star eventually gave birth to her little bundle of joy in June 2018, making Joanna and Chip the happiest mom and dad on earth. Though the TV star once said having Crew made her feel like a “first-time mom all over again,” getting to watch her youngest child grow before her very eyes has been all worth it.

“As hard and exhausting as it is, I’m seeing that I was made ready for this season just as much as I was made ready for the last,” Joanna wrote in the Fall 2018 issue of Magnolia Journal. “Welcoming [Crew] this summer has reminded me more than ever that despite my own doubts and insecurities, I am built for these things.”

Scroll through the gallery below to see a roundup of Joanna and Chip’s cutest quotes about Crew!

On Raising Teenagers Vs. Baby Crew

Shortly after welcoming Crew, Joanna spoke to People about the difference between raising teenagers and preteens vs. baby Crew. “I have forgotten almost everything, so it feels brand new. I tell Chip that I feel 25, and in my mind, there’s something about it that gives me an extra kick in my step,” she shared. “We think about things like when Emmie goes off to college, this little one will only be 10. It’s just crazy to think how wide that gap is, but Chip just loves hanging out with the kids, and it’s just such a sweet thing.”

On How Joanna’s Pregnancy With Crew Was ‘Different’

After giving birth to her four older kids from 2005 to 2010, Joanna almost forgot about what it was like to carry a child. Though the author said she always “really enjoyed being pregnant,” things were a little more challenging with Crew.

“I am 40, and pregnancy this time was different,” she wrote in the Magnolia Journal. “I tend to feel my best during those nine months, [but] this time, I felt a little more worn out than usual.”

On How Crew’s Birth Has Reinvigorated Joanna’s Life

“I kid with people, ‘If you ever want to feel young again, have a baby at 40,'” she told People in March 2019. “It’s brought this whole new thing for me where I’m a lot more laid-back. People joke that I’m the ‘Fun Jo’ now.”

“I realized there has to be spontaneity, and schedules kind of go out the door,” Joanna sweetly continued. “It’s like, ‘Hey, if I don’t get to it, it’s fine.’ I’ve just relaxed so much more, and it’s been fun for me.”

On Why Their Pregnancy With Crew Was a Happy Surprise

Though Joanna and Chip never imagined welcoming another baby in their 40s, becoming the parents to Crew has been a “gift.” Writing in the Magnolia Journal, Joanna gushed, “It’s sweet how, even in the most unpredictable ways, we’re given exactly what we need for that exact moment in time.”

“It wasn’t something I could have anticipated. But being pregnant ‘forced’ [us] to slow down,” she continued. “We all will have trials, we all will have miracles, and because of grace, I believe we have it in us to handle both — no matter what that looks like.”

On How Crew Has Given Joanna ‘Confidence’

Despite her concerns over being an older mom to Crew, Joanna said welcoming her baby in her 40s has made her feel more powerful than ever. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m a little older, but this time around I am more comfortable in my own skin, sure that I can do this,” Joanna said in the Magnolia Journal. “Confident that I was made for this very thing in this very season.”