Erin Napier Explains Why She and Husband Ben Had a 'Grieving' Period Before Birth of Baby No. 2

Erin Napier shares daughters Helen, 4, and Mae, 9 months, with husband Ben Napier

By

Published on March 7, 2022 04:36 PM

Erin Napier is opening up about the whirlwind of emotions she and husband Ben felt before welcoming their second baby.

Speaking to Today Parents, Erin explained that she and Ben went through a "period of grieving" before the birth of their daughter Mae, now 9 months. The couple is also parents to 4-year-old daughter Helen.

"I was just grieving our time as a family of three and thinking, 'It will never be like this again,' " the HGTV star explained.

However, once baby Mae arrived, Erin said many of their concerns went away.

"All of our worries were unfounded," she said. "It feels like Mae was always there."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Erin also spoke about the differences in her parenting now that she has two kids at home.

"We have less time to read to Mae because we're taking care of all the things that Helen needs," she explained. "And I beat myself up over it, like 'Is Mae not going to love reading because I haven't read 50 books to her?' "

In December, the couple spoke to PEOPLE about life with their two daughters, sharing that they're finding their "rhythm" as a family of four.

"It feels like every day is a dance, and it has to be carefully choreographed for us to get to the end and all feel good about it," Erin joked in PEOPLE's cover story. "The wheels fall off around 5 p.m."

Ben's day starts at 4:30 each morning and, he said, "I have every minute planned and scheduled until 8:30 or 9, whenever we get Helen in bed."

"We're just trying to find our rhythm," Erin explained. "We had a rhythm as a family of three, and now we're a family of four. Mae needs things when she needs them, and so does Helen and so do we. It's a challenge, but I think we're figuring it out."