‘Home Town’ Stars Erin & Ben Napier Share Bittersweet Family Milestone
HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier‘s children are growing up so fast that Ben recently had to “take a moment” after the couple’s youngest daughter, Mae, 3, underwent a bittersweet milestone.
Taking to her Instagram page on Sunday, September 1, Erin shared a gallery of photos of a crib, the one Ben built for his daughters. The bed was used by both Helen, 6, and Mae. However, Mae is now old enough to leave the crib and move into a proper bed.
“Minutes after learning we were expecting Helen, in 2017, @scotsman.co started drawing the plans for her crib,” Erin wrote. “He built it from white oak with one tiny plug of heart pine in the top rail that came from inside the wall of our house so his daughter would have a piece of home that belonged to her.”
She added, “Mae slept in it for the last time last night so here, we can remember it.”
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In a follow-up post on her Instagram Story, Erin added, “Y’all pray for Ben, he is tore up about it.”
Ben shared a similar post on his own Instagram page, writing, “A little over 7 years ago, we found out we were going to have a baby. I immediately started planning out a crib. A little over 6 years ago, Helen moved out of her bassinet and into the white oak crib I had built. She spent her last night in it a little over 3 years ago as we prepared for a new baby.’
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He continued, “Mae spent her first night in the crib less than 3 years ago. Last night was probably the last night one of my children will sleep in the crib I spent so much time working on. Mae is currently taking a nap in her big girl bed. It’s a beautiful antique cherry Jenny Lind.”
Ben added that the “crib will live in [Mae’s] room for a few more weeks” in case she has trouble adjusting to her new bed.
“The white oak crib will go into storage until my babies become mamas, then it will be used again. Nothing makes you more aware of time than having children,” he concluded.
Erin shared her thanks for Ben in the comments, writing, “Thank you for the ways you love us. Our babies always felt safe because daddy’s hands built it.”
The renovators first unveiled the crib in an episode of their HGTV show Home Town in 2018 while Erin was still pregnant with Helen. After Ben pulled the tarp off the crib, a tearful Erin said, “Oh my gosh. It’s so beautiful. It’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever made.”
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