Carly Flynn always thought she and her husband Dave would celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary with a lavish trip away or a romantic dinner out. Instead, the devoted pair are marking the special occasion with something altogether more exciting – a new baby!
Welcoming us into the Auckland home she and Dave share with their daughter Tilly, six, and four-year-old son Jude, broadcasting star Carly – who is 21 weeks pregnant – admits that she’s still getting her head around their surprise news. They had been undecided about having a third child, but in the end, fate intervened.
“This definitely took us by surprise,” laughs the lifestyle guru, as she shows off her baby bump. “I am really excited now, but there’s still a feeling of shock. I still can’t quite believe I’m sitting here talking about being pregnant!”
Freelance cameraman Dave, on the other hand, can barely contain his delight. He’s been campaigning for another baby for years and can’t think of a better way to ring in their 10-year anniversary.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better present than a new baby!” he says with a grin. “I love the idea that our family is growing and there’s going to be new life. It’s really exciting.”
The close-knit family was on a campervan holiday in the Coromandel earlier this year when Carly, 38, first had an inkling she might be pregnant. But with no chemists in sight, she waited until they returned home to take a test.
She recalls, “I walked out of the bathroom and just raised my eyebrows at Dave, then I burst into tears. I was walking around in a daze for a while! They were very mixed emotions – happiness and shock.”
Carly is honest when it comes to the impact a new baby will have on her life. At six and four, Tilly and Jude are increasingly independent and Carly – a former TV3 reporter, newsreader and Sunrise host – loves her career.
She has a Saturday show on RadioLive and is filming a new TV series, Healthy Food Guide, for Choice TV. As well as various writing gigs, Carly, who is a qualified yoga teacher, also has her own lifestyle website.
“I’m at a point where I have more ‘me time’ than I have done in years, so I’m a bit daunted about the logistics of having a newborn,” she admits. “What if I’ve forgotten what to do?
“It’s certainly easier for a dad to want another baby because it’s not their body and it’s not their career that’s affected. I’d forgotten just how tired you feel when you’re pregnant!”
But Carly, who will continue to work after her bundle arrives, is falling more in love with her growing bump each day, with a scan last week revealing “the most perfect little face”.
“I just have these moments where it hits me like, ‘Whoa, there’s a little baby in there!’ And I can’t believe that soon we’ll have another member of our family,” she says with tears in her eyes. “I am really looking forward to that special moment when you first make eye contact with your baby, when you’re just gazing at each other and it’s so beautiful. It makes me emotional just thinking about it.”
She’s also relishing the excitement in Tilly and Jude, who both have their fingers crossed for a brother. Fittingly, Carly and Dave – who have decided not to find out the baby’s sex in advance – revealed the news with a video made by their adorable kids.
Carly explains, “We set up a little newsroom and Tilly was reading off an autocue. She was like, ‘Welcome to the Flynn family news. In breaking news, I am going to be a big sister.’ She couldn’t believe it. She kept saying, ‘Are you tricking me?’ It’s really sweet – they’re both absolutely over the moon about it.”
But the parents are hoping that baby number three will be a little easier than Jude, who suffered from severe stomach problems. His endless crying and lack of sleep were incredibly difficult, especially with just a 17-month age gap between him and his sister.
Carly says, “I spent his first seven months just taking him to doctor after doctor. It was extremely challenging.” The new baby is due in early March – just one week after Jude starts school and Dave turns 40. “That’s an awful lot of milestones,” smiles Dave.
For now, though, it’s time to focus on their wedding anniversary. It will be a low-key celebration – perhaps a family picnic and a shared gift of a painting by Kiwi graffiti artist Flox. A lot has happened since they exchanged vows in Taupo on October 21, 2006 – but there is no doubt this couple, who got together 17 years ago, is stronger than ever.
“Dave is the absolute constant in my life,” tells Carly. “He’s so supportive of me, an amazing dad and we’re a fantastic team. I am still totally in love with him. I’m very lucky.”
Carly Flynn always thought she and her husband Dave would celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary with a lavish trip away or a romantic dinner out. Instead, the devoted pair are marking the special occasion with something altogether more exciting – a new baby!
“I am really excited now, but there’s still a feeling of shock. I still can’t quite believe I’m sitting here talking about being pregnant!” Carly says.
Carly and Dave had been undecided about having a third child, but in the end, fate intervened.
The close-knit family was on a campervan holiday in the Coromandel earlier this year when Carly, 38, first had an inkling she might be pregnant. But with no chemists in sight, she waited until they returned home to take a test.
She recalls, “I walked out of the bathroom and just raised my eyebrows at Dave, then I burst into tears. I was walking around in a daze for a while! They were very mixed emotions – happiness and shock.”
The new baby will join Tilly, six, and four-year-old Jude in the family.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better present than a new baby!” Dave says with a grin. “I love the idea that our family is growing and there’s going to be new life. It’s really exciting.”
Carly, who has a Saturday show on RadioLive and is filming a new TV series, Healthy Food Guide, for Choice TV, is realistic about the impact a new baby will have on her current routine.
However, the former Sunrise host reveals she’s falling more in love with her growing bump each day.
“I am really looking forward to that special moment when you first make eye contact with your baby, when you’re just gazing at each other and it’s so beautiful. It makes me emotional just thinking about it.”
Carly and Dave’s kids, Jude (front) and Tilly, are hoping the new family member will be a boy.
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