It was a dramatic twist ending that even Arie Luyendyk Jr. didn't see coming.
Nope, not that one. Instead, it was when 4-year-old daughter Senna had the former Bachelor second-guessing his previous decision to tell wife Lauren Burnham that he was done expanding their family.
Admittedly, his decision to get a vasectomy in 2022 may have been spurred on by a dangerous combo of sleep deprivation and the stress of raising three kids under the age of 3.
His eldest, now 6-year-old daughter Alessi, was just 2 when they brought home her twin siblings Senna and brother Lux, "which is such a challenging age," Arie recalled in an exclusive interview with E! News. "She was just starting to communicate with us. And I still feel like there's a little bit of guilt for us at that point, because a lot of the attention had to go towards the twins."
But as their brood became just a little more self-sufficient and everyone started sleeping through the night, Arie found himself growing wistful.
"It was really Senna, honestly," admitted the 43-year-old former race car driver. "She was just so cute."
And by age 3, "It'd gotten to the point where it just wasn't as challenging," Arie recounted. "And I just love that age so much that I was like, 'Can we do another one?'"
The moment was, in a word, dramatic.
"Lauren was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you told me you were 100 percent done!'" Arie recalled. "And I was like, ‘I was. But look how cute she is. We could have another one of those.'"
InstagramThankfully, his bride of six years accepted his offer to add to their family. And come September, they'll welcome another little girl into the mix.
"Not to take anything away from Lux," Arie insisted of his son. "Lux is cute, too, but, you know, Senna with the way that she talks and stuff, it's just so sweet. And she's such a Daddy's girl that she definitely convinced me that we should have another one."
And, honestly, he expects the journey will be pretty amazing.
"The last time we had twins, so that was really challenging," Arie explained. "So a singleton pregnancy, Lauren and I both feel like one should be pretty easy to tackle compared to the twins. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm hoping it's a lot like Alessi. And that was really enjoyable."
But after that, the pair don't plan to further expand their group dates.
"Lauren says this is it," revealed Arie. "This pregnancy has been pretty hard for her, so I think she has made the executive decision."
Besides, he'd still like his kids to have the opportunity to steal him for a sec.
"I think four is a good number," he acknowledged. "I think any more than that is kind of crazy. That's, like, a basketball team."
Though their squad is certainly solid.
"This phase is so incredible, and that's why we're having another one, because it's so enjoyable," he said of his children leaving their toddler years behind. "They're a little bit more independent, and it's such a freedom that we didn't have when they were newborns, that we feel we have our lives back."
Should they decide to, say, make a return trip to Maui, where he and a then-pregnant Lauren wed in front of 100 loved ones, "We can all do things as a family," explained Arie.
Lauren Burnham Luyendyk/InstagramIn fact, they made plans to celebrate his seventh Father's Day June 15 on the island that's proven to be the perfect place to fall in love.
Their current kid-focused era feels "like that moment in time that I'm going to look back on when I'm older and say, 'This is what it's all about,'" Arie reflected. "Every older parent that we run into, parents of teenagers or parents of kids that are into college, they always go, 'Man, I want those times back. I remember when my kids were little. This is such a special time soak it in.' And I do feel that for sure."
Though he and Lauren are quite careful about how they open up.
"Alessi’s so intelligent," he raved of his kindergartner. Which means, he's forced to constantly "all the things that you're doing, because she just is a mirror of us."
With that constant reflection, "It really makes you look inward as a parent, because you're like, I'm setting the example, and they are just mimicking every move that I make," he added. "So how can I be a great example for my kids? So, it really does make you as a person a better person because you're more thoughtful in the way that you're acting in front of them."
InstagramAs for his current trio, they're definitely here to make friends.
"Alessi is definitely excited, and Senna is too," Arie said of their impending arrival. "Lux is kind of whatever about it. But Senna will always ask, like, 'Can the baby hear us?'"
Which means he anticipates his daughters fighting for a one-on-one. "I think the girls are really stoked to hold a baby and take care of a baby."
And maybe ease a smidge of the burden on Mom and Dad.
"Now with a four-year age gap, it's going to be really good," Arie predicts of their final little one. "I think the twins and Alessi will be little helpers."
As for any questions that might arise as they welcome their littlest sister into the world, bring them on.
"I do love this curiosity and them being able to be a little bit more independent," said Arie. "It makes parenting really enjoyable and pretty easy right now. I know we're going to complicate things in a month or two, but I'm looking forward to it."
He and Lauren aren't the only franchise alum enjoying a rosy future. We'd like to propose a toast to the other current and past couples of Bachelor Nation.
