The mother has revealed that she is expecting her eleventh child. When her daughter receives the news two weeks later, it completely alters everything.
Annicka Perry Gustin brought her ten siblings and her mother, who had become pregnant herself just ten weeks before, into the kitchen of their family home in order to share the wonderful news that she was expecting her first child.
Micka Wright Perry, Gustin’s mother, opened a box to find out that the pregnancy test was positive. She then proceeded to announce to the family, amidst ecstatic laughter, that “Annicka is pregnant.” After that, she embraced her daughter in a mommy bear hug. This moment was captured in a video that she subsequently published on Instagram.
In a conversation with People, Perry, who is 46 years old, reflects on the momentous occasion and says, “It was one of the best moments of my life.” I have a lot of wonderful memories, but one of my favorites is when I realized how much I cherish and enjoy being a mother and the pleasure that it offers. Knowing that Annicka would be experiencing the same delights in her life was certainly one of my favorite moments.
Perry, a content producer and the sister of Hannah Neeleman, the founder of Ballerina Farm, gave birth to her eleventh child, a baby girl named Lottie, on July 22. Shortly after Perry gave birth, she and her daughter Gustin, who is also expecting a child this autumn, spoke with PEOPLE about the unexpected delights of their overlapping pregnancies, the wisdom they exchanged, and the thrill of being a new mother. Gustin is also expecting her first child this fall.
According to Gustin, who is 25 years old, the announcement of Perry’s pregnancy in February “brought up a bit of emotion” for both of them. Gustin expressed this sentiment to People magazine. “Because I wanted to be pregnant so badly, I was a little bit sad,” she recalls. “It was a little bit sad.”
Following a period of six months during which Gustin and her husband had been attempting to conceive a child, the pair was left with a great deal of doubt over the future of their path toward becoming parents.
Gustin adds, “But we ended up getting pregnant two weeks after my mom announced her pregnancy, and so that was really exciting for both of us.” Gustin is referring to the actual event that occurred.
Following the announcement of the couple’s pregnancy to their thousands of followers on Instagram, they were met with an outpouring of love from those individuals who excitedly followed along with their respective pregnancy experiences together.
“People were so interested and involved that we were pregnant at the same time,” recalls Perry. “It took off in such a way that nobody knew what was going on.”
Gustin continues by saying, “I don’t think what happened to us was strange in any way.” It seems unusual that I am pregnant now since my mother has been pregnant throughout my whole life, yet on the other hand, it seemed so natural. Gustin tells PEOPLE that despite the typical concerns that come with a first-time pregnancy, she was able to depend on her mother because of the extraordinary circumstances that she was now experiencing. “I am experiencing a great deal of anxiety regarding the health of my baby, whether or not it will be okay, and whether or not I am doing everything correctly.”
“I feel like that has been so, so helpful,” says Gustin. “Just being able to hear a lot of advice from her on how to deal with mourning sickness and how it’s really normal to cry every day for a week with pregnancy hormones and how to set up insurance — I feel like that’s been one of the most helpful things I’ve ever done.”
There was also the opportunity for her to join her mother to the hospital when she gave birth to her daughter Lottie, which she described as “so educational and so helpful.”
The joke is made by Gustin, who says, “It sparked a little bit of anxiety because that’s going to be me in ten weeks and that’s kind of intimidating, but also so exciting.”
And Gustin and Perry have even another reason to be ecstatic: Gustin is already in the process of relocating next door to her mother, which will provide their girls with the opportunity to be “best friends and wear matching dresses,” as Perry puts it.
“I enjoyed spending time with my cousins when I was growing up. In addition, Gustin says, “My cousins were some of my closest friends, and I placed a great deal of importance on those relationships.” When I think about the fact that my daughter will be spending time with a member of the family who is so similar in age to her, I can’t help but believe that it will be a wonderful experience for both of them.