DeAnna Pappas and Stephen Stagliano aren’t afraid to admit that relationships take effort. Which is why the Season 4 Bachelorette star and her husband — who tied the knot in October 2011 — love talking about couples counseling.
“It forced us to work through our marriage,” Pappas, 34, told Us Weekly at the launch of the 4moms self-installing car seat at the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A. on Thursday, August 4. “This is it, me and him. There is no giving up, no turning back.”
Added Stagliano: “We now say you are crazy if you don’t go to counseling!”
The Bachelor alum and Stagliano are parents of Addison, 2, and Austin, 5 months. And lack of alone time is a hot topic in their therapist’s office.
“We have two kids and we are sleep-deprived,” Pappas told Us. “We miss mommy and daddy time and we miss vacations.”
Yet much to Stagliano’s dismay, Pappas is already fantasizing about baby No. 3. “On month eight [of her last pregnancy], DeAnna sat me down and was like, ‘There is an afterbirth hormone that makes you forget things,” Stagliano told Us at the event. “She was like, ‘Listen, if after Austin is born and I forget about the bad pregnancy and I want to have another one, then you can punch me in the face.’ Then two months after Austin was born …”
Pappas finished the sentence: “I was sitting there in the rocker and I’m like, ‘Oooh, he’s so sweet! He’s so cute! Let’s have another!”
Meanwhile, the pair don’t need any help when it comes to sharing nighttime duties. “It’s the one thing we do really well together and don’t need counseling on!” Pappas joked. “We co-parent really well. We take turns getting up in the middle of the night and popping that pacifier back in his mouth.”
The couple were joined at the 4Moms bash by other celebrity moms and dads including Allison Holker, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Beverley Mitchell and Ian Ziering. Each 4moms car seat includes a robot built into the base — so parents get a correct install every time.
