Carlos PenaVega and wife Alexa PenaVega are over the moon about their fourth pregnancy, but it’s not all rainbows and sunshine.
“She’s my best friend. So, I always say, ‘Listen, a nine-month pregnancy is tough on the wives, but it’s definitely tough on the husband,’” Carlos, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, November 28, while promoting the couple’s partnership with The Salvation Army.
The Big Time Rush member confessed: “You lose your best friend. And then not only in those nine months, but after those nine months, she’s still gone for a little bit.”
Carlos revealed that “we’re all making sacrifices,” which prompted a laugh from his wife, 35. Ultimately, she agreed with her husband’s assessment of how their dynamic shifts during each pregnancy and in the newborn stage.
“A lot of women are like, ‘I don’t care, whatever.’ I’m like, ‘No, he really does have to give up a lot,'” Alexa exclusively shared with Us. “Husbands do have to give up a lot.”
Carlos admittedly noted that he doesn’t give up “as much” as his wife as she carries their fourth baby, but it “definitely” impacts some things. “It’s a decision that we made together. We’re excited,” he added. Alexa jokingly chimed in, saying, “Thank you for the sacrifice.”
The couple, who tied the knot in 2014, announced earlier this month that they are expecting baby No. 4. The twosome share sons Ocean, 6, and Kingston, 4, and daughter Rio, 2.
“Thank God we love adventures 😍😍😍,” Alexa wrote via Instagram on November 17, alongside photos from their maternity shoot. “Oh baby here we come! Número cuatro! 🎉 .”
While Alexa has been pregnant before, she told Us on Tuesday that this round has been a little more trying on her body. “Luckily, the nausea part is over because that was rough,” she said, noting she had “some scares earlier on” in the process.
“I’m a go, go, go person. We don’t stop, and it has really forced me to have to slow down. And that’s been tough on the both of us because of our schedule and having three other kids,” Alexa explained. “And we live on a boat half the year. So, just a lot has happened in this pregnancy that’s just made me go, ‘OK, God, what are you trying to tell me right now?’”
To better navigate this pregnancy, Alexa has learned to take some pauses. “I’m just going to take it easy,” she shared. “I’m going to sit back and protect this baby as much as I can and just be a little bit more aware of when my body tells me to rest.”
Alexa’s busy schedule and pregnancy needs haven’t stopped her and Carlos from teaming up with The Salvation Army. The Never Too Late to Celebrate costars — who reside in Lahaina, Hawaii — have recently worked with the nonprofit to help give back to those who were affected by the August wildfires in Maui. (Following a brush fire and strong winds, much of Lahaina was destroyed this past summer, with officials estimating a death toll of 97 people and property damage totaling more than $1 billion.)
“Salvation Army has been a part of our family for years. I’m sure everybody has seen the red kettlebell in front of Walmart and various places, and it’s just kind of always felt like home for us,” Alexa told Us. “Specifically Giving Tuesday I just think is a great reminder for everybody that giving back is so incredible. The whole point of giving back isn’t to receive, it’s to give, but what it does to your heart, it just expands your heart. And seeing the joy on people’s faces, there’s nothing like giving. There really isn’t.”
Carlos, for his part, recalled a touching moment when he and Alexa “got to actually go shopping for the kids and then meet the kids in person” after the Maui disaster. The couple then gifted the children their presents alongside their own kids.
“I think for me and our kids especially, it was a real big wow moment. Like, ‘Oh, this is what it’s all about,’” he remembered. “Not only is this what The Salvation Army is doing, and you’re seeing it firsthand, but this is what your giving does.”
Carlos added that the organization is “nonstop on the clock no matter what. When devastation hits, they just show up. They show [up as] an army, literally army. … They just want to help people.”
For more information on how you can give back and help your community, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
