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Michael Phelps and Wife Nicole Welcome Baby Boy #4

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is known for collecting medals: with a whopping 28 Olympic medals, he’s by far the most decorated Olympian of all time. But now retired, the 38-year-old is collecting something far more precious: family memories. And with the arrival of his fourth son on January 16, there are now many more memories to make!

Phelps and his wife Nicole posted a joint post to Instagram to announce their new arrival, saying: “@mrs.nicolephelps and I wanna welcome Nico Michael Phelps to the world. Born on 1/16. We’re so blessed to be given a 4th child,” the caption continued. “We’re now a family of 6! .”

 

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A post shared by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00)

Nico Michael (how cute is it that he is named after both of his parents??) joins big brothers Boomer, 7, Beckett, 5, and Maverick, 4. Phelps jokes that being the only girl around, Nicole is definitely the “queen” in their house.

“I think Nicole said something along the lines of, like, ‘I’m so lucky to have a house full of boys and no girls,’ and Boomer looked at her and said, ‘Mommy, you’re the girl in our house.’ So we’ve been saying that and it’s true, she’s the queen,” Phelps told PEOPLE.

Phelps says one of the best things the boys and their queen do to create memories as a family is have dinner together. “As a kid, I always wanted to have dinner as a family but with my parents separated, that didn’t happen often,” he says. “I love how we have dinner every night together at the same exact time.”

Dinner together also gives the family time to talk and communicate with each other about what’s going on, which can be huge in creating a healthy family dynamic. One thing they talk about is emotions. Throughout his adult life, Phelps has been open about his own mental health and an advocate for everyone else’s. He and Nicole say that the mental health conversation is always an open one in their own household full of boys.

“They talk about their emotions,” Michael said of his sons. “It gives me a lot of hope. I just want them to be as prepared as they can be.”

Nicole adds, “We don’t hide from emotions. We teach them that daddy or mommy is having a moment and we need to either give them space or ask if they want a hug,” she said. “And that’s taught them they have permission for their feelings to be heard too.”
With 4 little boys running around the house now, there are bound to be a lot of emotions to express and talk about these days, as well as a lot of fun to be had. Congratulations to the Phelps family and best wishes for many happy family memories made together.
Jenny Rapson
Jenny Rapsonhttp://www.foreverymom.com
Jenny Rapson is a wife and mom of three from Ohio and the editor of For Every Mom. You can also find her alternately griping and gushing about her kids at her own blog, Mommin' It Up. You can email her at jrapson@outreach.com, or follow her on Twitter.

“It’s Not Easy”: An Honest Letter to My Husband on Valentine’s Day

"Here we are, 24 times we have celebrated Valentine’s Day... I feel like I am just lately really getting to know you."

Jimmy Carter: A Life of Faith, Service, and Legacy

Longest-living President Jimmy Carter has lived an incredible life rooted in deep Christian faith. From his time as the 39th President of the United States to his global humanitarian efforts, Jimmy Carter's legacy is one that honors God and country.

Lauren Daigle Returns to the ‘American Idol’ Stage That Rejected Her to Sing Multi-Platinum Hit “Look Up, Child”

Lauren Daigle returned to 'American Idol' to perform her hit song "Look Up, Child" for millions of fans—some in the audience and some watching from home.