When U.S. Navy sailor Chris Daugherty said goodbye to his family in January, he had no idea that his five months deployment would end up lasting a lot longer. He’d been abroad before and he had been away from his family several times. But knowing it will be only for a few months, Chris couldn’t wait to be back. Little did he know that he’d have a shock when he came back home.
Going Overseas
Being the wife of a military man is not easy. Although Chris and his wife, Natasha knew how many sacrifices they had to make, it was always heartbreaking to say goodbye. The young couple from Temecula, California had three children and when deployment was getting closer, goodbyes were extremely difficult.
Deployed On The USS Vinson
When Petty Officer Chris Daugherty was getting ready to go on the USS Vinson, his family smiled and cried and couldn’t wait for those five months to be done and see him home again. But Chris had no idea things would be so different when he came back home!
A Difficult Relationship
Being overseas for nearly half a year for so many times can put a pressure on your relationship with the family. Chris knew it very well, distance was part of why many families had fallen apart. As a Navy cryptologic technician, his job was to decipher codes and signals, but he had absolutely no clue about the things happening at home. Natasha was good at hiding it all!
Small Changes
Natasha, as many military spouses, felt lonely after Chris got deployed. Only a week after her husband left, she started changing. Every passing week, it was difficult for her to hide the truth. However, Natasha made sure not to reveal anything, especially to one person at home…
Busy Life
For Natasha, caring for three kids at home on her own meant having a 24/7 job. While her husband was away for nearly half a year, a mom has to do her best and confront whatever hardships would come her way. Although she felt overwhelmed, she noticed she had changed. It was difficult to keep it a secret from everyone, though.
The Daugherty Kids
The first-born was 10 years old, and her four-year old daughter was very inquisitive and. It was difficult to keep anything secret around them. Managing all of them was tough, and making everything look normal was even more challenging. Natasha and the kids would regularly talk with Chris, and she was afraid the kids would say something to reveal her secret.
Telling Him the Truth
Natasha was in a dilemma – there was a huge secret resting on her shoulders and telling Chris while he was miles away from home was surely a bad idea. He’d get anxious knowing it and being away from home, so she decided to wait until he came back. Chris had no idea that his life will change in a few months!
Video Calls
Chris and Natasha would make video calls to talk and see each other. The kids were happy they got to see their dad and speak with him. All along, Natasha feared he’d notice she was hiding something from him. She tried to hide it, but thinking that Chris would see it just by looking at her face, she feared the worst…
Coming Clean
When Natasha and Chris first met, they were working in the Navy. She was an IT systems technician, and the first moment Chris saw her, he was smitten. They had a lot in common and after being together for some time, they got married. Ever since 2011, Natasha has never kept a secret from her husband and now she couldn’t come clean to Chris.
Hiding It From Everyone
“I emailed him and I told him to call me as soon as he gets a chance but then I thought about it for a few minutes and I was like, ‘You know, this isn’t how I want to tell him – in an email,’” Natasha recalled in an interview after her story went viral. So she decided not only to keep it a secret from Chris, but also from everyone she knew.
A Tough Time
Meanwhile, Natasha was trying to be productive at her two jobs and take care of the kids while Chris was away. It was a stressful time, but she wouldn’t back down now. At times, she was desperate to tell everyone the truth, but there were only a few more weeks until Chris’ homecoming. Then, she got the bad news…
Unexpected News
Chris was only a week away from his homecoming, thought Natasha. However, she received a call from him, telling her that his tour had been extended by one more month. She couldn’t stand the pressure anymore… She was going to burst!
Six Long Months
While Chris was away from home, Natasha just couldn’t wait any longer. Then, she decided she could wait one more month. After all, she braved it all through the past five months. But everyone around her grew suspicious. Chris would get home and just had to face whatever she did!
Worried
Natasha was extremely worried about Chris and she thought she was doing him an injustice by keeping it all a secret from him. In an interview with NBC, she said that “As soon as we started having trouble with North Korea, I became worried.” He was deployed on the ship there and when he was telling her that he’d be there one more month, she got extremely emotional.
Just a Little longer
“He was telling me goodbye. At that point, I was extremely emotional. I wanted to tell him, I wanted to freak out,” said Natasha. “But I kept my calm and waited, just a little longer.” That extra month passed and finally Chris was coming home. Natasha was anxious, not knowing what his reaction would be. After all, she had kept it all a secret for so long…
Welcome Home
Chris was sailing toward the West Coast, but he had no idea that he would get more than hugs from his family. It was June 23 when his family went to San Diego to welcome him home. Chris disembarked and as he spotted his wife and kids, he couldn’t stop smiling. But Natasha seemed different… he realized something had happened.
Dressed to Impress
Chris’ two little daughters were dressed as sailors and rushed to their dad to hug him, followed by the eldest son. Looking at them, he couldn’t believe how much they have grown since he was gone. Hugging them tight, he realized he lost six months from their kids’ lives. It hurt, but he was now home and ready to be part of their lives. Natasha held back, but it was only when Chris got closer that he realized what was off…
Holding a Poster
Natasha was holding a poster welcoming back her husband. She smiled at Chris and waited for him to get closer. He didn’t realize it at first, and as he was getting closer to hug and kiss her, she backed away. What was going on? He was confused, and Natasha knew it was time to let him know.
Telling Him The Truth
It was time Chris knew about her secret. The family had finally found out about it a few weeks earlier. Chris would notice it on his own, after all. So as he reached out to give her a hug, she stepped back and dropped the sign she held earlier. That’s when Chris froze in place!
“Are You Serious?”
Chris was in shock! He asked her “Is that real? Are you serious?” Was she pranking him? The sign did say it, though… it read “Welcome Home Baby Daddy.” However, he thought she was referring to the three kids they had, not an actual baby! Chris was taken aback by this reveal!
The Shirt
Natasha displayed her very pregnant belly covered by a t-shirt that read: “I am the present my daddy gave my mommy before he deployed.” Crowds got closer because of the commotion and what happened next had everyone in tears.
Confused and Happy
“It was a pretty awesome confusion going on here,” Chris said recalling that moment. “I was looking at her, then poked it because I was not sure if she was playing a trick on me.” He thought Natasha was pranking him.
He Was Stunned
Chris was still in shock! He hugged his wife and kissed her. Not only was he happy to see his family again, but he was surprised with another member that would soon join them. But something else made that day extra special!
Father’s Day
A couple of days before Chris got home, Father’s Day had been celebrated around the world. Now this was the best present he could get! “I have three (kids) already now so a fourth will just add on to the excitement and craziness!” said Chris. What he didn’t know was that the family would become famous.
A Secret
Initially, Natasha tried her best to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone, but as her stomach kept growing, hiding it was difficult. She then asked them all to keep it a secret so she would surprise him when they would reunite. One of their friends was there at the Navy homecoming to film it all, and that’s how the video got viral!
Millions of Viewers
Millions of people all over the world learned about Natasha’s secret after watching the video. Chris could have never guessed his wife would be able to hold a secret for so long! She even revealed how she was able to hide her belly all those months.
Holding Her Toddler
In one of the photos she sent Chris online, Natasha held her toddler so that she could hide her baby bump. IN another one, she held a beer can - that she had pretended to drink – in front of her belly. Then, she had to lie to the kids. “I had to tell my four-year-old I was getting fat. Otherwise, she would tell! Because she’s a blabbermouth.”
A Week After He Left
“I found out about a week after he left. I didn’t believe it,” Natasha said about her pregnancy. “I took the pregnancy test again and I was like, ‘Oh no way.’” She was about eight weeks and was so excited she thought of telling Chris about it in an e-mail. But then she decided that wasn’t the right way…
Belly Photos
“I emailed him back and said, ‘I just miss your voice.’ That’s when I decided I’m going to document it with weekly belly pictures for him so he wouldn’t miss it.” But those photos would be revealed only after Chris got home!
A Loving Wife
Natasha was torn apart all those months when she had to keep the news of her pregnancy a secret. On one hand, she wanted him to know, but on the other hand, he would have been heartbroken knowing he’s far away, missing out and worrying for her.
Expecting a Baby
Natasha shared her story online to raise awareness about the fear and challenges a woman faces when she finds out she’s pregnant. And surprising Chris was definitely worth the wait! She had one more surprise for him…
Finding Out The Gender
Although Natasha kept her pregnancy a secret from Chris, she waited for him to come home and together, they went to the doctor to learn the gender of their baby. The first special event after Chris got home was a gender reveal party. So was baby number four a girl or a boy?
Confetti
At home, Natasha and Chris popped balloons that were filled with pink confetti! That meant the couple would have one more girl, who was due in August. That meant the two would have to wait two more months and adjust to the thought they’d be a family of six!
A Lot to Take It In
The news that Natasha and Chris would welcome one more baby to their family was great, and as the couple stocked on diapers, they made sure to prepare the nursery room and get maternity shots. They bonded with the kids and had time to take it all in. After all, having four kids was no easy task!
Deployment
Fortunately for Chris, his deployment date was set six months after his baby would be born, so that meant he would not just be there for his baby girl’s birth, but also spend time with the whole family before being shipped out again.
A Family of Six
On September 2nd, Natasha gave birth to little Anara Rose. The Daugherty family now had four kids: a 10-year-old boy, 4-year-old and 18-month-old daughter and baby Anara Rose. After she was born, Chris wrote on Facebook: “We love you so much! You have completed our family of six. Can’t wait to bring you home.”
Worth It
Looking back, Chris and Natasha agreed that waiting to reveal the pregnancy in person was worth it! Even though Natasha went through all sorts of emotions while dealing with the kids and the secret, it all ended well! Their thoughts about these moments brought tears into our eyes…
“It Was Special”
Chris said that “it was an awesome surprise to find out that way. Finding out in email or over the phone, that’s easy, but since she saved it, it was special.” Natasha couldn’t agree more. Here’s what she said.
Difficult
“It was difficult but totally worth it in the end,” Natasha told NBC. “What surprises are you going to have next time?” asked correspondent Jamie Yuccas. Natasha laughed and told him “Nothing.” Having five kids was enough for the couple!
Four Months Old
When little Anara Rose turned four months old, the family once again traveled with Chris who had to be shipped out for four months to the Philippines and Vietnam. This time, Natasha agreed not to surprise him again.
Reunited
Four months after his deployment, Chris was ready to reunite with his family. The homecoming was with absolutely no surprise, but as tearful as the previous ones.
A Viral Story
The video of Chris being surprised by his wife became viral and people all over the world saw it. Outlets talked about their story and the family gave endless interviews. Baby Anara Rose will surely have fun when she finds out she was the protagonist of this heartwarming story!