James Van Der Beek And Wife Are Expecting Their Fifth Child

It may be hard to believe that “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek is all grown up, but the actor who first came to prominence on the hit 1990s teen drama is actually about to become a father for the fifth time. Van Der Beek and his wife, Olivia, shared the happy news that they are expecting on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfjDR5gF1WT/?utm_source=ig_embed

The couple’s brood already includes four other children: Olivia, seven, Joshua, five, Annabel, four, and Emilia, one. Although their family is large by most people’s standards these days, Van Der Beek was quick to point out in his caption that they are more than happy to add another little one to the mix, writing, “Thrilled beyond belief to announce that we are once again adding to our family.”

Fans and loved ones alike, including his “Dawson’s Creek” co-star Katie Holmes, were quick to chime in with heartfelt congratulations to the family.

It seems like Van Der Beek is having a lot of fun with his role as a father. Recently he posted a photo on Instagram of one of his kids on his shoulders and another walking alongside, and wrote, “I am not charging my kids for shoulder rides. I swear”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfHXTjvl0fa/?taken-by=vanderjames

Here are all his adorable kiddos working on what looks like some Christmas crafts:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcOM4q1lugS/?taken-by=vanderjames

Back in August 2017, he shared some sweet snaps of his family on vacation, writing, “Traveling with kids is my favorite crazy thing to do… you leave with kids, you come back with teammates”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXn-jvDFMX8/?taken-by=vanderjames

Of course, Van Der Beek has a lot of love for the mother of his children, and he shared a photo of them out on a well-deserved date night:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUBxJUWF0g-/?utm_source=ig_embed

Back in 2014, Van Der Beek opened up about his experiences as a dad and how he realized newborns can be fascinating. “What surprised me is how fun it is — even a newborn on a moment-to-moment basis,” he told Huffington Post. “That really surprised me. I just thought, ‘Okay, you have the kid, and then in five years, they get interesting.’ But they’re just fascinating. Their personalities are coming out right from the get-go.”

What a beautiful family! Congratulations to the entire Van Der Beek clan!