Lockes are expecting a baby in November

OLYMPIA – Gov. Gary Locke and first lady Mona Lee Locke are expecting their third child in mid-November and say it’s a delightful way to celebrate the transition into private life.

The Lockes, holding hands and grinning ear-to-ear in an interview with the Associated Press, said they told their other children the good news over the weekend and the governor’s office staff Tuesday morning.

The gender of the baby is not yet known. The Lockes’ children, Emily, 7, and Dylan, 5, were born after Locke became governor in January 1997. The last small children in the mansion were Dan and Nancy Evans’ three sons, back in the 1960s.

“We come full circle” with births at the beginning and the end of their eight years in Olympia, Mona Locke said. “It’s closure for us, a nice, new way to begin our life” after politics.

The governor leaves office in January after 22 years in public life.

“This will definitely be a new chapter,” as the family crates up boxes, moves, adjusts to new employment and welcomes a new member of the household, Locke said.

The Lockes said they were “completely thrilled and extremely blessed” with her pregnancy. She’s 3 1/2 months along.

Big families run in the Locke and Lee households. The governor has a brother and three sisters. Mona Locke has two brothers. The extended family gets together frequently in Seattle and dinners often attract dozens.

The Lockes have a Seattle home they use on weekends; their new child will be born at Seattle’s Swedish Hospital, as were their other two babies.

The Lockes said they still haven’t decided what their next careers will be. Mona Locke, a former television newswoman, said she will be an at-home mother for three to six months before deciding on any career moves.

Both said they’ve managed to combine the demands of the governor’s office with family.

“Family comes first,” the governor said.