Trista Sutter is one of reality television’s most memorable stars and among the genre’s first pioneers. We watched her get her heart broken on the inaugural episode of The Bachelor, only to come back and claim her prince as the first Bachelorette and then marry him before our eyes in Trista and Ryan’s Wedding in 2003.

Trista and Ryan are an anomaly in the reality TV world in that they, unlike so many other couples, have emerged from behind the screen into real life successfully. They’re living out their happily ever after in Vail, Colo., with their two children – Maxwell, 2, and Blakesley, who was just born in April.

After years of infertility, Trista says she’s extremely thankful for her children, but two is enough. Definitely enough, and she recently underwent a new, permanent birth control procedure called Essure  to make sure there are no surprises.

I guess I was surprised to learn that you only want two children; you seem like the type who would want a whole houseful?

Ha! That really has always been Ryan and I’s plan from the beginning - to have only two or maybe three. I’m an only child and Ryan is one of two. Two seems like a good fit. Plus my pregnancies are bad…I was nauseous for months, had preeclampsia, dehydration…and I turn 37 in a month, and I don’t want to push my luck.