Trivia questions

1. What day was Marcus born on?
2. How many days are Michael and Marcus apart?
3. How many days was Marcus born before Anna?
4. How many years is Josie older then Marcus?
5. How many years is Mackynzie older then Marcus?
6. How many years is Michael older then Marcus?

Answers will be revealed on Saturday!

Trivia questions

1. What day was Marcus born on?
2. How many days are Michael and Marcus apart?
3. How many days was Marcus born before Anna?
4. How many years is Josie older then Marcus?
5. How many years is Mackynzie older then Marcus?
6. How many years is Michael older then Marcus?

Answers will be revealed on Saturday!

Trivia questions

1. What day was Marcus born on?
2. How many days are Michael and Marcus apart?
3. How many days was Marcus born before Anna?
4. How many years is Josie older then Marcus?
5. How many years is Mackynzie older then Marcus?
6. How many years is Michael older then Marcus?

Answers will be revealed on Saturday!

June in review

To end this month, we wanted to do a recap of what has happen to the family.

June 2- The family welcomed Josh and Anna's son Marcus to the world.

June 15- Michael turned 2 years old!

June 16- Jim Bob and Josh celebrated father's day

June 23- Anna turned 25 years old!

New season?!

We have gotten word that the new season will start sometime in September. The duggars are busy filming new episodes along with ministry work.

Josie update!

How Michelle Duggar Deals with Her Daughter's Food Sensitivities

FAMILY MATTERS on 06.28.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan: How is your youngest Josie doing and how do you help her understand her food sensitivities?

Well, Josie is 3 years old now and she is so energetic, amazingly agile; this girl could climb anything! We jokingly say she’s the bionic baby. She is so strong. But she’s a miracle. Even though she was born prematurely, she’s caught up in every way now.

She is still supposed to be careful to not get too much dairy in her diet, so I am teaching her about it. The other day, we heard some commotion in the kitchen. Jordan was standing in the kitchen holding a yogurt and trying to tell Josie that it would give her a belly ache. Josie just kept saying, “It doesn’t have milk. It doesn’t have milk. It doesn’t have milk.” She was really distraught.

I had to take her aside, and I had to talk to her about it and let her know it would give her a tummy ache. I told her she needed to leave that milk alone and taught her to say, “I know others may, but I may not.” She’s learning it. She practices speaking it with me. And we just have to learn that lesson young in life and live that way. So anyway, bless her heart, she really is convinced that yogurt does not have milk!

But she is doing great. She sings all the time, and she’s on key! We’re just having a hard time keeping up with her because she’s so fast and so strong. We’re so grateful.

I say thank you so much for your prayers for her because I know many have said they cried when they saw her. And really, they cried out to God, and he saw fit to spare her life. And I know that is the truth of the matter because we don’t take for granted the fact that she is here. We know we saw many other little ones that did not remain. And that broke our hearts. And we realize at any minute, it could have been Josie. And Josie is living on overtime, and we’re just grateful to have her. And so we tell her that often. We say you know God had a special plan, little girl, for you.

Have a burning question for Michelle Duggar? Send it to her and it could appear in an upcoming post!

Anna turns 25

Anna turned 25 today. She has a lot to be thankful for. She has a husband that loves and has three kids (Mackynize, Michael and Marcus)

Guest-bloggers: Jana and Jill

Jill & Jana Duggar on Midwifery

FAMILY MATTERS on 06.21.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

In honor of Josh & Anna's new arrival, Jill and Jana are guest blogging for Michelle.

Jill on Delivering Babies

Hey, Jill here!  These days, I’m staying busy, buried in the books and delivering babies, amidst the exciting Duggar life. For those of you who were wondering about how I started delivering babies, I’ll tell you the story.

Back a few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend 12 weeks of childbirth classes with my 14-year-old friend, who was a single mom. Through these classes, I learned how to coach her during the birth of her child. Although I had attended two of my siblings’ births, being able to work as an active part of my friend’s birth made me interested in learning more. I became friends with a doula/labor coach who worked in the area, and started going to home and hospital births with her. Soon, I became her assistant, and through that, I came into contact with other local midwives. Over the course of the next several years, these midwives would call on me periodically for help at home births.

I had been considering attending nursing school for a while, but the timing of it all wasn’t working out, and I spent a lot of time in prayer, trying to figure out where God was leading me. Eventually, through my work with the local midwives, the door opened for me to enter into a distance-learning midwifery training program in Texas. This program, after about 3 ½ years of schooling, would give me the education I need to become a licensed, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). My parents and I prayed and talked about this opportunity, and in May of 2012, I started midwifery school. Currently, my life consists of studying like crazy to keep up with my schooling through this distance-learning program, and at the same time, working as the senior apprentice under a local, nationally certified licensed midwife to deliver babies in an out-of-hospital setting.

Midwifery care allows for a mother to have more specific, personalized care, and to choose the options that are best for the particular needs of her pregnancy and family. After all, mother knows best, and midwifery care allows moms to make their own choices. Midwives provide routine prenatal care throughout pregnancy, with an emphasis on flexibility and individualization, as well as labor, delivery, and postpartum care. Through spending all that time together, a relationship is formed, and there is mutual trust and respect between midwife and mom.

Since I’ve started down this path to become a midwife, I’ve had the privilege of attending the births of over 60 babies! Each birth is incredibly unique and special, and I learn something new at every one of them. Not everything is peaches and cream, and some days are hard, but I have been blessed to work with a great group of ladies. (Jana included! But more on that later.) The main goal of our practice as home birth midwives is to make sure that both momma and baby are healthy. Sometimes that happens in the home, and sometimes it happens at the hospital, but wherever we are, we pray for the best possible outcome for the people we serve. There are many joys of being a student midwife; for example, seeing previous clients return for subsequent pregnancies, laboring with a young, single mom who was giving her baby up for adoption, helping my sister-in-law bring my niece and nephews into the world, or just simply holding a newborn baby! I really love what I am doing, and am thankful for all these amazing opportunities! 

Jana writes: Hi everyone, it’s Jana! I wanted to take a minute to let you all know what has been going on in my life recently. I’ve been spending a lot of time working under a local midwife, as a part of the same birth team that Jill is on. I am really enjoying learning about natural birth, and working as a midwife assistant and doula. Even though this may not be something that I do for the rest of my life, I feel so blessed to be able to learn and grow in this area, and I plan on using the skills that I’ve developed through these experiences to help my family and friends now and in the future.

Jill and I feel like the training we are receiving, although our paths are both a little bit different, will serve us in the future on the mission field. Each of us would like to use our skills as a way to share the hope of Jesus in foreign countries, but for right now, the country we’ve been called to serve in is our own. We enjoy loving on our moms, babies, and families, and feel privileged to care for them.   

*Note: none of the above is meant to be intended as official medical advice; consult a doctor before choosing the course of care that's best for you.

Josh's new Job!

Josh announced that he is joining Family Research Council's political action committee as their executive director when his family moves to DC. This is Josh's first time moving out of the state from his parents and siblings!

Grandbaby makes 3 special

Josh and Anna are welcoming their new son and decided to have Jana and Jill at the birth. Anna enjoyed having the homebirths with Mackynzie and Michael. This time they are trying something different. They are heading an hour away to give birth at a center. Anna doesn't want to give birth to the baby on the side of the road so they need to make sure that they leave right away.

Josh and Anna head out to DC for looking for a house and now they know that they need to be sure about their cost of the house.

During this pregnancy, Anna has not had any complications and been given approved to fly. Josh reveals that they are not sure if they are going to buy or rent. Anna gets lost trying to find their dinner meeting.

While Josh and Anna are in DC, Michelle takes her youngest children to buy some gifts for the new baby. They end up spending ten dollars on a toy and clothes for the baby.

Anna leaves to go do some prenatral expercise while Josh takes the kids shoe shopping. He quickly learns what his wife goes thou with the kids. Anna reveals that she is not in shape but looking forward to spend some mommy time.

On June 2nd, Anna goes into labor and calls over Michelle and Debbie to help with the drive where they will be join by Josh's sisters, Jana and Jill. Anna gives birth to their son Marcus in the bathtub. Josh and Anna head home to introduce him to his brother and sister. Mackynzie is happy to be a big sister again.

Father's day!

Today the family is celebrating father's day for both Jim Bob and Josh Duggar!

New grandbaby

Welcoming a New Grandduggar

FAMILY MATTERS on 06.16.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

We definitely are so grateful! Our sweet little grandson Marcus Anthony is here.

Sunday, June 2 was an early one for us. We got a phone call around 4 a.m. from Josh who said that Anna was in labor. Jessa and I headed over to their house right away. I was so honored that Anna had asked for me to be there for the delivery, and Jessa was the official babysitter for the day.

Anna and Josh had planned to deliver the baby in a Fort Smith, Arkansas birthing center with a midwife, so we headed right out. It just so happened that Jana and Jill, who were also part of Anna’s birth team, were already in Fort Smith. One of their clients had just had a baby that morning. They delivered one baby, finished up and then drove ten minutes over to where Anna and Josh were going to be. It was perfect. They were already there when we arrived. We were all really, really excited!

When we arrived around 7 a.m., Anna was in very active labor. It ended up going really quickly. About three hours later the baby was born. Anna did amazing; she’s just incredible. She prayed through all of her contractions. When they got really hard she just started praying. Eventually the baby came and little Marcus was absolutely perfect and beautiful. We heard his first cry and it was just the sweetest music to our ears. He is a good-sized boy, bigger than her other two children by far at 9 pounds, 3 ounces. He was the same length as his daddy Joshua -- they were both 21 inches.

Getting to be a grandparent is awesome. I think the greatest part is that we get all of this joy. We have all the fun and the joy without all of the responsibilities. I don’t have to remember to pack the diaper bag and get all the supplies together because Anna and Josh do that and they do such a good job. They’re doing such a wonderful job and it's even that much more exciting for us to see them loving their children, training them and raising their children in the ways of God. They're using the scriptures as their guide through this whole parenting thing and it’s the same owner’s manual for life that we used. It’s so precious to see them share some of the hymns and songs from when Josh was a little guy with their children. I've heard Anna and Josh both saying a lot of similar things that Jim Bob and I have said to all of ours when they were young. I see other things that they do and I think I wish I would’ve done that! They make an incredible parenting team and we couldn’t be more thrilled for them.

Relive the exciting moments of Josh and Anna’s life together so far with The Josh & Anna Storyvideo recap. 

Have a burning question for Michelle Duggar? Send it to her and it could appear in an upcoming post!

Happy Birthday Michael

Today Michael is celebrating his second birthday

Michelle Duggar on Welcoming a New Grandbaby

FAMILY MATTERS on 06.10.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan:Do you have any advice to Josh and Anna now that they are expecting their third child?

We are so thrilled and so excited to have our third grandchild! Josh and Anna are doing such a wonderful job as parents already. Anna is so precious; she is the most wonderful daughter-in-law and such a good mommy. My only advice to them would be to continue doing what they’ve been doing! Mackynzie and Michael will have another little sibling to play with real soon and we’re all excited.

My daughter Josie is actually younger than Josh and Anna’s oldest child, Mackynzie. Kynzie was born in October and Josie was born in December. Josie would have been a lot younger than Kynzie, but she came early so it kind of bumped her up a little bit more in age. They all play together a lot. It’s really great for the kids because Josh and Anna live so close by, they’re just eight miles away from us, so they’ll pop over a lot. We’re always inviting them over for dinner or a meal. We figure what’s three or four more to us, no biggie! It’s just so much fun having them around. Sometimes Anna and Josh will go on a date and we’ll babysit for them. It’s not a chore, but a real treat for us.

And Mackynzie and Michael’s aunts and uncles are just as bad as their grandma. The girls love being aunts to Mackynzie. And my boys! The minute Anna walks through the door with those little ones, my James or my Justin will run up, just snatch Michael from her and take off playing together and he loves it. He’s this little boy with all these big boys just having a big ol’ time! It’s so cute to see them all together playing and I just enjoy it so much.

Mackynzie and Michael were over playing one day at our house recently and Jordyn had just had her tonsils taken out. She wasn’t feeling great and didn’t really want to eat anything so Mackynzie put her arm around her and said, “It’s okay Jordyn, come over here and sit on the couch and I’ll take care of you.” It was the most precious thing, I thought, “I know where that comes from.” That is Anna just coming through and it’s so sweet to watch. Anna really pours her time into loving and training her little ones and it just shows. I am so thrilled with how she and Josh work together as a team and they’re doing such a great job. I’d like to just pat them on the back and say keep up the good work because they are doing what they’re supposed to be doing as a mommy and daddy.

Michelle and Jim Bob welcome their newest grandchild on 19 Kids & Counting: GrandDuggar Makes 3!, premiering Sunday, June 16 at 8|7c.

Have a burning question for Michelle Duggar? Send it to her and it could appear in an upcoming post!

Grandbaby special

TLC released that they are doing a special on Father's day! 19 kids and counting grandduggar makes 3 airs june 16 

A weekend with the duggars

The weekend that their grandbaby is due to arrive, Jim Bob and Michelle are packing up some of their kids to make three areas. The first one is at a homeschool convention from June 6-8 at the Richmond Convention Center in VA. You can sign up at the door since the online is close.

June 7th
Here is the schedule for Jim Bob and Michelle sharing what God has done in their life.
First set up is from 8:30 to 10:00 AM and the second one is from 1:00 to 2:30pm.

Michelle later takes her daughters and give another presentation and give the group a chance to ask questions from 10:30 to 11:30 am

Then the family sits down Book Signing: 3:00-6:00 PM

On Saturday the duggars will be signing books at the Billy  Graham Library from 2-4pm. Books can be brought at the Ruth's attic bookstore or bring your own. The family will only be signing two books per a person! Be sure to come early!

Sunday, June 9, 2013, 8:30 AM
Jim Bob and Michelle to speak at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Prayer Breakfast
NCGOP State Convention (June 7-9)
Westin Charlotte Hotel
Charlotte, NC
Click here to register
Jim Bob and Michelle will be accompanied by other members of the family

Second grandson is born!

Josh and Anna are excited to welcome Marcus Anthony Duggar into the Duggar family

Journey to parenthood: Baby 3 Nine months pregnant

Josh and Anna are due anyday

Grandbaby update!

Josh and Anna are expecting the birth of their son any day now.