Josh Duggar, the eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s brood of 19, and his wife Anna welcomed their second child into the world on Wednesday.
The baby boy was born just before 7 p.m., and weighed in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces. He will carry on Josh and Anna’s family tradition of having a first name beginning with “M” — like his 20-month-old sister Mackynzie, though the family is not yet revealing the specifics.
And he’ll also carry on a family tradition in making his debut on the family’s popular reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” a series of specials on TLC that have focused on mom Michelle’s last four deliveries as well as the first two grandchildren brought into the devoutly Christian Arkansas family.
The first Duggar grandson is a special blessing for Josh and Anna, who suffered heartbreak last year when their first attempt to add a second child to the family resulted in a miscarriage. The Duggars, who are regular guests on TODAY as they update their ever-growing clan, kept the pregnancy a decided — and very large — family affair. Josh and Anna left it to matriarch Michelle to receive the ultrasound and break the news to them that they were having a boy.
While pregnant last spring, Anna Duggar told People magazine she and Josh had started their own family rituals as theirs grow larger.
“Our No. 1 tradition is having Josh read the Bible to the baby,” Anna told People. “And we tell the baby, ‘We love you and we can’t wait to meet you.’ ”
The Duggar children, all named with the first letter “J,” range from 23-year-old Josh to 18-month-old Josie, who was born prematurely. And while Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are ecstatic at becoming grandparents a second time, Michelle herself, at 44, hasn’t ruled out giving Josh yet another little brother and sister, either.
“The precious life that we see here is not a coincidence,” she told TODAY in an interview last August. “I just know that it is a miracle. I don’t take that for granted. I know that God is the one who gives life, and I’m just so grateful and thankful. We would welcome another if He saw fit, but we’ll wait and see.”Duggars lend a helping hand in JoplinWhat's the 'right' number of kids to have?Duggars would 'welcome' 20th child
Meet the new baby and hear from the happy family by watching Weekend TODAY this Saturday. For yet more, tune in to "19 Kids: First Grandson" this Sunday at 8/7 C on TLC.