Jim Bob and Michelle Dugard of Tonitown, Ark., who have 18 children and one grandchild on the way, are expecting a new addition to their household. They announced on TODAY to Meredith Viera and the world that they are expecting a 19th child.
We are so thrilled," says Michelle, 42. "We just couldn't believe it is happening." Jim Bob, 44, agrees: "This never gets old. We are so grateful for each child. We are looking forward to our first grand baby and our 19th child."
Oldest son Joshua, 21 and his wife Anna, 21, are expecting daughter Mackynzie Renée next month, so she will be older than her new aunt or uncle.
"I think it is going to be awesome, it is going to be great," says Josh about the news that his parents are expecting. "We have been looking forward to the arrival of my little girl and to now get to celebrate for my parents, it's a wonderful thing."
| |
StarReviews Top 3
Baby Planning Websites |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
"I love all of this, it is so fun," says Michelle. "Anna and I will have babies five months apart. My mother and my sister were pregnant at the same time and it was really wonderful. The kids were really close and still are. I have a nephew who grew up with me, we're just three months apart."
The Dugards live debt-free in a home they built themselves along with their children, all whose names begin with J: after Josh there are twins Jana and John-David, 19; Jill, 18; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 15; Joseph, 14; Josiah, 13; Joy-Anna, 11; twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, 10; Jason, 9; James, 8; Justin, 6; Jackson, 5; Johanna, 3; Jennifer, 2, and Jordyn-Grace, 8 months. Their lives are featured on TLC's 18 Kids and Counting. They also announced a change of pace. Baby 19's name will begin with an M.
Despite being pregnant 18 times before, Michelle says this pregnancy came as a shock, although her daughters wondered why she was eating more pickles than usual.
"I wanted pickles and the older girls were saying, 'Mom, you only crave these at the very beginning of being pregnant, you kept it from us before, now tell us. Are you?" Michelle says. "And I kept telling them I wasn't. I just wanted some pickles."
But when she couldn't lose weight on her diet, she began to wonder.
"I was in Weight Watchers with Jim Bob and I wasn't losing any weight," she says. "I couldn't figure it out. I was doing what I should. And the baby, who was nursing, was fussy. I kept thinking, 'This isn't right. She isn't teething, she doesn't have an ear infection. I'm not cheating on my diet, I should be losing weight. Then, I put two and two together and wondered if I could possibly be pregnant."
For those doing the math, Michelle has been pregnant an estimated 167 months total, which equates over 13 total years of pregnancy. Now that's what you call extreme!
Tags:
news