PeekabooNWA

Grateful for God’s Tiniest Blessings – a Duggar Family Update

Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by admin in Personal Stories

“Every pregnancy, a woman gets close to death delivering a baby,” Jim says. Something in his voice confirms that this time his fear was different. For several hours he did not know if his wife would live or die.

When it comes to caring for a baby, there’s no teacher like experience. With 18 children, you would expect Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar to be experts. Their first 18 children, who appear with them on the TLC reality series 19 and Counting, taught them almost everything about infants. Almost. But when Josie Brooklyn Duggar was born at one pound six ounces—two weeks before Christmas and more than two months early—the Duggars were not ready.

“I feel like I’m a first time mom,” says Michelle.

While treating Michelle’s gall stones at Mercy Hospital in Rogers, doctors diagnosed her with preeclampsia, a potentially life threatening condition that causes a pregnant woman’s blood pressure to rise to unsafe levels. The only cure is delivery of the baby—ready or not. Michelle was airlifted to UAMS in Little Rock, where they are equipped for high-risk births. After several days of waiting, watching, and praying, the Duggars and their doctors opted for premature delivery.

Nothing can prepare you for a preemie.

Tiny Josie has progressed well, recovering from a perforation in her bowel and growing to almost three pounds in her first month. She is thriving on her mother’s breast milk, which Michelle expresses and feeds through a tube. Because Josie eats so little—about eight milliliters per hour—Michelle has also been able to freeze a lot of breast milk. The Duggars hope this “banked” supply will help keep their daughter free from infection for the next two years, when her immune system will be most compromised.

“This first year of her life will really be dedicated to me keeping her safe and growing and trying to keep her from germs,” says Michelle. She’s counting on her large family to help her keep Josie healthy.

Critics of the Duggars call the couple’s super-fruitfulness irresponsible and selfish. They say the parents cannot possibly give adequate individual attention to each child. This situation would seem to highlight that issue. However, the family will tell you that love does not divide; it multiplies. Even in crisis? Especially in crisis.

Michelle says her family is overflowing with support. “This baby will never lack for someone to pay attention to her, for arms to hold her.”

When asked if they plan to have more children, the Duggars answer as you’d expect: it’s in God’s hands. For Jim Bob and Michelle, Josie represents their greatest challenge yet.

When the Duggars found out Josie would be born so early they were shocked. “All your plans and dreams have changed overnight,” Michelle says.

However, they agree it has made them even more grateful—for family and for faith. While the Duggars admit they would not have chosen to parent a preemie, they believe it’s all part of God’s plan. “We have seen a miracle over and over again,” Michelle says of Josie—who shouldn’t even have been born yet—but is living and breathing and bringing the family together each day.

The family has temporarily relocated to Little Rock to be near their daughter and sister, who won’t be leaving Children’s Hospital until, at the earliest, March 18th, the date she was expected to be born. Jim Bob, Michelle, and the other seventeen children living at home are renting a five-bedroom house near the Governor’s mansion in Little Rock. Ironically, the home once belonged to Hilda Cornish, one of Arkansas’ original advocates for birth control. The Duggars won’t need any of that.

The Duggar children have adapted to life in Little Rock, augmenting their home studies with field trips to the USS Razorback and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette offices, and worked with hospital staff to learn about the science keeping their miracle sister alive. They are even giving back to their adopted community by volunteering at a soup kitchen and raising money for Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Little Rock is familiar territory. “We have a lot of fond memories,” Michelle says. When Jim Bob was a representative for Springdale, the family stayed in Little Rock during the legislative session. “It was kind of the same idea, moving our family to Little Rock, camping out for a few months.”

This is a family who does take their days, their moments, one at a time. That is something to admire, no matter your stand on their atypical reproduction choices.

“We’re really grateful for Josie being here. We’re grateful she’s alive. We don’t take that for granted. We’re enjoying every moment.”

“19 Kids and Counting” airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on TLC.

- by Lela Davidson