The Duggar Family Tree will officially grow yet another branch in 2017.
Mere hours after we wondered whether or not Jill Duggar was pregnant with her second child, as the result of a seemingly hidden baby bump in a new family photo, the reality star has now come out and confirmed:
She IS pregnant with her second child!
Hooray!
Jill and husband Derick Dillard will become parents once again in July of next year.
“We are so excited to be expecting Dillard baby #2!” Jill and Derick told People Magazine of the big news, adding:
“Children really are a wonderful blessing from God. Having Israel has been such a delight to us that we know a second sweet baby will only continue to add joy to our family.
“We are thankful to God for this sweet child and we cannot wait to see her or him face to face!”
It sounds as if the Counting On star is still in her first trimester of pregnancy.
However, she may have felt a bit of pressure to make this announcement now because her allegedly expecting state has been a source of speculation for weeks.
Back around Thanksgiving, for example, Jill posed for a cute photo with Derick.
Instead of being impressed by the delicious dinner fare around the couple, though, most social media followers honed in on Derick’s strategic hand placement.
He appeared to be shielding a baby bump from the camera’s view, as you can take note of below:
“Jill Duggar looks pregnant. Seems every pic I see she’s larger than the previous one,” wrote an astute Internet user in response to the photo above.
Many believed that Jill was planning to wait and reveal her pregnancy on the Counting On Season 3 premiere, but alas.
Here we are now instead!
About a year ago at this time, Jill said on an episode of her hit reality series that son Israel (pictured being OH SO VERY CUTE below) was ready to “ be a big brother,” implying that he was a tad selfish and telling viewers:
“I think it will be good for him, too. He’ll learn to share.”
The Duggars, of course, live to earn TLC strong ratings and to procreate.
With this sperm-egg fertilization, Jill is joining her younger sister in expanding her family:
Indeed, younger sister Jessa (Duggar) Seewald and husband Ben announced in August of 2016 that they will soon welcome a sibling for son Spurgeon, who is only 13 months.
And don’t expect the baby-making or child additions to stop there!
Derick also revealed last December that he and Jill have an especially personal and sentimental reason for wanting to adopt a child at some point in their lives.
“My mom’s adopted, so it kind of hits home with me,” Derick said at the time. “We both think it’s a wonderful thing. We’ve talked about it a lot, and we’re definitely considering it.”
TLC’s Counting On shifts to Mondays (at 9/8c) on January 16 when it returns with new episodes.
What sort of storylines can we expect to see?
The network is here with your first look at what’s on tap:
But that’s down the line. For now, it’s all about Jill and Derick and their life-altering news!
Join us in sending them your very best wishes for a happy and healthy pregnancy and baby, won’t you?