Yay! Josiah Duggar, 22, and Lauren Swanson, 19, are going to be parents! The Counting On stars confirmed that they were expecting their first bundle of joy on May 20, in a statement on Instagram. “We are so excited to announce that baby #2 is on the the way!!!! It’s hard to fully express just how grateful we are for God blessing us again with another precious gift! So, as we rejoice of the life of our second sweet baby, we also remember (balloon as symbolism) our other sweet baby, Asa, in heaven.” This is the couple’s first child together, and their happy news comes shortly after they revealed that they experienced a heartbreaking miscarriage in October 2018.
In sweet photos that accompanied the statement, Josiah and Lauren kiss as they hold a sign that says ““Rainbow after the storm. Baby #2.” Pregnancies that come after miscarriages are called “rainbow babies” — something beautiful that comes after a storm. Josiah and Lauren revealed in a Counting On preview in October that Lauren had a miscarriage weeks into her first pregnancy, when they were on the way to a friend’s wedding. Tearing up, Lauren described not feeling well and having cramping, then getting up in the middle of the night and realizing what was happening.
It was especially hard for the couple because fans kept speculating that Lauren was pregnant, and eagerly awaiting for them to announce the news. After all, Josiah’s brothers and sisters all announced pregnancies shortly after getting married. “We felt like it was time that we told everyone that our first and only baby is in heaven,” the couple said on Twitter. “It is hard to hear when people asks us if we are expecting, when we only recently lost our baby. You can imagine it was devastating to the both of us.” We’re so happy to learn that they’re expecting their beautiful rainbow baby now.