VIDEO: Josie's First Hug! Michelle Duggar Finally Holds 19th Baby

They saved the best for last.

The highlight of Tuesday night’s brand new episode of 19 Kids And Counting came at the very end of the wildly popular TLC reality show when mama Michelle Duggar finally got to hug her 19th child, little Josie Brooklyn, who’s been hospitalized ever since she was born premature.

It was the first time Michelle was able to hold her daughter Josie skin to skin, but she tells the camera that “my modesty part is we can see the skin of the baby, but not the skin of mama, so a little skin, that’s it.”

Michelle takes little Josie and sits with her in a rocking chair in the hospital room, with her daughter directly against her chest and both of them covered by a blanket. 

“To be able to hold her,” Michelle said tenderly. “Oh my. I felt like I could cry and feel the warmth of our skin together.  She’s not where she is supposed to be still, but we’re so thankful she is alive.  This is the most calming moment I’ve in this whole episode.”

She talked directly to the little baby she was holding. “Mommy’s been waiting to comfort you.  You are so precious, so sweet, what a sweet baby girl.”

“This is the hardest things Michelle has every done,” said Jim Bob. 

“She’s 40 days old and 2 pounds 5 ounces,”   Jim Bob added.  “She’s growing every day, taking breast milk and she’s off the ventilator.”

Michelle also talked about how tough the time has been since Josie was born. “Having Josie prematurely was a shock.  For 40 days I wasn’t able to hold her.  It is a very scary thing to see this tiny little baby with all these wires. I’m afraid that I’m going to knock something out.”

So, that’s how 19 Kids and Counted ended Tuesday night. It opened with the Duggar children being home schooled.  Even though they’re living three hours away from their home in Springdale, the kids are still continuing their education at their rental home in Little Rock, Arkansas, near the hospital where the youngest Duggar, Josie, remains in the hospital. 

Dad Jim Bob explained how he and Michelle decided to home school the children.  “When Josh was young we met some people who were home schooling.  We saw how mature the children were.”

Michelle, the mom, said “They seemed like they were excelling in all areas – academically, being able to communicate with people their age as well as those older and younger.”  Jim Bob agreed. “We really want those character qualities in our children.”

“Life is a classroom,” Michelle said.  The kids were shown studying, watching educational DVDs and working on the computers. 

Joy Anna explained what their days are like.  “We start at 8 o’clock in the morning and we stop at four.”  They Duggar children get two one hour brakes during the day. 

“Learning is fun,” Michelle said.  “Once a child learns to read the world opens up for them and you can’t keep them from learning!”  Dad Jim Bob reminisced about when they started homeschooling just with books and said now “most of home schooling is done with computers.”

The older Duggar children all teach the younger children and study with them.  Dad Jim Bob said “We believe in teaching children responsibility at a young age.  Even Johannah is teaching Jordan.”

Michelle agrees with Jim Bob.  “I think it is precious to see the older ones teaching the younger ones.”  She watched the children teaching each other how to say words and explain the educational videos they’re watching.  “They just learn it so much faster when big brothers and sisters help them,” said Michelle.  “I see my older ones are learning to be good teachers.”

The Duggar’s oldest son Josh is married to Anna and they have a little baby girl named Mackynzie.  The family is still in Springdale, three hours away from Little Rock where the rest of the family moved to be near little Josie as she grows in the hospital. 

The family is very religious, and Anna said “We decided every morning we would set aside time to keep God in our life.”  The family sat together on the sofa and read from the Bible.  Josh said “This time is beneficial to our marriage.  My number one goal is to honor God, everything else comes second.”

Josh works at the family car lot and recognizes that they need to save money so Anna gives him haircuts at home!  They joke that they didn’t buy the hair cutting cape when they bought the home hair kit so Josh puts a trash bag over him while Anna cuts his hair. 

“It’s very practical, very inexpensive,” stated Josh.  “Anna does it because she loves me.”

Anna says it is fun to cut Josh’s hair but “there’s just not much to play with.”  She said Josh has been very sweet to her “because I’ve made lots of mistakes.  Last time I cut his hair he had a big bald spot.”

Josh was diplomatic and said “I wasn’t completely bald.”

Little Mackynzie was fussy while her parents were playing hair salon.  Anna talks lovingly about her little baby.  “She has a huge need for one on one time. She can be fussy but she just wants you to hold her.  It is sweet that she wants to be held.  She likes to be hold and she likes to get attention.”

Back in Little Rock Michelle talked about how Jim Bob “has been wonderful.  He has taken up the slack where I have been focusing on Jose in the hospital.”  Dad Jim Bob takes the kids to a park to play, which is very different from the 20 acres the Duggars live on in Springdale. Michelle explains how much Jim Bob enjoys this.  “Jim Bob loves being with his kids.”

As the family goes to a park on the river they cross a bridge and little Jackson is frightened.  “I was scared because some bridge can break with too many people on them!” His sister Johannah falls as she is running across the bridge and cutely says “That was kinda not neat!”

The park by the river has tunnels under ground and huge slides.  Jackson said “I like the tunnels.  I want to stay there and I want to kiss it.”  His little sis Johannah said “You want to kiss the tunnel? Yuck!”

Eight of the children stand together while Jim Bob says “you learn the language of music” and they sing a beautiful song and the two older sisters cheer them on.  

Next week on 19 Kids and Counting Michelle says “We’re introducing Josie to the world,” and the family is going to film a live TV show.

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• TAGS
• 19 Kids and Counting
• Jim Bob Duggar
• Michelle Duggar
• TLC