Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were on the Today Show on Thursday morning along with the majority of their children. The family shared an update on the progress of the youngest Duggar child, who now weighs 2 lbs. 3 oz.
Josie Brooklyn Duggar was born on December 10, 2009 weighing 1 lb. 6 oz. She has been in the NICU unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock since her arrival — 15 weeks early.
The family immediately packed up and moved temporarily the 200 miles to Little Rock to be near the baby. Jim Bob says that the premature birth of baby Josie has brought the close knit family even closer together.
Michelle said, “It is incredible what the doctors and nurses can do to save the life of this little person. We don’t know if there is going to be another big hill to go up. We are grateful for the wonderful days when she has been good. We know at any moment, things could change.”
Jim Bob continued, “Doctors tell us, ‘never trust a preemie’ because you can’t know what is going to happen. It is a very day-to-day thing. It is the hardest thing we’ve ever been through.”
Josh Duggar and John David Duggar recently helped to save the life of a 6-year-old girl who was involved in a car accident. See video and 911 audio here.
UPDATE June 25, 2010: Baby Josie Duggar finally got home to Tontitown, Arkansas with the entire Duggar family. The 9 lb. baby was released from the hospital on June 3rd but her homecoming was delayed for three weeks because 12 of the Duggar kids came down with chicken pox. Jim Bob took them all home to Tontitown to recover so that Michelle Duggar and the baby could safely stay at the family’s rental house in Little Rock.
The entire family moved temporarily to Little Rock after the premature birth of baby Josie on December 10, 2009. It has been six months since Michelle has stepped foot in her own home. The new season of their TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting will air on August 10.
View more new baby photos and video of the family and new baby below. More family photos here.
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