TLC
Meet the newest Duggar!
Seven weeks after giving birth to her 19th child on on Dec. 10, 2009, Michelle Duggar and husband Jim Bob have released photos of their daughter Josie Brooklyn. The little girl was born at just 25 weeks' gestation, and weighed only 1 lb., 6 oz., when she was delivered. Now, she's taking breast milk through a tube and she tips the scales at 2 lbs., 3 oz.
"Years ago, a baby this small wouldn't have lived an hour," says Jim Bob, 44, whose family is featured on TLC's newly-named reality series 19 Kids and Counting. "We are so grateful for the ability to help her."
The Duggars have moved their entire family to Little Rock, Ark., from their home in Tontitown, Ark., to be closer to tiny Josie, who remains in intensive care at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
"It's a miracle she's doing so well," Jim Bob told People.
"It is incredible what the doctors and nurses can do to save the life of this little person," concurred Michelle, 43.
Like any family with a preemie in the hospital, it has been a trying time for the Duggars since Josie came into the world. "Doctors tell us, 'never trust a preemie,' because you can't know what is going to happen," says Jim Bob. "It is a very day-to-day thing. It is the hardest thing we've ever been through." But the family has a huge support system and remains optimistic about Josie's development. "We don't know if there is going to be another big hill to go up," Josie's mom says. "We are grateful for the wonderful days when she has been good. We know at any moment, things could change."
Plus: The Duggars welcome their first grandchild!
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