Duggars welcome first grandchild as they await 19th child
The Duggar family welcomed the first of their next generation, grandchild Mackynzie Renée Duggar, yesterday. She was born to oldest Duggar child Josh, 21, and his wife Anna. They were married in September 2008. People points out that although Mackynzie is Josh and Anna’s first child, Josh obviously has a ton of childcare experience, having helped raise his 17 younger siblings. I bet he’s really excited for more diaper duty. People’s interview with Josh is very sweet, and it sounds like he was very involved and attentive during Anna’s pregnancy.
There’s doting – and then there’s Duggar doting.
Mackynzie Renée Duggar is in for an avalanche of family attention: She’s not only the first grandchild in the reality TV clan, but she already has 17 aunts and uncles, plus one more on the way, since her grandparents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are expecting their 19th child in the spring.
Mackynzie was born at the home of her parents, Joshua and Anna, with a midwife and doula attending the birth. “Josh was excited to participate in the birth as well,” says a family friend. “They are both so happy.”
Josh has been front and center in his wife’s first pregnancy – telling her the news that she was pregnant after she was too nervous to look at her own pregnancy test, and reading and singing to his daughter before she was born.
“I ask Anna what she needs,” Josh told PEOPLE in July. “I talk to the baby and we involve her in our conversations. When Anna and I are talking to each other, we’ll say, ‘So, how do you like that, Mackynzie?’ ”
Although Mackynzie is his first child, Josh knows all about raising babies. He’s the oldest child of Jim Bob and MIchelle Duggar of Tonitown, Ark., who went on to have twins Jana and John-David, 19; Jill, 18; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 15; Joseph, 14; Josiah, 13; Joy-Anna, 11; twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, 10; Jason, 9; James, 8; Justin, 6; Jackson, 5; Johanna, 3; Jennifer, 2 and Jordyn-Grace, 9 months.
The newest Duggar’s name came from a combination Josh’s cousin’s name (Mackynzie) and Anna’s middle name (Renée), but the couple hasn’t completely committed to “M” being the letter to begin all their children’s names. The Duggars famously have chosen “J” names for all their children.
[From People]
Mackynzie is absolutely adorable, by the way (pictures are on People’s site). I know we’re supposed to say that about all babies, but let’s be honest; some newborns look a little “angry Shar-Pei” like. I’m not one to talk, as I was bright yellow, had no eyebrows or eyelashes (I was a little ahead of schedule) and everyone kept calling me “he.” But Mackynzie has done justice to cute new babies. She has really fully, pretty lips too – I can’t help but wonder if People applied some lip gloss or something before the photogs went to town.
Even though Mackynzie will be the oldest in her immediate family, she’s already got a built-in network of playmates with all those aunts and uncles within a few years of her age. They’ll probably be more like cousins. I can’t help but wonder if Josh and Anna are going to go for a lot of kids too. Something tells me they’ll probably have more than the average family, but won’t try to break any Guinness records or anything. Maybe 5 or 6 kids. Congrats to the new parents!
Photos from TLC. Header photo of pregnant Michelle and Jim Bob with then-pregnant daughter-in-law Anna and son Josh.
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