Michelle Duggar of the hit TLC show "19 Kids and Counting" recently expressed joy at the many changes occurring within her family, as daughter Jill discusses her pregnancy and Jessa shows off her stunning engagement ring.
On the family's blog, Michelle said she loves watching her family grow, as Jill and Derick Dillard are expecting their first child next year. In addition, daughter Jessa is engaged to be married to Ben Seewald on November 1st--and recently posted an Instagram photo of her ring.
Jessa Duggar posted an Instagram photo of her .75 carat ring
"You get the joy of watching a loving relationship unfold. Jill and Derick, and Jessa and Ben, are becoming best friends and really getting to know each other in such a sweet way," Michelle said.
She added, "When the right one comes along, it's so exciting, shocking and surprising all at the same time!"
Duggar patriarch Jim Bob, however, is not quite as calm and collected as his wife.
"Jim Bob is so excited, too, for Derick and Jill, and for Ben and Jessa," said Michelle.
"When he talks about the girls getting married, he gets a little teary-eyed; it's a big deal for a dad to let go of his girls. He's handing them over, but he's handing them over to some really great guys."
The younger Duggar kids are also having some difficulty with change.
"The other day the Seewald family was visiting, and Ben and Jessa were getting ready to leave with them. As Jessa and Ben were getting in the Seewald car my little Jordyn, who is five, realized what was happening and she just started to cry and cry."
Michelle continued, "She was worried that Jessa was leaving for good. I had to comfort her and reassure her that Jessa wasn't married yet, just going for a visit."
In the meantime, Jill, 23, who announced her pregnancy in August, said the morning sickness has subsided as she nears the end of her first trimester.
"The last couple of days I have had a little bit of a break from the craziness of morning sickness, more like all day sickness, and that has been a blessing," Jill told People.
"Next week is my second trimester, I am so excited," she added. "Now that I am feeling better, we are going to start getting things ready for the baby and start thinking of names seriously. Finding out the gender soon will help with that."
Jill says that she and Derick chose to reveal their pregnancy early after they prayed about it.
"Most people, the reason why they wouldn't share pregnancy news early, [they] are afraid of miscarriage risks," she says. "We prayed about it, and the film crew asked us if we wanted to wait. But we knew we would share if we did miscarry. We believe that life is precious no matter how young and you would still want to remember that baby."
The latest season of "19 Kids and Counting" is currently airing on TLC.
