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Congrats Are In Order! 'Counting On's Jessa Duggar Is Pregnant With Baby No. 3

by Alana Romain

Last year was a year full of celebrations for the super-sized Duggar family, and now Jessa Duggar and her husband, Ben Seewald, are kicking off 2019 with yet another exciting announcement. On Wednesday, People confirmed that Jessa Duggar is pregnant with baby number three, and it means her sons, Spurgeon and Henry, will have a new baby brother or sister sooner than you think.

The Arkansas couple announced their big news in a statement they shared with the magazine (and posted on their family blog, The Seewalds), and in it, they said, “We are overjoyed that God has blessed us with a baby, due late this Spring!"

Though Jessa and Ben have yet to learn the sex of their third child, it sounds like they already have a hunch. In their announcement, they said, "from the day we found out we were expecting, we both guessed boy" — which, admittedly would at the very least be pretty convenient, given that they "already have a ton the clothing and accessories ready to pass down" from their first two children.

But that doesn't necessarily mean they have a preference; the couple said in their statement, they "would absolutely love it if [they] found out [they] were having a girl," even if it meant they "might have to learn a few things."

Speaking of their two boys, Ben explained that 3-year-old Spurgeon already seems pretty psyched at the idea of becoming a big brother two times over, and that he actually "talks about the baby quite a bit." As much as that must only be heightening Ben and Jessa's excitement though, the proud papa did admit that he was feeling a bit nervous about being outnumbered. He said:

We realize that, in going from two to three kids, we're about to switch from man-to-man to zone coverage, so we've definitely been taking advice from friends who are already in this stage.

Although most of the older Duggar siblings only have one or two children (making Jessa and Ben one of the first couples to venture out into "big family" territory), given that they both come from large broods, they definitely don't have to go far to find words of wisdom. Not only is Jessa fifth out of a whopping 19 children, 23-year-old Ben is also very well-acquainted with big family life, as the eldest of seven. And though the couple has stopped short at committing to having as many kids as their parents did, they'd made no secret in the past of their desire to expand their family.

In May 2016, when the couple were still parents to only one child, Jessa told Us Weekly that she "would love a house full of kids," and said, "Ben jokes about wanting 15 sons."

If their baby-to-be is, in fact, a boy, then Ben and Jessa may very well be on their way to making that happen. But either way, it sounds like Jessa may not have to end up delivering all their children herself. Even before tying the knot, the couple had been open about their desire to grow their family through adoption, and in February 2017, Jessa told People that "adopting and fostering to adopt is very much in [their] hearts."

So is Ben and Jessa's pregnancy news a sign of an even bigger year ahead for the Duggars? It's possible, although 2018 will certainly be a hard one to top. In January 2018, Jessa's sister Jinger announced she was expecting her first child (she and husband, Jeremy, welcomed their daughter, Felicity, in July), while Joy and her husband, Austin, welcomed their first son, Gideon, one month later. In June, Joe and Kendra welcomed their first child, and that same month, Josiah and his wife, Lauren, tied the knot. And in November, John David and Abbie rounded out the year by getting married as well.

Naturally, all the big announcements had fans wondering who would be the next Duggar to either announce a courtship, a wedding, or a baby. And while many have been expecting newlyweds Josiah and Lauren, or John David and Abbie, to tell the world that they have a little one on the way, for now, it looks like Jessa and Ben are the ones with baby news to share.

Of course, the year is just beginning, which means there is plenty of time for more updates, and in a family like the Duggars, that's a pretty reasonable expectation. For now though, it's clear that Jessa and Ben couldn't be happier to be expanding their family, and it will definitely be exciting to follow along as they await the birth of their newest little one.

After a very frustrating first birth experience, this Deaf mother wanted a change. Will the help of two Deaf doulas give the quality communication and birth experience this mom wants and deserves? Watch Episode Four of Romper's Doula Diaries, Season Two, below, and visit Bustle Digital Group's YouTube page for more episodes.