The Duggar family really loves a wedding. I mean, probably we all do but they really, really do. Which is a good thing considering they're such a big family and weddings are pretty much always happening. But here's the thing two of the younger members of the famous family, being married is very different from getting married. Joe and Kendra Duggar opened up about how "hard" marriage can get sometimes, and their honesty is pretty refreshing.
The Counting On couple are currently expecting their second baby, a little girl, and are already parents to 1-year-old son Garrett, who was born just nine months after the couple married in September 2017. It's important to keep in mind that Kendra was just 18 years old when she married Joe Duggar and the couple didn't share their first kiss until they were officially wed. The Duggar family has a long list of courting rules and at the top of that list is no physical contact beyond a side hug before marriage. So when the young couple finally married and immediately became pregnant, it's no wonder they found the journey to look a little different from how they both imagined it might be. As Kendra explained in a recent episode of Counting On when Joe's parents Jim Bob and Michelle asked the young couples about the reality of marriage vs. their expectations, per OK magazine: "We were so blessed to have Garret right away and we wouldn't change that but it definitely did add a different dynamic to our marriage."
Apparently it wasn't simply the speed with which they became parents, as Kendra went on to explain; it was also learning a whole new set of life skills they might not have been fully prepared to take on, as per OK magazine.
I think I had expectations that I would be able to make all the meals the first year of our marriage and that I would be able to clean the house [and] go with you to work. We had a lot of things planned out like I would go to work with him every day, we’d make meals every night.
While it obviously took some time, as their little boy got older the couple found they managed to settle into a routine that made sense for both of them. Joe noted that they've learned to work as a team while Kendra explained she has figured out what makes her feel more confident as a wife and mother. It's all about finding a routine.
My expectation now is that we do more meals and clean the house more often. Now that the baby's older it’s a lot easier to do that. And I've been able to work some with you lately and that’s been really fun.
Now the couple are in their final weeks before welcoming another new baby into the household, this time a little girl. New babies are usually pretty challenging for a relationship, but it seems as though Joe and Kendra Duggar are on the right path. They have the maturity to admit it was a struggle, and honestly that's half the battle.
