Though we'd never doubt the love that any of the moms in the Duggar family have for their kids, it's really been so special to see Joy-Anna Duggar meet and fall in love with her rainbow baby, Evelyn Mae Forsyth. It's definitely been a long, difficult journey for the Counting On star, but now, she and husband Austin Forsyth are officially parents to two adorable little ones, and seeing all the moments they've shared so far is so priceless.
It was only last year that Joy and Austin had to face their baby's stillbirth when Joy was six months pregnant. Their baby was a girl they chose to name Annabell Elise, and at a time when many of her sisters were also expecting baby girls, it had to be especially tough to grieve her loss and see their happiness all around her. But when she announced that she was expecting her rainbow baby in early 2002, we were so overjoyed, and seeing her and Evy together has been so adorable.
Read on for all of Joy's most precious moments with her rainbow baby so far. She may only be a couple of months old at this point, but it seems like these two have already made plenty of sweet memories so far — including Joy's older kiddo, Gideon — and we know there are so many more to come.
An Emotional Arrival
Considering everything Joy went through with her stillbirth, it's no wonder that when Evelyn had finally made her way into the world, alive and healthy, there were plenty of tears involved for everyone.
"Leading up to Evelyn’s birth, this is the moment I was looking forward to the most, holding her in my arms for the first time," Joy wrote when she shared this photo on Instagram. "In the end, it didn’t matter how she got here, as long as mom and baby we’re healthy!"
Announcing Evy's Birth
This is the photo that Joy and Austin both shared to announce that Evelyn had arrived, and it's so sweet how happy this mom and dad look to finally meet their baby girl! At the time, Joy hadn't shared Evelyn's name yet, but all that truly mattered was the pure happiness and love radiating from this photo.
Home & Cuddling
This is one of the first moments Joy shared after she and Austin brought Evelyn home from the hospital, and she wrote that she was "at a loss for words" finally being able to have her baby girl home. There's truly nothing like those first newborn weeks. Nobody's getting a lot of sleep, but there are tons of cuddles.
Baby's First Professional Photos
It wasn't until Joy got the professional newborn photos back that she decided to share Evelyn's name, and as cute as Evy Mae's name is, all we could focus on was how adorable this baby girl is — and how over the moon her mom was to be able to celebrate all of these new baby moments with her rainbow baby.
Visiting the Farm
Joy has loved nature and being outdoors all her life — even as a kid on 19 Kids & Counting, she was all about running around with the boys in the yard and getting dirty. Now, she gets to share that with Evelyn, and these photos of her taking Evy to her family's farm for the very first time are too cute. They'll make so many memories there!
Seeing Her Kids Together
It's never easy to introduce a new baby to a toddler at home, and even though Gideon and Evelyn's first meeting didn't quite go as planned, it seems like after a few adjustments, these two are getting along just fine. Joy has to love seeing these two together so much.
Outnumbered
The newborn period is difficult enough when it's just the one baby, but wrangling Gideon — who is a very active toddler — and taking care of Evy at the same time has to be a little overwhelming for Joy. (No wonder she said she was getting a late start that day!) It's good to know she has pictures to look back on these times that will eventually be so precious to her.
Porch Cuddles
When Joy shared this photo, she wrote in her caption, "Like my dad always says…
'These are the best days of our life and we don’t even know it!'" Jim Bob definitely has a point there, and we're glad that Joy is taking the time to recognize that and soak it all in. After all, Evy will only be this little for so long!
Taking a Bath
Austin posted this photo of Evelyn chilling in the sink, taking a bath, sharing that it was her "happy place." She looks so happy in her little flower, getting all clean! This must be such a fun time for Joy and Austin to share with her while she winds down for the day. There's something so adorable about babies in the tub!
Visiting Dad at Work
While Joy is mostly on kid duty these days, Austin is still full steam ahead when it comes to flipping houses, and that means sometimes he gets a couple of special visitors. Here, he said he was showing off a home he was working on to Joy and the kids. Maybe Evelyn will love working with her dad as much as Gideon does when he visits!
Back at Church
Joy shared this sweet pic of her and her fam heading off to church. She's brave to go to a place that's meant to be quiet with a toddler and a baby at the same time, but growing up around so many kids, we know she's definitely an expert in that department. And according to this pic, it looks like Evy may have snoozed through the whole thing anyway.
Sweetest Family Photos
Recently, Joy had family photos taken, and when she shared them on Instagram, she explained why moments like this mean so much to her. "Pictures are something I cherish," she wrote. "They help me remember what life was like and they remind me to cherish every moment because time passes too quickly. I love love LOVE these photos and how they captured our personalities!"
Most Beautiful Family
Austin shared even more photos from their shoot on his Instagram, and we just can't get enough. Even though we see a lot of the Forsyths working on construction and playing outside in the mud (hi, Gideon), seeing them all cleaned up like this is too special. There's no doubt that these sweet parents love their kiddos so much.
Marking a Milestone
Joy shared this photo of Evelyn when she turned 6 weeks old in the beginning of October, and she's too cute. From the smirk on her face to the bow on her head, we are loving it all. (We adore this outfit that Joy's dressed her in.) Boy clothes are so much fun, but we know she has to be having a blast with all the tiny, girly outfits, too.
Playing Dress Up
Speaking of adorable outfits … this one is definitely in the running for one of the cutest looks we've seen Evy wear so far! There are few things more sweet than seeing a tiny baby girl in a tiny dress — and she was only 1 month old here. We wonder if Joy will end up getting matching outfits with her kiddos … we need to see it!
