Counting On alum Jill Dillard (née Duggar) revealed she and husband Derick Dillard suffered a miscarriage shortly after discovering they were expecting baby No. 3 together.
“We recently found out that we were expecting our third baby. We were all thrilled! It was fun to see so much joy in the boys’ faces as we shared the news with them,” the couple, who share kids Israel, 6, and Samuel, 4, wrote in a new post via their family blog on Monday, October 11, sharing a clip that showed her positive test.
“[The boys] were full of questions and so excited as we talked about the pregnancy and how they would get to be involved along the way and after the baby was born. However, a few days later we started miscarrying,” they continued.
Jill, 30, said that she and Derick, 32, were going to name their unborn child River Bliss Dillard, explaining, “Even though it was too early to tell the baby’s gender, we picked a name that we feel encompasses our baby’s significance and the life we will always remember.”
The former TLC personality and her spouse of seven years chose the moniker River for many reasons near and dear to their hearts. “Here in Arkansas, rivers are often a serene, beautiful escape in nature,” they penned. “We also like how the River talked about in the Bible (Rev. 22:1-5) represents God’s life-giving presence.”
“Our baby doesn’t get to live here with us on earth, but is forever with the source of the river of life, in the presence of the Lord!” Jill and Derick concluded their emotional statement. “And we chose Bliss for a middle name because our baby is living in perfect bliss with the Lord and was such a gift that brought immense joy and happiness to us even though only with us here on earth for a short time.”
Along with their latest blog post, the pair shared a YouTube video documenting her third pregnancy journey titled “Happiness Turns to Heartbreak,” in which it showed the blissful moments leading up to their devastating loss.
“We wanted to give you the world, but you got heaven instead,” they wrote at the end of the clip. “Safe in the arms of Jesus. October 2021.”
Jill and Derick have been married since June 2014 and they welcomed their first child together, Israel, in 2015, and their second son, Samuel, in 2017.