Has Joy-Anna Duggar‘s greatest gift — her child — already been delivered?
The Counting On star apparently spent another holiday in hiding, finding a way to dodge every camera at the Duggar family Christmas party this year. Her absence from the family event has given fans another reason to believe she and husband Austin Forsyth are further along in their pregnancy than they’ve announced.
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Duggar’s sister Jessa Seewald posted photos of the family’s celebration on Monday, showing off their father, siblings, nieces and nephews opening their toys. She also featured a photo of their brother Joseph Duggar and wife Kendra Caldwell, who announced their pregnancy with their first child last week.
A source close to the family told Radar that Duggar and Forsyth did attend the family Christmas party, but they hid from cameras during the event. She also wasn’t photographed at the family’s Thanksgiving get-together.
Even in an overhead shot of the festivities, Duggar and Forsyth were not spotted in the photos. The pair have remained largely out of the spotlight since rumors swirled that they conceived their first child before their May wedding date.
They were first accused of having a shotgun wedding when they quickly moved their wedding date from October 2017 to May 2017. Since posting pregnancy “bump” photos, doctors who have not treated Duggar examined the images to deduce her progression. When she announced her pregnancy in August, Dr. Stuart Fischer told Radar she looked “four to five months pregnant” based on the photo.
Instead of posting a photo of herself and Forsyth on Christmas Day, Duggar shared bible verse John 3:16 to share holiday wishes with followers. “CHRISTmas is our most favorite time of year, we love spending it with family & friends, and eating lots of amazing food,” the couple captioned the post. “But, that’s not the real reason for this time of year, It’s Jesus Christ…”
If fans are right that they conceived before their May wedding, they could be due in the next few weeks. “They don’t really want the due date shared,” a source told Radar. “They prefer to keep it quiet.”
Others have taken the shotgun wedding theory further, suggesting that they couple could have already had their baby.
The couple posted a photo Tuesday of a “Christmas date night” at what looks to be an Olive Garden, and fans blasted the comments with pregnancy questions and comments.
“The picture was taken before Anna had her baby in September,” one fan suggested, while others noted that the photo may be old since there are no holiday decorations in the background.
“You know, it’s ok to admit that you guys got pregnant before getting married,” another wrote, though as much as kissing is forbidden before marriage in the Duggar family.
Many fans are sticking by Duggar and Forsyth’s announced timeline, suggesting they’ll welcome a baby in early March.