Entertainment

These Then & Now Photos Of Josiah Duggar Over The Years Show How Much He's Grown Up

Not many of the Duggars bend the rules of their family, but Josiah, the eighth son of Jim Bob and Michelle, is one of them. His infraction was pretty small, though, since he simply started his own Instagram account several years before he was engaged, which appeared to be tradition in the family for a while. But that means we’ve been able to see a bit more of the young man’s life and are able to look at Josiah Duggar's then and now photos, which show him growing from a sweet boy to an adoring husband.

Josiah and his wife, Lauren Swanson, tied the knot this past June, according to Entertainment Tonight. Through their many sweet posts together, it seems they're fully loving newlywed life. Sadly, though, the couple recently shared the Lauren had suffered a miscarriage four months after their wedding, according to Page Six.

"At first, we kind of wanted to just stay quiet about the news, but knew that since everyone is anticipating for us to announce that were having a baby, we felt like it was time that we told everyone that our first and only baby is in heaven,” the couple captioned a photo of themselves shared on Feb. 11. “It is hard to hear when people asks us if we are expecting, when we only recently lost our baby. You can imagine it was devastating to the both of us.”

The newest season of Counting On, which premiered this week, will explore this devastating loss and how the two are weathering the hardship. And looking through photos of Josiah from then to now, it seems he's always had a strong support system and, more recently, he has found the perfect partner to go through this experience with in Lauren.

Josiah's First Instagram Post

Josiah’s very first Instagram post came on May 4, 2015 and it was a photo of himself with his younger sister Jordyn. "Always love spending time with my siblings! #jordynduggar#lovemyfam," he captioned the photo.

Though he’s missing his now-trademark facial hair, he still looks like the same Josiah.

#TBT

Not long after that, Josiah posted this #TBT photo of himself with more siblings, this time as adorable toddlers.

"We enjoy going through old family photos! Love this one of Jer, Jed, Joy, and I!" he captioned the old family photo, tagging his siblings.

Having Fun With The Bates

Who knows what exactly was going on just prior to this photo, but Josiah explained that he had been shooting a “western movie with some of the Bates boys and friends.” Apparently there are some budding filmmakers surrounding this crew. On Twitter, he shared the film was called "Crime At Home."

Big Bro Joe's Best Man

In September 2017, Josiah posted sweet photo of himself as best man in his brother Joe’s wedding. He did mention in the caption that he couldn’t be expected to fulfill that duty without at least one prank.

"Joe and I have been best friends since we were kids! Of course, he can't ask me to be his best man without expecting at least one prank, right?" he wrote.

Lunch With Buds

A few months later, Josiah took some time to get out with his friends for Raising Cane’s chicken and made everyone stop to take a quick selfie. "Raising Cane’s with good friends this evening!" he captioned the fun shot.

Beach Time With Bae

Early in 2018, Josiah and Lauren announced their courtship during a trip to New Zealand on Instagram and soon after with a video for TLC.

On the series of photos Josiah is complimentary of his new girlfriend, saying “I’m really enjoying the beauty in New Zealand. Oh and the landscape is pretty nice too I guess. #mygirl #lauren”. Cue the collective awwww.

FaceTime With Lauren

In February, the Counting On star kept getting his new girl accustomed to camera time by FaceTiming with her and posting the photo to Instagram. He commented in the caption that he’d always been a talker, but was now enjoying listening to Lauren just as much. "Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve always been a talker... But now I love being a listener, too," he wrote.

Engaged!

Barely six weeks after announcing their courtship the couple announced their engagement.

“I feel like the most blessed guy on earth... Lauren said YES! God definitely opened our eyes in his perfect timing to show us how we complete each other. The more time I spend with Lauren the more I realize how I can't live without her. There's no one else I'd rather spend my days and grow old with!" Josiah wrote.

In the photo Lauren, showed off her lovely ring and the couple beamed with joy.

Easter Sunday

The couple spent Easter together decked out in their Sunday's best. Josiah even sported a bow tie. And where can I get that dress?

Wedding Day!

By now almost all Josiah’s Instagram posts featured his beautiful girl, but their wedding photos were the best of all. Lauren actually posted the pics on Josiah’s birthday with a nice message about her love for the one who “calls me beautiful even when I wake up with crazy bed hair.”

In a wedding photo, that showed off the classic button and lace back on Lauren’s gown, the couple sealed things with a kiss.

Flying High

Back in January, the world learned of Josiah’s efforts to get his private pilot’s license when he posted photos of he and Lauren taking a small plane up in the air. The short video shows him at the controls and doing just fine.

Heartbreaking Update

On Feb. 11, the couple announced they'd suffered a miscarriage and offered encouragement and support to others who have experienced the same kind of loss. “To the ones who have gone through this, I know your pain. It’s real and terrible. I just want you to know you don’t have to suffer in pain alone. It is not your fault,” the couple posted.

It's clear that Josiah has grown from just another one of the ever-expanding Duggar clan into his own successful life with a loving supportive wife.