How Joy Duggar Forsyth And Her Husband Channeled A Shared Hobby For Their Gender Reveal

Expectant parents are starting to think twice about gender reveal parties. The many members of the Duggar family, however, are not among them. "19 Kids & Counting" siblings such as Jill Duggar Dillard, Jedidiah, and Jeremiah Duggar are among the parents who have announced the arrival of a baby boy or girl by releasing blue confetti, pink powder, or other color-specific materials. 

Add Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth to that list. She announced in October 2022 that she and her husband, Austin, are expecting a third child in May 2023 (via In Touch Weekly). While her most recent pregnancy update was a bit scary — she has a genetic condition that puts her at risk for blood clotting — she is under expert medical care and looking good as she enters her second trimester. As Joy explained in her recent YouTube video, she and Austin had gender reveals for their son and daughter, but this would be the first time they didn't know the answer in advance. They had the sonographer give them an envelope with the baby's gender in it, which they then gave to Joy's sister, Jana Duggar, who was tasked with creating the key detail of the party. 

"We're not doing anything crazy-extravagant," Joy said, adding that they wanted to find an "easy and fun" way to share the news. They found the perfect answer in one of their favorite games.

Joy Duggar Forsyth's YouTube video of their gender-reveal event showed her husband Austin constructing a large wooden dart board, which he anchored in their yard. Sister Jana filled black balloons with pink and blue powder and paper disks, making sure that there was one more balloon of the appropriate color. As the guests tossed darts at the board, they kept count of the colors. Family members had their own thoughts on what gender the newest little Forsyth would be. Sister Jill Duggar Dillard, herself the mom of three boys, was thinking blue; parents Jim Bob and Michelle were both convinced the newest "GrandDuggar" would be a girl. (Unless there are any secret Duggar babies either born or on the way, this will be the 27th grandchild for the senior Duggars.)

Austin had the honor of aiming at the final balloon, which burst open with blue powder. As Joy shrieked with, well, joy, the guests shot off confetti poppers that showered the parents with more blue confetti. The news took the mom-to-be by surprise. "I am completely shocked," she told the camera. "I, like, 100 percent thought it was a girl, convinced myself it was a girl ... and I was waiting for two of those balloons to be pink and they weren't ... I'm so happy." Austin was equally thrilled: "I mean, if it was a girl I'd be just as happy, but I'm really glad that Gideon is going to have a little brother."