Joy-Anna Duggar obviously isn't shy about sharing the basics of her family life with
the media, and there's a lot we all know about her.
Still, there are things she hasn't been quite as vocal about.
Let's run through a few little known interesting facts about Joy-Anna Duggar every Counting
On fan needs to know.
New arrival
In February 2018, Joy's life changed forever when she gave birth to her first child with
her husband Austin, a son named Gideon.
Joy revealed that she chose the name Gideon because of her strong religious faith.
But they didn't just pick "Gideon" because it was a name from the Bible.
In an interview with Us Weekly, Joy explained that, in the Bible,
"[Gideon] was a man of power and one that was willing to serve the Lord even when the
odds were against him."
The parents hope the name will encourage their son to become as invested in the Gospel as
they are.
Secret songstress
Joy and her famous family are obviously pretty religious, so it shouldn't be surprising that
she takes part in church services every once in a while.
What you may not have known is that Joy is a talented singer, and sometimes puts those
skills to use for her church.
She doesn't only sing for religious services, though.
She's also recorded music for YouTube with her brother Jason and fellow reality TV star
Lawson Bates.
It's not a serious professional pursuit, but it's clear that fans love it.
Filling the quiver
It's hard not to wonder if Joy will follow her parents' example and start her own huge
family.
As it turns out, she probably will, or at least that's her current plan.
In an interview with People before Gideon was born, Joy and Austin made it clear that
they aren't going to put a limit on how big their family will be.
When asked how many kids she wants, Joy said,
"We want as many as the Lord thinks we can handle and we are putting it into his hands."
It makes sense for Joy to feel that way, considering the family she grew up in.
Now that she and Austin have gotten started with their son, it seems like their little
family will only grow from there.
A natural bond
Austin and Joy met through the church, but it's not the only thing they have in common.
They also share a love of the outdoors.
In an interview with People, Joy talked about some of their adventures together in nature,
including hikes and hunting trips.
The two made outdoor adventures a part of their wedding as well.
For their combined bachelor and bachelorette party, the two decided to go camping, spending
a weekend with their friends tubing and kayaking and sleeping in hammocks.
It's clear being outside is a huge part of their lives, and hopefully something the new
parents can continue to share.
Not at first sight
As much as Joy and Austin seem like a match made in heaven, they didn't always get along.
In fact, Joy has admitted that she didn't really like Austin when she first met him.
In an episode of Counting On that aired before Joy and Austin got married, she revealed that
the two met when they were kids, when she was 5 and he was 8.
She said that she didn't really like Austin very much because he was young and immature,
though she recognizes now that she naturally was too.
At first, she says, she didn't think about him much at all.
Obviously, that changed.
Now Joy says she grew to love him for his adventurous spirit and admirable work ethic.
The dating pool
When it comes to dating, the Duggars do things a lot differently than most.
To start, they don't call it "dating," they call it "courting".
They also follow very strict rules.
When courting, there is no almost no physical contact allowed, which can make it somewhat
hard for a romance to develop.
In an interview with People, Joy said that she took a lot of advice about how to find
love through the strict rules from her older sisters.
She said,
"I was able to ask them just a lot of questions and wisdom about what they did and didn't
do."
Considering where she and Austin are now, it's clear that the advice worked.
Dress code dodger
The Duggar kids have to follow strict rules for more than just their dating lives.
One expectation is that the women in the family dress modestly and in feminine ways.
Duggar matriarch Michelle has talked before about defining her femininity through conservative
fashion choices like dresses and skirts, which is a roundabout way of saying "no pants."
It appears that Joy and her siblings sometimes break this rule, though, and one notable time
was during an episode of Counting On.
In one video clip of Joy and Austin on their honeymoon, you can see Joy wearing a pair
of ski pants, with no skirt or dress to be seen.
Fans were shocked, because Joy normally abides by the modest dressing rules pretty strictly.
Now that she's growing as a person and a mother, maybe it's time for her to make her own rules.