Jep Robertson and his wife, Jessica Robertson, have finally introduced the world to the newest addition to the Duck Dynasty family!
During the premiere of their spinoff series, Jep and Jessica: Growing the Dynasty, the youngest son of Phil and Kay Robertson and his wife showed off their newly adopted child, a little boy named Gus. The couple already has four children — Lily, 13, Merritt, 11, Priscilla, 9, and River, 7 — and were delighted to welcome Jules “Gus” into their home.
“It’s like such a surreal moment, to finally have him in our arms,” Jessica shared during the episode. “We waited so long and wanted to happen for so many years, so to actually have him and hold him and know he’s actually ours and we’re his forever family, we’re excited.”
Jep also took to Twitter on Thursday morning to share an adorable photo of him and his new baby boy.
Thanks for the love! This has been a crazy, awesome ride but so worth it! Me and Gus signing out! #JepAndJessica pic.twitter.com/ps0MMcLdGJ
— Jep Robertson (@JepDuckman) January 21, 2016
Jep and Jessica announced their plans to adopt earlier this year, and revealed it hasn’t been an easy journey. In a video, posted on Duck Dynasty’s Facebook page, Jessica opened up about the heartache they experienced when the first adoption they started fell through.
“Just recently we got really close and thought we were going to bring a baby home and got so excited and then it fell through, which is just heartbreaking,” she said.
Despite their plans not going as they had hoped, Jep and Jessica received a phone call not long after revealing that a baby boy had been born and needed a forever home. The couple instantly jumped at the opportunity, and started the process of adopting Jules . During an interview with Country Rebel, Jessica explained why the couple decided to adopt, even though they already have four children of their own.
“I think the past few years with Duck Dynasty our eyes have been opened and we’ve seen a lot of kids that are in need. I think that was a life-changer for Jep, is to see these kids who have nothing. Like they would get a toothbrush and they would just cry over that… I think knowing that we can make a difference and take a child in that maybe would never have a mommy or daddy, you’re changing a child’s life forever. And he’s going to change our life forever.”
Jep and Jessica are not the only ones in the Robertson family to choose adoption as a way of expanding their family. Willie Robertson and his wife, Korie Robertson, adopted 13-year-old Willie Jr. Robertson when he was just a baby. They later hosted a foster daughter, Rebecca, and they just recently revealed that they would soon be adopting a 13-year-old boy, who has been living with them since May, 2015.
“We’ve had lots of questions about the cute kid popping up in our photos lately,” Korie wrote in an Instagram post earlier this month. “We are excited to be in the process of adopting a new son! He’s been with us since May, but we wanted some privacy and time for him and our family to bond before telling the world (It’s a bit of an adjustment coming into this big, crazy family, ha) He’s amazing, and we are all so thrilled to have another kid around the house. Couldn’t keep the good news to ourselves any longer! We appreciate your prayers and support for our family! Love, The Robertson’s.”
Congratulations to the Robertsons on their growing families!
[Photo by Eric Jamison/Invision/AP]