Gideon Martyn Forsyth (born February 23, 2018) is the first child and first son of Austin Forsyth and Joy-Anna Forsyth.
He is the brother of Evelyn Forsyth and Gunner Forsyth.
Early Life
Gideon as a baby
On August 30, 2017, Austin and Joy-Anna Forsyth announced that they were expecting their first child, due 2018. Their pregnancy announcement was featured on the Counting On episode "A New Bundle of Joy". In the episode, Joy-Anna revealed that the due date was late February 2018.
"Austin and I are SO thankful to announce that we are parents!! Even before we were married we prayed that God would give us children and we are so blessed that he has given us this baby! Jesus is the giver of Life! The baby has arms, legs, fingers, and toes. It has a beating heart and brain waves. The baby responds to touch and is already right- or left-handed. The baby has its own unique fingerprints, which are different from anyone else's. All organ systems are in place!"
On October 2, 2017, Joy-Anna shared a photo of her baby bump with a caption stating that the baby was "already about the size of a bell pepper and weighs around half a pound".
According to the Duggar Family Blog, which is run by friends of the family, the baby was due early March 2018, and that Austin and Joy-Anna had decided not to learn the gender of the baby in advance.
On February 13, 2018, Austin and Joy-Anna posted a photo with the hashtag #9daystillduedate, indicating that the due date was February 22, 2018.
His birth was announced on February 26, 2018. Gideon Martyn Forsyth was born at 3:39 p.m. on February 23, 2018, at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He weighed 10 pounds and 3 ounces, and was 22 inches long. His middle name is in honor of Austin's middle name and his paternal great-grandfather Phillip Waters's middle name. His birth was featured on the Counting On episodes "Joy Gives Birth" and "A Birth-day and a Birthday".
"We are blessed beyond measure with the arrival of our son, Gideon Martyn Forsyth. Looking at our child for the first time was such an incredible moment! God is so good, and we are so thankful."
Although a video about preparations for his birth included mention of a birthing pool being prepared at home, pictures released after his birth seemed to suggest that he may have been born in a hospital.
A few months after the birth, the couple shared more details, both in magazine interviews and on a TLC special. After 20 hours of laboring at home, Joy-Anna was rushed to the hospital for an emergency C-section, after her midwife discovered that the baby was breech.
When Gideon was 3 years old, Austin and Joy-Anna took him for a screening test after noticing that he was falling behind in communication and comprehension skills. The evaluator noticed he was struggling with receptive language and formulating sentences.
In Summer 2022, Gideon got glasses after his doctor noticed that his eyesight was worse in one eye. He was straining his good eye in order to see. The glasses are to prevent the bad eye from becoming a lazy eye. The problem should correct in two years, as long as he wears his glasses all the time.
In 2023, Gideon was diagnosed with dyslexia. His parents took him to be reevaluated because he was still struggling with comprehension. He was also mixing up the order of the alphabet and counting numbers.
Gideon is described as happy and energetic. He enjoys playing outside, playing with construction toys, wrestling, and riding his bike.
Career
Education
Along with his siblings, Gideon is currently being homeschooled. He goes to a dyslexia tutor twice a week.
Television
Gideon appeared on the TLC show Counting On. His birth was featured on the episodes "Joy Gives Birth" and "A Birth-day and a Birthday".
Wedding Involvement
Gideon was a ring bearer at his uncle Jeremiah's wedding to Hannah Wissmann on March 26, 2022.
