Right after "Duck Dynasty" stars Willie and Korie Robertson announced that they will be opening their home to an adopted kid, their relatives Jep and Jessica Robertson followed suit and are now welcoming an adopted four-month-old black baby named Jules Augustus (nicknamed Gus) to their family.
Jessica told Us Magazine that she already had her heart set on adopting children three to four years ago. She and her husband already have four children—Lily, 13, Merritt, 11, Priscilla, 9, and River, 7.
But Jessica wanted more.
"I had some health risks, so I wasn't able to have another child, physically. It was on my heart so heavy," she said. "A year and a half ago, Jep came on board. He was like, 'You know what, it's a God thing. If it's so heavy on your heart, this is something we need to do.'"
Together, Jep said, they went to the adoption agency and told them that they wanted a baby, and they have no preference as to race and gender. "We just want to have a baby, so whatever happens, happens.' So we got us a little Gus," he said.
Despite having no preferences, Jep and Jessica said the adoption process still made them go through an "emotional roller coaster." There was one adoption that fell through because the biological mother changed her mind and opted for an open adoption instead.
"We just felt like for us, a closed adoption was the best thing that fit our family, and just the protection of our kids and even (Gus)," Jessica explained. "But (the process is) so worth it. We recommend it. It's not the easiest journey, but it's definitely worth it in the end."
Jep and Jessica are so enjoying parenthood for the fifth time around that they are even considering adopting baby number 6. "You never know," Jep teased while his wife added, "we would be open."
