Littlest Pecan Thief: Priscilla & David Waller's Baby

[Rosie]

That's a nice name. Although if you say "Paul Waller" fast a few times in a row you'll feel disoriented.

That's the thing - I love the name Paul and indeed, it is my son's name. :-) But Paul w Waller as the last name? Um, no.

[NurseNell]

For all Davilla's faults I really don't see them as being Ezzo or Pearl following parents. Not saying the would, but right now I don't get that vibe from them.

I don't either. I don't think either one was raised that way.

[gustava]

I don't either. I don't think either one was raised that way.

Does anyone know whether Anna Duggar used blanket training?

[NurseNell]

The anti-midwife led delivery obsession is very much United States of American (I remember seeing some atrocious American anti-midwives propaganda material from 50-60 years ago). Most babies in Europe are born without a doctor. Midwives are highly trained medical specialists and you will be referred to them automatically if you live over here. The doctor intervention is only necessary if there is a complication or doubt. Otherwise, the midwife is the best choice you can have. The literal French translation means "wise women" and that's what they are: four year of studies and training to help mothers deliver their babies in as safe a manner as possible. Midwives assist you all the way through, they monitor mother and baby, they bond with the parents-to-be and stay by your side. If there's any problem, they act quick and know what to do. They will call a doctor and set up whatever emergency procedure if needed. Otherwise, they'll do whatever they can to help a baby being born in the least traumatic way. Everybody I know has had a baby with the help of a midwife, with the sole exception of a friend who needed a C-section. She got a midwife, three nurses and a doctor.

I think part of the problem in the U.S. is that many states allow direct entry midwives, people with little if any formal education. This is what Jill Duggar is, or will soon be. It's like an apprentice program. Midwives in Europe are all well educated. I believe midwives should have to be licensed nurse midwives. My 3 grandsons (different mothers) were all born at a hospital where licensed nurse midwives do more than 50% of the deliveries. The hospital's C-section rate is 10%, one of the lowest in the country.

My DH is a retired M.D. He did home deliveries. He was the only physician in a very large area willing to do them. He had strict criteria and every women had to agree to being transferred to the hospital if he said it was needed. He also did VBAC deliveries but only in the hospital.

[drea0703]

Paul "The Gayby" is a big whopper. Must have been hard for David (not for Prissy because her inferior wimminz brain was blissfully ignorant) to deal with all the possible complications that could have arisen from their godly decision to refuse hospital care. Shoulder dystocia anyone???? Hemorrhaging????

Seeing her "reading" babywise books makes me even angrier!

David gives me a creepy wipe. I can totally see him projecting all his self hatred and internalized homophobia on his son and being an emotionally unavailable, abusive fuck.

[Megan]

Does anyone know whether Anna Duggar used blanket training?

It's suspected, no? The way Mackenzie freaked out as a flower girl at the Waller wedding seemed like she'd was afraid of being punished. I also feel like she was shown playing on a blanket on a couple of episodes I've seen (one at the car lot?). While that might just be a cleanliness or comfort thing, given that the Duggars use(d) blanket training, I get a feeling J&A might.

[lilith]

David commented on the Ezzo post after another commenter warned him on Ezzo.

For all Davilla's faults I really don't see them as being Ezzo or Pearl following parents. Not saying the would, but right now I don't get that vibe from them.

I don't see them gravitating to that sort of parenting themselves. I do see them following the suggestions of "authorities" in their lives, like Gothard or Michelle Duggar, and following their parenting recommendations even if it felt unnatural and drove Priscilla to tears trying to conform to them.

I hope I'm wrong, and that if I'm not they have gentle parenting advocates around them.

[PennySycamore]

Nurse Nell, I think it's awesome that your husband is a retired home birth MD. The Chicago area used to be (don't know if i still is) one of the hotbeds of home birth and there were a few doctors that did home births there. All of the Founding Mothers of LLL had home births except for Betty Wagner and Founder Mary White's husband was one of those home birth docs. Phil Donahue had a MD-attended home birth on his program one day in the late 70s/early 80s.

My husband saw me give birth four times (2 c-section, 2 VBACS), but with my last baby not only was my husband present, but my mom and kindergartener were as well. My 5 year old went to kindergarten that afternoon full of tales of seeing mommy have a baby.

Someone needs to steer Priscilla to Gentle Christian Mothers. It's great for those Christian moms whose heart tells them that blanket training and beating your youngsters with plumbing line is wrong, but need some Biblical backup.

[August]

What's wrong with infant potty training? My friend used the Elimination Communication (EC) method and both of her kids were potty trained before two-years old. It doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. The less little people sitting around in their own feces and urine the better.

I doubt your friend used plumbing line to enforce the potty, though, no?

[sunshine]

It's suspected, no? The way Mackenzie freaked out as a flower girl at the Waller wedding seemed like she'd was afraid of being punished. I also feel like she was shown playing on a blanket on a couple of episodes I've seen (one at the car lot?). While that might just be a cleanliness or comfort thing, given that the Duggars use(d) blanket training, I get a feeling J&A might.

Yeah, that pissed me off when their daughter was upset. They could have taken the time to let her know themselves that she can make a mess, but of course, gothard stress parent friendly and not child friendly. This means that a child should adapt to the parent and not vice versa. ugh.

[Hane]

This video makes me dislike him even more. "My darling little wife'? Could he be more condescending? :x Vomit.

....I hope she's drugged or on a baby high, because she looks even more vapid than usual.

I think that was David trying really, really hard to follow the Gothard Doting '50s Husband script. And I have sounded more grounded than Priscilla after having smoked '70s weed that had been dusted with something.

[albanuadh_1]

Ever since I read the baby's name, all I keep hearing is Campdown Races except it's ' Pauly Wally all day.'

[persuas1ve]

If I focus on the baby, that video is great. If I focus on David & Pris, that video squicks me out...the hair, the patronizing endearments...for a couple that has been married a year and has a baby, they seem remarkably uncomfortable in their affection for one another.

It may be that in the earlier videos, Pris looked more natural/not-delayed because she was answering off the cuff and not trying desperately to remember what her puppet-master, I mean husband has scripted for her.

[gustava]

Yeah, that pissed me off when their daughter was upset. They could have taken the time to let her know themselves that she can make a mess, but of course, gothard stress parent friendly and not child friendly. This means that a child should adapt to the parent and not vice versa. ugh.

If Anna does it, even if gently, perhaps that will encourage Priscilla to do so....unfortunately.

[PurpleSheepleEater]

If David is being groomed to take over for Gothard you can bet the farm that they will be beating that baby and all further babies. It doesn't matter that she seems gentle and it doesn't matter that he's seen as soft. To save face he will have to be broken in spirit and do exactly what his parents say. Poor Paul will be sleep trained, blanket trained, smacked before he can walk and punished for expressing needs. That is just the way their system works and neither of them will risk their positions. Prissy will do whatever David says to do because he's the man and she's not allowed to say otherwise. She's one of the most docile subservient women I've ever seen in the IFB circles. David will demand that all their kids are punished physically, early and often, because that's what they believe the bible says and so that's how they do it. It's what they preach from the pulpit, they can't be a bad example and not do it themselves. Kids of leadership in those circles are some of the most abused kids I've ever met. I feel nothing but pity for that baby and all the babies of these crazy people.

[LadyFriend]

I know this is a little late, but I just saw that they had the baby. HOLY SHIT!!! 9 lbs 11 oz?!?! That's HUGE!

The video is creepy (as always), but that newborn looks like a 6 month old to me! OUCH!!! I hope Priscilla is doing well.

[kaetrin]

I know it's a shame he'll never get to enjoy the fun of St. Paddy's day, or a green beer :(

This gives me an opportunity to rant off topic!

My MIL helpfully re-posted No Greater Joy "Ministries"'s FB status today, in which we are assured that Patrick was not actually Catholic! No, he was a "Christian evangelist" who founded hundreds of "Bible-believing churches!" And apparently we know this because he never preached about the rosary, purgatory, or praying to Mary.

After I smacked my head a few times, I very cleverly observed the following:

1. If being ordained a priest/bishop in communion with the Bishop of Rome doesn't make you Catholic, I'm not sure what does.

2. If not making a big deal about the rosary, purgatory, and veneration of Mary = not Catholic, then even the Pope wasn't Catholic in the 5th century. 'Cause, you know, those doctrines hadn't really been developed yet.

With great force of will, I refrained from sharing this with my MIL. I already told her on Friday that the "graph app privacy" chain message she had posted was inaccurate and failed to solve the issue, and I don't want to be that person more than once a week.

[Dandruff]

Hane wrote:

I think that was David trying really, really hard to follow the Gothard Doting '50s Husband script.

Yeah, I think so too and I believe he has some genuine affection for her. And the hair thing didn't bother me. But I don't understand why he didn't post some pictures and the story on their website first and film the video later.

[gibbsgirls]

Hopefully David and Pris have enough sense to go with their instincts and what feels natural in caring for their baby.

Unfortunately, this won't be the case. Ezzo is a very fundie-approved way to "train" a baby. With fundies it's all about having control over every aspect of their children's lives - starting in infancy.

[Indigo]

This video makes me dislike him even more. "My darling little wife'? Could he be more condescending? :x Vomit.

Yep he can (or is that pe can?)! Look at the way he pats her after he says it. It's like he's patting the head of his dog. Good Priscilla! Good girl! :animals-dog:

[fundiemental]

Unfortunately, this won't be the case. Ezzo is a very fundie-approved way to "train" a baby. With fundies it's all about having control over every aspect of their children's lives - starting in infancy.

Compliance is the name of the game.

[JenniferJuniper]

Yeah, I think so too and I believe he has some genuine affection for her. And the hair thing didn't bother me. But I don't understand why he didn't post some pictures and the story on their website first and film the video later.

His "genuine affection" appears to be similar to the sort of affection one feels for an obedient puppy.

And his "little darling wife" condescension is sickening, especially after she’s clearly just gone through a tough - probably drug free - labor and delivered a big baby. I feel sorry for the baby, but I'm far sorrier for Priscilla who will probably live out her life being smacked with a newspaper whenever she displeases her wonderful husband.

[Chibi Author]

davidlovespriscilla.com/2013/03/17/paul-william-waller/

Baby Paul is utterly adorable, and David's writing is nauseating. Priscilla looks happy.

Btw, Chickie, your profile pic gets me every time. It's so cute!

[Mama Mia]

It's suspected, no? The way Mackenzie freaked out as a flower girl at the Waller wedding seemed like she'd was afraid of being punished. I also feel like she was shown playing on a blanket on a couple of episodes I've seen (one at the car lot?). While that might just be a cleanliness or comfort thing, given that the Duggars use(d) blanket training, I get a feeling J&A might.

I think the bolded is a pretty big assumption. LOTS of toddlers have weird obsessions. Freaking out about things being out of their own particular sense of order is very, very common. So is freaking out over stray hairs, or lumpy socks, or not playing the same video for the 4 bazillionth time.

[lilith]

I suggested Gentle Christian Mothers, and so did another commenter.

My hope is that, alone at home all day with a baby, she will seek the company and community if other mothers and see that parenting (and Christianity) doesn't have to be done the fundie way. It would be great if she bonded with some mainstream Christian women over baby love, and eventually made some non ATI friends. I know when my first baby was born I loved mothering sites where people weren't bored by the minutiae of my baby's development and wondrousness, and it could open a whole new world up to Priscilla.