Melanie Maxwell delivered Andrew

[anjulibai]

The man of God thing isn't so surprising. I'm sure all fundies wish that for theirs sons and hope their sons think that way.

I was offended that Drew is Mommy and Daddy's (or is that Daddy's and Mommy's) special gift from God 'cause he is their first son.

I certainly hope all of their children are special gifts regardless of gender.

Yes, that made me raise an eyebrow. But fundies definitely put a special emphasis on the first born son thing. I think that's why Joshua's birth got so much more fanfare than Christina's, despite being less than 2 weeks apart.

[Justme]

Maybe Steve figures if anything ever happens to Mel, Sarah, Anna, and Mary can raise the kids and keep house for Nathan.

[LittleOleMe]

I'm more bothered by the fact that Sarah wrote this blog post completely in first person from the point of view of Andrew. I really hate when people do that with their children in general but this one in particular just feels really super odd and creepy. Why can't she just write about what is happening without making it seem like some stupid preachy made up bullshit that those people love to spout. It reminds me more of an anti-abortion write up than a premie birth blog entry.

[clarinetpower]

Also, Mommy telling him to be a "Big Boy". HE'S A FREAKING PREEMIE, YOU IDIOT!!! :angry-banghead:

[twin2]

WTF did I just read?

Kid is like 2 days old, and already the Maxwells are putting words into his mouth.

[WonderingInWA]

I thought the "big boy" was odd, also. They seem to be projecting fear onto him, and encouraging him to be brave and strong, but "big boy"? Hmmm. I also would have liked to know specifically what went wrong around lunchtime that they had to put meds (what kind?) into his IV? I guess that's all the details we'll get, though.

And it's interesting -- no time of birth, weight, length, was it an emergency C, etc.? I guess there's no fanfare here. Just "he's born and has some struggles".

[Marian the Librarian]

That latest blog post by Sarah was just. downright. painful. to read.

That's all I've got.

[WonderingInWA]

'NICU with the Moody's".

[Bethella]

That last post was painful. I wonder if Sarah simplified things and didn't explain the episode because she doesn't understand the baby's medical situation. I suppose I could be charitable and think that it was to protect the baby's privacy but this is the Maxwells.

[LittleOleMe]

'NICU with the Moody's".

No. "that special place babies go - with the Moody's". Does she not know how to spell NICU? And why even say it like that? It sounds like he died or something. I still can't believe people buy her sorry excuses for books.

[Dandruff]

Also, Mommy telling him to be a "Big Boy". HE'S A FREAKING PREEMIE, YOU IDIOT!!! :angry-banghead:

That creeps me out more than anything else in the post, though "I didn't mean to scare Daddy and Mommy, and I'll try not to do that again." comes close. They should be worrying about how he's feeling, not the other way around.

[MamaJunebug]

Where did I miss the "man of G-d" reference? Did they delete it?

"Be a big boy." I can't snark on a woman who's just given premature, emergency birth, but by gum by golly I'd like to think of Melanie saying, "We love you, baby, we love you" rather than giving him something to aspire to. *shudder* Maxhell, that's what it is.

And yes, "I'll try not to scare mommy again" was just cruel. That baby cannot breathe on his own, how is he imagined to be guilty of something that's nowhere within his control????

ETA: Can someone who knows how to, screencap that page as it is now? I can't imagine that Steve isn't going to come here to see what the vile heathen horde has been saying, and to realize how repulsive the imaginary soliloquy is? Even the most devoted Maxhellions have to read that and think ohmygod!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Miggy]

As the post stands today. (Sorry about the five parts - couldn't squash it up and wanted paragraphs to stay together.)

[Miggy]

Lost an image there ... This one goes first.

[ncb]

Wow. He looks really small even for 35 weeks. I had my twins at 35 weeks. My daughter was 4lbs. 12 oz. and my son 5 lbs. 10oz. neither had to spend any time in the NICU, stayed in the room with us, and went home with us. We were very lucky. Maybe after seeing her mom have all these awful pregnancies Abby will think twice when it comes to be her time to fill a quiver. I hope so. Nathan and Melanie will keep going because even though they will never be able to "beat" Christopher and NR Anna they will be wishing they could compete.

[16strong]

Quick question here- if Nathan and Melanie never have another boy, will this one get his own room? It is well known the Maxwells refuse to let their kids have their own rooms, but they also refuse to let boys room with girls. I wonder how that would work out?

It is also clear that they favor this boy over their girls, as they have made mention that he is God's special gift- a BOY. Wonder how ABC will feel growing up second class?

[Jane_Goth]

WTF did I just read?

It was vomit inducing.

Kid is like 2 days old, and already the Maxwells are putting words into his mouth.

But isn't that the way with all the Maxwell kids since Steve took them down the rabbit hole, there has always been an adultSteve putting words in their mouths.

edited for riffles

[Alicepooh]

I have found Sarah's latest post terrible yet sweet. I really felt sorry for the girl: I think she tried to find a cute and "different" way to relate a somewhat difficult birth story and subsequent situation, but she ended up sounding very naive and cheesy.

Then I thought about how sad she must be feeling: being in her 30's and not having a family of her own. Still being labeled as one of "the children" under Steve's "headship". It must be difficult for her to be content, even after all the Maxwell brainwashing!

[ILoveJellybeans]

Be a big boy? He is a very newly born premature baby. How can he be a big boy?

[nausicaa]

That last post was painful. I wonder if Sarah simplified things and didn't explain the episode because she doesn't understand the baby's medical situation. I suppose I could be charitable and think that it was to protect the baby's privacy but this is the Maxwells.

That's what I think. Writing it as Drew was a good cover for how little she understands about what is going on. Ever since someone posted the summary of one of the Moody books, I've suspected Sarah is really poorly educated (in addition to obviously being sheltered). I truly think her understanding of the outside world and what goes on in it is akin to a nine or ten year old child.

[Arete]

The Maxwells and Sarah's attempts at creative writing always leave me cold, this being no exception. However, I had no problem with the "be a big boy" reference. In my culture it is pretty common when seeing a newborn for the first time to say "May you grow and be a good girl/good boy". So I didn't think twice about Melanie asking her son to be a big (brave) boy. Your transferring your hopes at that point, not giving them orders. Even the Maxwells probably still have that bit of humanity.

The rest is Sarah's pathetic attempt at creative writing. That poor woman-child knows nothing of human emotions or the human condition in general, so no surprise she is unable to convey a simple concept like a birth synopsis and a quick indication the baby is loved. It is just a sad, infuriating commentary on how emotionally crippled the adult Maxbots are.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I feel sorry for Sarah. She is in her 30s but has had pretty much everything that makes people human taken away from her. No genuine emotions, no sense of adventure, no curiosity......and absolutely no knowledge or understanding about what she is missing out on. She is like a child, and will never "earn" her right to grow up...and even if she does, it would be like telling a ten year old that she can get married, have babies and look after herself without being told what to do and watched all the time.

[16strong]

It's fun to snark on Sarah's writing for awhile, but then it really sinks in that she would likely be an excellent writer if she had not been stunted by her father. She could have worked as an editor or become a novelist (although she has said that writing is not her first love, so maybe she would have chosen something else). If she had had any training at all and had been allowed to cultivate a creative mind, I have no doubt she could have been something. Everyday I weep for those kids and what they have been cheated out on. This type of psychological slavery should be illegal.

[LittleOleMe]

Teri had difficult pregnancies, right? Could it possible that Sarah can't - for whatever reason - have children? Or that having even one pregnancy would more than likely kill her? Maybe she's not allow to marry bc she would never be able to fill a man's quiver, so she's the SAHD who will take over for her sisters in law when they inevitably need the help, either from having too many children too close together or get put on bed rest due to complications during pregnancy or die in childbirth. Could it possible that whatever happened to Sarah was discovered and dealt with before they went all crazy? So it was okay for them to not just "pray the sickness away"??

[nausicaa]

Teri had difficult pregnancies, right? Could it possible that Sarah can't - for whatever reason - have children? Or that having even one pregnancy would more than likely kill her? Maybe she's not allow to marry bc she would never be able to fill a man's quiver, so she's the SAHD who will take over for her sisters in law when they inevitably need the help, either from having too many children too close together or get put on bed rest due to complications during pregnancy or die in childbirth. Could it possible that whatever happened to Sarah was discovered and dealt with before they went all crazy? So it was okay for them to not just "pray the sickness away"??

The thing is, aren't most fertility issues discovered once someone tries to become pregnant? Other than her having an emergency hysterectomy as a kid or being born intersex, I doubt the Maxwells would know much about Sarah's fertility at this point. (I have never had a child though, and don't know much about fertility issues, so I could be off here).