In Bates withdrawl?

[IReallyAmHopewell]

It's been over a week and no new post. I really, sincerely hope they are just sick of answering comments and not that anything has gone wrong for Kelly and the new baby.

[luckylibrarian]

She had the baby? Boy or girl? Have they posted about the delivery yet? I'm wondering how it went.

Edited because I'm tired and incoherent.

[Jessica]

The baby isn't due till February.

[Daenerys]

Is this the baby number 19 that's going to tie them with the Duggars?

I really want one of the families to get to 20... I don't approve of all their beliefs but I'd just like to see the milestone reached.

[lilwriter85]

Is this the baby number 19 that's going to tie them with the Duggars?

I really want one of the families to get to 20... I don't approve of all their beliefs but I'd just like to see the milestone reached.

I'm kind of rooting for the Bateses to reach 20 and piss up Boob and Mullet. I wonder if we will the Bateses on next episode. It seemed like the Duggars were at Big Sandy.

[SamuraiKatz]

Um....I'm not feeling the Bates love so much any more. Between the Nightline report revealing Lawson's fiscal support. And Kelly claiming Gary Ezzo's book is one of her favorites. To call physical punishment a "correction" is disingenuous. So I guess Correction is code for not sparing the rod?

A reply from their latest update....

By Gil, September 27, 2011 @ 6:58 pm

Dear Christy,

One of our favorite resources for parenting tips is Growing Kids God’s Way by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo. Gil just preached a message to encourage parents not to respond in anger… If you’ll send your name and address with a note requesting the sermon on anger, I’ll be glad to mail it to you! Remember, the most effective parenting is preventive… teaching BEFORE an offense occurs. Also remember, ALL discipline should be done in LOVE with the mindset that this is not punishment for an offense, but more importantly, it is protection from a future harmful attitude or response. The goal is to HELP not HURT. Correction is necessary at times, but your attitude during that correction will make all the difference in the quality of your relationship with one another. How do you want your child to describe your parenting to others when he/she grows up one day? Love, Kelly

[Daenerys]

I'm kind of rooting for the Bateses to reach 20 and piss up Boob and Mullet. I wonder if we will the Bateses on next episode. It seemed like the Duggars were at Big Sandy.

Definitely. I think J'Chelle is done (and in denial) but Kelly still appears to be fertile... is she younger? She looks older but that's probably because she actually raises her children.

It must suck to realise your mothering days are coming to an end when you live in a culture that values the ability to reproduce above everything. I don't think these women consider that going into it, and neither Kelly nor Michelle are looking to become grandmothers of an army for a long while. It seems a bit of a limbo and something that isn't properly considered or addressed within their community.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

On the BATES: I was really hoping Kelly would have twins!

Comment on comments on Ezzo/GKGW

I know probably 50 families who have taken GKDW. None are at all fanatics. You use your own judgement in how far to take it. I've never known anyone who bought the party line of never comforting a crying baby etc. Even ultra-liberal parenting guru Barry Brazelton says it's ok to leave a baby cry for a while so they can learn to self-soothe. Many couples go to GKGW for OTHER reasons--to meet other families of young children, to try to learn some other ways of dealing with their kids behavior, or from peer pressure at church. What they do with the knowledge is up to them. I personally have seen that Nanny 911/Supernanny become a GREAT counter balance and been in some great discussions as parents try to find a good balance for limits, expectations etc. New parents are often far from family and need support where they can find it. Don't be too quick to judge someone just for taking a class.

[lilwriter85]

Definitely. I think J'Chelle is done (and in denial) but Kelly still appears to be fertile... is she younger? She looks older but that's probably because she actually raises her children.

It must suck to realise your mothering days are coming to an end when you live in a culture that values the ability to reproduce above everything. I don't think these women consider that going into it, and neither Kelly nor Michelle are looking to become grandmothers of an army for a long while. It seems a bit of a limbo and something that isn't properly considered or addressed within their community.

I think Kelly is younger than Michelle by year or so. I'm not sure though. I think Michelle is done and probably won't accept for a few years. I would worry about Kelly though because she has a few miscarriages and I believe Judson had some health problems at birth.

[NJMom]

Kelly is just a month younger than Michelle.....Michelle just turned 45 and Kelly will be 45 sometime in October. I have a feeling Michelle might not be able to conceive again due to the difficulty she had with her blood pressure and Josie's birth and delivery (think I read somewhere that an emergency c-section needs a vertical incision and can make conception difficult afterwards). However, I'm pretty certain Kelly will have at least one more baby after this one, possibly more. She seems even more fertile than Michelle.

Have the Bates said anything about when Zach will be getting married? How long do the couples "court" before getting engaged...it's arlready been a few months, hasn't it?

[Daenerys]

Kelly is just a month younger than Michelle.....Michelle just turned 45 and Kelly will be 45 sometime in October. I have a feeling Michelle might not be able to conceive again due to the difficulty she had with her blood pressure and Josie's birth and delivery (think I read somewhere that an emergency c-section needs a vertical incision and can make conception difficult afterwards). However, I'm pretty certain Kelly will have at least one more baby after this one, possibly more. She seems even more fertile than Michelle.

Have the Bates said anything about when Zach will be getting married? How long do the couples "court" before getting engaged...it's already been a few months, hasn't it?

A vertical incision isn't always necessary, but she may have had one due to the massive amount of scar tissue she would have from so many horizontal caesareans. Three is the maximum number recommended by doctors and she must have had more by now... I think she did for Jana/JD, Jackson, Josie and at least one other.

[koolmom]

Kelly is just a month younger than Michelle.....Michelle just turned 45 and Kelly will be 45 sometime in October. I have a feeling Michelle might not be able to conceive again due to the difficulty she had with her blood pressure and Josie's birth and delivery (think I read somewhere that an emergency c-section needs a vertical incision and can make conception difficult afterwards). However, I'm pretty certain Kelly will have at least one more baby after this one, possibly more. She seems even more fertile than Michelle.

Have the Bates said anything about when Zach will be getting married? How long do the couples "court" before getting engaged...it's arlready been a few months, hasn't it?

Suddenly I don't feel so bad for not having had any more children after my daughter's emergency c-section vertical incision delivery 25 years ago. Phew! I could have been in for some deep trouble!

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Have the Bates said anything about when Zach will be getting married

Not until he finishes his online college studies.

[Kitten]

OK, I just gotta say it - the riffle in the post title is PERFECT.

Withdrawl? As a native southerner (whose family came from northwest AR), I am immediately adopting this spelling...

:D

[ophelia]

Iam actually quiet happy that there aren't any new blog posts for two reasons:

1) it probably means that Kelly is still pregnant. (Or she just miscarried and nobody feels able to tell world about it.. which would be understandable..)

2) it can also mean that there are no events, conferences etc. that are worth a post (and they post about everything...!) so that they are right now actually living a quiet life, with the kids beeing home"schooled", Gil working to pay Lawson his money back and the older ones are working on their college "degree".

[ophelia]

There is a new post on their blog. Zach, Lawson, Michaela and Addee are on tour with the Reith family.. Michaela seems to be like Addee`s mom. Poor girls, both of them!

Although Zach and Sarah don't do all that handsex that Anna and Smuggar did, they are definetely also into that whole matching clothes thing...

[Deleted03]

There is a new post on their blog. Zach, Lawson, Michaela and Addee are on tour with the Reith family.. Michaela seems to be like Addee`s mom. Poor girls, both of them!

Although Zach and Sarah don't do all that handsex that Anna and Smuggar did, they are definetely also into that whole matching clothes thing...

they are courting so no touching, when they get engaged they might hold hands...

[xReems]

Wow, my boyfriend and I don't even do that. Seriously, it's like these fundies revert back to being teenagers during courtship.

However, with that being said, I do find Sarah and Zach as a cute couple. Zach does seem like more of a romantic than Smuggar.

[kelseyjhale]

your fucking shitting me NO HANDSEX! thats the best thing to a christian courtship!

[Kelsey]

Zach does seem like more of a romantic than Smuggar.

From what we've seen, that's not saying much :D

[xReems]

From what we've seen, that's not saying much :D

Haha that is definitely true. Guess we'll see down the road how their happy marriage works.

Oh fundie courtships--I'll never understand your reasonings behind it.

[myanimus]

Stupid thought but I wonder if they wear the matching clothes as kind of a "we're together" type thing since no touching, no nothing to show the world they're together?

[xReems]

Stupid thought but I wonder if they wear the matching clothes as kind of a "we're together" type thing since no touching, no nothing to show the world they're together?

It wouldn't surprise me if that's the case. I know Josh and Anna did the same thing during their engagement.

Lets just hope Sarah doesn't end up with a "Zachy's girl" purse the first few months into their marriage.

I think the only "normal" fundy relationship I've seen is between Andrew Wissman and Kori. I think the Wissman Family are pretty fundy, but Andrew's relationship/engagement/wedding seemed more mainstream. Go them, they're breaking the cycle.

[myanimus]

I think the only "normal" fundy relationship I've seen is between Andrew Wissman and Kori.

I dont' know of them but will look for a blog, I'd love to see what "normal" courting is. It's so interesting, I could've never done it!

[xReems]

I dont' know of them but will look for a blog, I'd love to see what "normal" courting is. It's so interesting, I could've never done it!

if you go to koris-blog.blogspot.com, it's his wife's, Kori, blog. They had their first dance, she's wearing jeans, they're clearly touching and snuggling with each other before engagement. They're a pretty cute couple, actually.