Seewalds 31: Jessa’s Maybe-Baby

[Ivycoveredtower]

1 hour ago, singsingsing said:

I should ask my dad about this. I think his grandparents might have had close to 100 grandchildren. I know my dad has first cousins that he just doesn’t know at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if that ended up being the case for most of the grandduggars, especially as many of their cousins will have a 20-30+ year age gap between them.

plus who knows which Duggar's will move away from the compound and not be in touch with the people around the TTH that much. I can see Jessa's kids and JInger's being close because they make it a point to stay in touch but some of the other siblings kids I can see being very distant with the Jinjer kids just because of hardly ever seeing them. 

[SweetJuly]

5 hours ago, fluffernutter said:

What I want to know, is what do grandparents do for say, holidays, birthdays, graduations, (wait never mind they will probably not have traditional high school graduations), etc  for 100+ grandkids? My in-laws have nine grandchildren and just helping the parents out, gifting at holidays, going to their concerts/games/events/ and celebrating birthdays and such is a full time job for them. Michelle's full time job is going to be managing some kind of epic word document or spread sheet alerting her to birth dates, names, etc. It must be a completely different dynamic. 

I think the answer, at least for the Duggars, is that they won't do much.

The kids won't have graduations as such if they are homeschooled, and they are likely to not have any games, events or concerts outside performing at a Duggar family reunion or at church, so Jim Bob and Michelle don't need to worry about that.

They might record a short congrats video for birthdays or other important "life events" until the number of grandchildren becomes too unwieldy, and have one of their live-in slaves procure a gift that will be mailed to the child or handed over at a visit at the TTH.

The End.

(I do wonder about the admin part, though. I guess they're using a calendar as most people do at the moment, but as the number of grandchildren grows, they will need to upgrade to a spreadsheet or set themselves yearly reminders on their phone...)

[SorenaJ]

I think they will get to 100, but definitely not 200. 

[meee]

Based on what we know now of the married kids' fertility and pregnancy histories, I'll guess 9 for Josh and Anna, 4 each for Jana and JD, 5 for Jill, 8 for Jessa (she slowed way down after Henry and I imagine she'll continue to do so since she actually likes her kids), 4 for Jinger, 14 for Joe and Kendra, 6 for Josiah (I think he'll put his foot down).  Joy depends whether or not she's had a C-section, I'll say 5 if she has, 15 if she hasn't.  Then there are ten more under Joy, so that's an average of I'll say five kids per couple (I'm thinking some super large families and some not quiverfull/infertile/not married/etc.

So that is a total of 109 to 119 grandchildren. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the number stays under 100.

Edit: I also didn't factor in any twins. Do we know if they are all more likely than average to have twins because Michelle did, or only the twins themselves?

Second edit, sorry. I'm also going to predict that from here on there will always be a pregnant Duggar daughter or DIL. Actually, there pretty much has been since Jill got pregnant, except for the six months between Jessa's two.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

6 hours ago, fluffernutter said:

What I want to know, is what do grandparents do for say, holidays, birthdays, graduations, (wait never mind they will probably not have traditional high school graduations), etc  for 100+ grandkids? My in-laws have nine grandchildren and just helping the parents out, gifting at holidays, going to their concerts/games/events/ and celebrating birthdays and such is a full time job for them. Michelle's full time job is going to be managing some kind of epic word document or spread sheet alerting her to birth dates, names, etc. It must be a completely different dynamic. 

You just don’t. It’s a different dynamic. My grandparents came from a time of larger families and less money, and no one expected them to run around giving gifts and attending events. My great-grandparents had a Christmas party with grab bags of gifts for the boys and the girls. Sometimes there are big parties for everyone, sometimes Grandma and Grandpa visit the kids and their families, and sometimes you fall out of touch and it’s not a big deal.

[TatiFish9]

I predict about rough 85 - 100 grandkids as well.

Fertility is steadily decreasing in both men and women and is only expected to continue to decline without intervention. Child rearing trends are changing even within their denom and half these older 2nd gens are going to realize what their parents did was not only rare but also limiting. The ones I see keeping with quiverfull are Ana, Joe and Josiah ( this list does not include younger ones who have not come of age).

While Joy and Austin seem like they will go the "old" route, Joy has too much of a "can't be bothered" attitude to keep up with it and Austin doesn't come from a huge family. I see their views changing quickly.

I think Jessa would have tried but she finds parenting exhausting and is in awe of how her mother ever did it in the first place.

Jill and Derrick's lifestyle does not support a large family, regardless of what may or may not be going on with her medically.

If Jana and JD marry they will not put up with it. They've already raised their children.

It will be a cold day in hell before Jinjer put on any show that does not project suburban professional ministry -ites. I see three or four for them max, especially if they have one of each sex early on. 

Predictions are for fun only. I wish these couples whatever they want and can bear as far as childbirthing goes.

 

[SapphireSlytherin]

I think (HOPE!) Jinger and Jeremy stop at 2. Regardless of sex - if they get two girls or two boys or one of each - I think (HOPE!) they'll stop with that.

[Caskett4ever]

I think they'll reach 100 grandkids. In order to hit that number, 14 of them would have to have 5 kids and 5 of them would have to have 6 kids. I'm sure some will have less than that (perhaps Jana and John-David since they are a little older and not in a relationship, or some of them will just decide that they want a small amount of children or none at all). I'm sure some will have more (Josh and Anna are already at 5 and just turning 30, so it's definitely possible they have a few more; Lauren is about to become the third teenage bride in a row for this family, giving many of the Duggars plenty of time to have a large number of kids (especially if they continue to be against birth control)). However, I believe Jim Bob's dream of 200 grandkids is highly unlikely since on average it would require every one of his kids to have a number of kids in the double digits.

[Rachel333]

The "horrific skin disease" title is just clickbait, but eczema really can be miserable. I have it really bad at times and it can be very painful. I've never seen this show, but apparently *The Night Of* does a good job portraying what it's like to have bad eczema.

Warning: really gross picture ahead. This is what my feet looked like for quite a while last year. It was awful. 

Spoiler

I got it a bit better by wrapping my feet with a thick layer of hydrocortisone cream overnight. (Kind of gross description so I'll use another spoiler.)

Spoiler

That treatment worked pretty well, but it also had the side effect of causing all kinds of fun bacterial infections (which people with eczema are particularly prone to) on my ankles and lower legs. 

Over the last few months though the eczema on my foot disappeared without me even doing anything different. Now I've just got a little bit on my hands, which is the best it's been in a long time.

[CarrotCake]

7 hours ago, tabitha2 said:

Yeah. I just remembered that  

 so it won’t be quite that scary  

Well, since their teenagers have babies it could still be the case.

Mac's 18 year old daughter giving birth while Josie's oldest is 16/17 ;-)

[laPapessaGiovanna]

You have all my Sympathy @Rachel333.

A fellow eczema sufferer

[CarrotCake]

I think they will get around 110-120 grandkids, definitely over 100 but no way they will go over 150.

[kachuu]

22 minutes ago, laPapessaGiovanna said:

You have all my Sympathy @Rachel333.

A fellow eczema sufferer

Same. I had it rough in middle school all over my face- especially my eyelids were bad. My aunt has it on her feet. I can only imagine the pain walking when there is a flair-up

I have found pure coconut oil has helped tremendously! Not even extra healing jergens alleviates the pain in the dead of winter

[RubyRei]

20 hours ago, Ivycoveredtower said:

after watching yesterday's episode part of me wonders if Jessa is taking some preventive measures so she doesn't have to put up with that food diet again if another baby has the same issues as Henry. also Ben was acting like an ass to her about that diet. always questioning her if this or that was on the diet no thank you. 

I didn’t think Ben was doing anything wrong. It’s not like the diet is for her to lose some weight or something, he’s just helping her help their child!

Also, fellow eczema sufferers: I have chronic eczema on my hands and I use Shea Moisture African Black Soap for eczema and psoriasis and HOLY MOLY it is amazing! I also use the same line’s lotion and mix it with jojoba oil each application and it’s great! I’ve heard good reviews on the body wash though I’ve never used it 

[SapphireSlytherin]

For everyone treating the symptom  of eczema, Jessa is 100% on-track by changing her (and Henry's) diet. Dermatologists LOVE to treat symptoms, rather than diagnosing the CAUSE. They're always saying it's laundry detergent, fabric softener, body wash, soap, shampoo, etc., when it's likely to be something internal (a reaction to food).

My eczema went AWAY when I cut gluten from my diet. My skin is CLEAR and no longer paper-thin from all the creams/ointments/lotions that I was constantly bombarding my body with. 

[Ivycoveredtower]

19 minutes ago, RubyRei said:

I didn’t think Ben was doing anything wrong. It’s not like the diet is for her to lose some weight or something, he’s just helping her help their child!

Also, fellow eczema sufferers: I have chronic eczema on my hands and I use Shea Moisture African Black Soap for eczema and psoriasis and HOLY MOLY it is amazing! I also use the same line’s lotion and mix it with jojoba oil each application and it’s great! I’ve heard good reviews on the body wash though I’ve never used it 

To me he acted like she was a child who couldn't make her own decisions or who was an idiot. I am sure if she wasn't positive she could try something she would look it up. like she did with the plantains no need for Ben to always been on her back. 

5 hours ago, SweetJuly said:

I think the answer, at least for the Duggars, is that they won't do much.

The kids won't have graduations as such if they are homeschooled, and they are likely to not have any games, events or concerts outside performing at a Duggar family reunion or at church, so Jim Bob and Michelle don't need to worry about that.

They might record a short congrats video for birthdays or other important "life events" until the number of grandchildren becomes too unwieldy, and have one of their live-in slaves procure a gift that will be mailed to the child or handed over at a visit at the TTH.

The End.

(I do wonder about the admin part, though. I guess they're using a calendar as most people do at the moment, but as the number of grandchildren grows, they will need to upgrade to a spreadsheet or set themselves yearly reminders on their phone...)

didn't they have one of those wooden calender's at one point that hung on the wall and under each month had the anniversary's and birthdays. that thing must be huge by now. 

[singsingsing]

1 minute ago, Ivycoveredtower said:

To me he acted like she was a child who couldn't make her own decisions or who was an idiot. I am sure if she wasn't positive she could try something she would look it up. like she did with the plantains no need for Ben to always been on her back. 

I didn't see the episode, so maybe he was being super annoying, but isn't this just what people in relationships do? If Ben knows that Jessa and Henry are really suffering with this, that's probably why he's nagging her about it. Maybe she even asked him to. We do that in my family. Sometimes my mum will even ask me, "Do you want me to nag you about this?" And I'll say, "Yes, please do, even if I whine." 

[SassyPants]

10 hours ago, fluffernutter said:

What I want to know, is what do grandparents do for say, holidays, birthdays, graduations, (wait never mind they will probably not have traditional high school graduations), etc  for 100+ grandkids? My in-laws have nine grandchildren and just helping the parents out, gifting at holidays, going to their concerts/games/events/ and celebrating birthdays and such is a full time job for them. Michelle's full time job is going to be managing some kind of epic word document or spread sheet alerting her to birth dates, names, etc. It must be a completely different dynamic. 

My mom has 7 GKs and 1 GGD- she says that is too many to manage.

Michelle's FT job...Bwahhh- she didn't manage her own kids' schedules. She'll not need a spread sheet for anything.

[kachuu]

26 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

 If Ben knows that Jessa and Henry are really suffering with this, that's probably why he's nagging her about it. Maybe she even asked him to. 

Totally agree. I actually just finished watching the episode and I didn't find it snarky from Ben at all. Much more concern for their infant. What I did find annoying was how Jessa condemned him for playing video games. Nothing wrong with hobbies as long as it doesn't interfere with your family! You got to let your partner have their "thing", you know?

[SassyPants]

3 hours ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

I think (HOPE!) Jinger and Jeremy stop at 2. Regardless of sex - if they get two girls or two boys or one of each - I think (HOPE!) they'll stop with that.

I'd  venture to say that if they had 2 girls or 2 boys that they would have a 3rd. JV's parents had 3-

I don't see them having a gaggle. 

[llg1234]

13 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

Dermatologists LOVE to treat symptoms, rather than diagnosing the CAUSE. They're always saying it's laundry detergent, fabric softener, body wash, soap, shampoo, etc., when it's likely to be something internal (a reaction to food).

As someone who works in a dermatology clinic, I think your generalization is a bit unfair and off base. There is still a lot of research to be done about treating eczema and psoriasis, and while they has been some amazing advancements in recent years, there isn't conclusive evidence between diet and these skin conditions. It can definitely help some patients, but providers need to be careful with recommending a treatment that isn't fully understood. Providers should be willing to sit down with a patient and look at all of the options, including possible diet changes and allergies. I'm sorry you had to deal with some bad practitioners who only seemed interested in prescribing band-aid fixes.

[2manyKidzzz]

3 hours ago, Rachel333 said:

The "horrific skin disease" title is just clickbait, but eczema really can be miserable. I have it really bad at times and it can be very painful. I've never seen this show, but apparently *The Night Of* does a good job portraying what it's like to have bad eczema.

Warning: really gross picture ahead. This is what my feet looked like for quite a while last year. It was awful. 

  Reveal hidden contents

I got it a bit better by wrapping my feet with a thick layer of hydrocortisone cream overnight. (Kind of gross description so I'll use another spoiler.)

  Reveal hidden contents

That treatment worked pretty well, but it also had the side effect of causing all kinds of fun bacterial infections (which people with eczema are particularly prone to) on my ankles and lower legs. 

Over the last few months though the eczema on my foot disappeared without me even doing anything different. Now I've just got a little bit on my hands, which is the best it's been in a long time.

I have had some good relief with acupuncture. 

[RubyRei]

@llg1234 Thank you!

I’ve had sensitive skin and eczema my whole life. What makes my eczema flare up? Humid weather, cold weather, exercise/sweating, cleaning, hand washing, eating a fruit and getting juice on my hands, plain water even! It’s been a constant up and down with my hands. I went months and even years at a point without it but it always manages to come back with a vengeance  

I’m sure an elimination diet would be helpful but I have a bunch of other issues to deal with (that are entirely unrelated to food) AND have been suffering from nausea and food aversion for years, so it’s just not that easy! 

I really love finding natural products (or whatever I need during a bad flare up) that help keep my skin comfy and healthy 

[SapphireSlytherin]

11 minutes ago, llg1234 said:

I'm sorry you had to deal with some bad practitioners who only seemed interested in prescribing band-aid fixes.

Me too. I visited three dermatologists during the attempts to find out what was causing my skin symptoms, and -- to be fair -- endured a variety of tests, including scrapings, punch biopsies, and CT scans, and used all the prescription soaps/shampoos, to no avail.

The main skin condition I have is the "celiac rash" --- which is also known as the suicide rash because it's THAT itchy. And yes, I've been to that point with that itchiness. It is NOT good. And all the dermatologists would say is:  it's your detergent, fabric softener, soap, clothing, deodorant, etc.

I did have some good results from acupuncture, but - again - it was short-lived. Did a Whole30, my skin cleared up. Added gluten back to my diet - BAM. Rash, eczema, and other skin (and digestive) issues. 

I have a HUGE problem with the arrogance of doctors who just try to placate patients with debilitating conditions by spouting their "higher knowledge" rather than listening to and treating them appropriately.

I understand many are overworked and have a ton of paperwork, but still. They need to remember that the people who come to them for HELP (legitimate HELP, not just prescriptions for opioids - which I don't take, BTW) need HELP. Not a pat on the back and a push out the door.

[JordynDarby5]

1 minute ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

I have a HUGE problem with the arrogance of doctors who just try to placate patients with debilitating conditions by spouting their "higher knowledge" rather than listening to and treating them appropriately.

I understand many are overworked and have a ton of paperwork, but still. They need to remember that the people who come to them for HELP (legitimate HELP, not just prescriptions for opioids - which I don't take, BTW) need HELP. Not a pat on the back and a push out the door.

If I could like this post especially this part a million times I would. Yes! Doctors listen to your patients! Its not that hard.