Josie and Kelton 4: Please Leave the Catholics Alone and Now Gestating

[lumpentheologie]

I don't think Josie looks fat by any stretch of the imagination...she just doesn't look remarkably thin/petite anymore. 

[CarrotCake]

8 hours ago, HarleyQuinn said:

That's how I looked during pregnancy until 6.5 months and I have to say it's annoying when you just look like you got fat when you're actually pregnant

The other way around is even worse ?

[MaryOrMartha]

I had a bloated bump from 6 to 10 weeks and then looked like my normal self. Tiny bump that didn’t really pop out until late in my 3rd trimester. 

[miss_batson]

 

[19tacos&counting]

I could never tell she was 20 weeks pregnant there

[Audrey2]

4 hours ago, 19tacos&counting said:

I could never tell she was 20 weeks pregnant there

I worked for a woman like that. I didn't realize she was  7 months pregnant when I met her, so it felt like her baby came really fast. I think Jill Dillard looked more pregnant at 20 weeks then this woman did at 9 months!

[front hugs > duggs]

22 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

I worked for a woman like that. I didn't realize she was  7 months pregnant when I met her, so it felt like her baby came really fast. I think Jill Dillard looked more pregnant at 20 weeks then this woman did at 9 months!

I had a dream the other night like that! I found out I was pregnant and the baby came like 2 months later ha!

I have a body similar to Joy Duggar Forsyth in that I have a really short torso, plus all of my body fat almost entirely hangs out around my belly, so I feel like I'll show pretty early and look quite large when I'm (hopefully one day) pregnant. I already have body insecurity and I am not looking forward to that to be completely honest :\ 

(Not trying to body shame Joy or her body at all with that - I'm just very aware of my own personal self esteem issues and I know people mentioned Joy looking further along than she was likely because of her short torso).

[lumpentheologie]

Pregnancy just looks so different on different people. One of my best friends didn't look pregnant at all at 8 months. And she's one of the smallest, thinnest people I know. We were a bit worried about her baby, actually, but the doctor said it was fine and now she has a healthy 2 year-old. But seriously, I wouldn't have believed she was pregnant if I hadn't known. She said it had to do with the way her uterus was tilted, so maybe some of the Bates girls have something similar. 

[Melissa1977]

I was flat until 20 weeks pregnant, and only had a *real* belly for the last 2 months. I was flat a week after the birth. I'm thin but not as petite as Josie or Alyssa, but big/little bump is not related to being thin or fat. It's about the position of the uterus. 

 

[lumpentheologie]

Kelton just posted about his cousin's miscarriage.  She looked to be pretty far along.  

Blog post under spoiler

Spoiler

Sometimes, I’m afraid I’m a pragmatist. During times of pain, I often find myself wondering if I’m balancing that eternal weight of faith in God’s ability to work the miraculous and a humble submission to His Sovereign will. Am I limiting God? Am I missing out on these “miracles” because my faith doesn’t amount to a mustard seed?

You have to understand, this year has been quite a study in seeing God through suffering. It started with a traumatic and unexpected miscarriage in January. By the end of February, we had neither income nor a home of our own anymore. March and April ushered in multiple viral illnesses, depression & family health emergencies; May brought the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease… I could regale you for hours with stories of debilitating back injuries, hospitalized children, financial strain; so the list goes on…

In many of these instances, I was brought low. Low enough to question God’s love for me, His goodness, sometimes His very existence. But time and time again, He called me back. Quieted me with His love. Showed me that His love for me is not dependent on my circumstances, and that He hears the prayers that seemingly go “unanswered”.

And that sometimes, because He loves me, He says no.

Then enter in this story of our dear, sweet, loved-like-crazy Samuel. The child our hearts ached for; that we prayed for. The child I suffered through months of discomfort and illness for. Yet how could I complain? God had finally given me a “yes”, and it made all our previous misery pale in comparison.

Then came the ultrasound room. The grim lines on the technician’s face. The multiple scans, blood work, MRI, genetic counseling. The quiet offer of a medical termination. The tearful decision to carry our son until God Himself takes Sam into His own loving arms, whether that be minutes, days, or years.

Once again, I am brought low.

People keep calling me “brave” and “strong”, saying how “proud” they are of us. Sweet encouragement to be sure, but I have to confess…

I don’t feel brave.
I don’t feel strong.
I don’t feel worthy of any sort of recognition or esteem.

I feel like I’m about to drown. I’m exhausted, trapped, cornered, without a way of escape. I have but one option if there is any hope of survival.

I cling to Christ.

You see, I have a firm belief that the compassionate and loving God Who formed galaxies is fully capable of healing my son with a single word… and that would indeed be a miracle worthy of praise. I know that “doctors are often wrong”, “medicine is not perfect”, “there have been cases”… I’ve heard and read them all. And if complete healing for Sam is His will, you will find us dancing in the streets with joy.

But I’ve been told “no” enough times this year to understand that God’s miracles don’t always mean physical healing and ease of pain. Sometimes He parts deep waters; other times, He changes hearts. Despite our pain, His hand has been evident in so many ways during these last few months. Even in my darkest places, He reminded me that He loves me. That He is good when my life is not. Despite my own foolishness and pride, He is showing me Himself in these “No”s. 

For now, that is a miracle enough.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need”
Psalm 23

With Love,
Kelsey

 

[Kangaroo]

13 minutes ago, lumpentheologie said:

Kelton just posted about his cousin's miscarriage.  She looked to be pretty far along.  

Blog post under spoiler

  Hide contents

Sometimes, I’m afraid I’m a pragmatist. During times of pain, I often find myself wondering if I’m balancing that eternal weight of faith in God’s ability to work the miraculous and a humble submission to His Sovereign will. Am I limiting God? Am I missing out on these “miracles” because my faith doesn’t amount to a mustard seed?

You have to understand, this year has been quite a study in seeing God through suffering. It started with a traumatic and unexpected miscarriage in January. By the end of February, we had neither income nor a home of our own anymore. March and April ushered in multiple viral illnesses, depression & family health emergencies; May brought the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease… I could regale you for hours with stories of debilitating back injuries, hospitalized children, financial strain; so the list goes on…

In many of these instances, I was brought low. Low enough to question God’s love for me, His goodness, sometimes His very existence. But time and time again, He called me back. Quieted me with His love. Showed me that His love for me is not dependent on my circumstances, and that He hears the prayers that seemingly go “unanswered”.

And that sometimes, because He loves me, He says no.

Then enter in this story of our dear, sweet, loved-like-crazy Samuel. The child our hearts ached for; that we prayed for. The child I suffered through months of discomfort and illness for. Yet how could I complain? God had finally given me a “yes”, and it made all our previous misery pale in comparison.

Then came the ultrasound room. The grim lines on the technician’s face. The multiple scans, blood work, MRI, genetic counseling. The quiet offer of a medical termination. The tearful decision to carry our son until God Himself takes Sam into His own loving arms, whether that be minutes, days, or years.

Once again, I am brought low.

People keep calling me “brave” and “strong”, saying how “proud” they are of us. Sweet encouragement to be sure, but I have to confess…

I don’t feel brave.
I don’t feel strong.
I don’t feel worthy of any sort of recognition or esteem.

I feel like I’m about to drown. I’m exhausted, trapped, cornered, without a way of escape. I have but one option if there is any hope of survival.

I cling to Christ.

You see, I have a firm belief that the compassionate and loving God Who formed galaxies is fully capable of healing my son with a single word… and that would indeed be a miracle worthy of praise. I know that “doctors are often wrong”, “medicine is not perfect”, “there have been cases”… I’ve heard and read them all. And if complete healing for Sam is His will, you will find us dancing in the streets with joy.

But I’ve been told “no” enough times this year to understand that God’s miracles don’t always mean physical healing and ease of pain. Sometimes He parts deep waters; other times, He changes hearts. Despite our pain, His hand has been evident in so many ways during these last few months. Even in my darkest places, He reminded me that He loves me. That He is good when my life is not. Despite my own foolishness and pride, He is showing me Himself in these “No”s. 

For now, that is a miracle enough.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need”
Psalm 23

With Love,
Kelsey

 

There's a link to her Instagram in their story now. Overall it's a very sad read,

I've put a but of a summary in the spoiler box below, as it contains discussion about the loss of the child and the medical issue surrounding it. 

Spoiler

Kelsey (Kelton's cousin) was 20 weeks pregnant when the baby was diagnosed with a condition called Alobar Holoprosencephaly, which is when there is no seperation of the hemispheres of the brain. 

They were offered to terminate for medical reasons but chose not to.

In early December, she gave birth at around 28 weeks. The baby boy, Sam passed away shortly after. 

Her blog posts are largely about her discussing and coming to terms with knowing the child she was carrying would not survive.

She also has some pro life discussion which links back to her loss and religious views.

 

[lumpentheologie]

CW: miscarriage

 

I can't imagine carrying a pregnancy I knew wouldn't survive for 8 weeks.  I'm very sorry for her loss, but the fact that she wants to force other women to do that is very upsetting to me. 

[llucie]

39 minutes ago, Kangaroo said:

There's a link to her Instagram in their story now. Overall it's a very sad read,

I've put a but of a summary in the spoiler box below, as it contains discussion about the loss of the child and the medical issue surrounding it. 

  Hide contents

Kelsey (Kelton's cousin) was 20 weeks pregnant when the baby was diagnosed with a condition called Alobar Holoprosencephaly, which is when there is no seperation of the hemispheres of the brain. 

They were offered to terminate for medical reasons but chose not to.

In early December, she gave birth at around 28 weeks. The baby boy, Sam passed away shortly after. 

Her blog posts are largely about her discussing and coming to terms with knowing the child she was carrying would not survive.

She also has some pro life discussion which links back to her loss and religious views.

 

wow what a coincidence, i was just watching yesterday a youtuber who was just diagnosed with the exact same thing, it keep being recommended to me and finally clicked to see what it was about (The Moran family, if someone is interested), she also plans to keep carrying the baby even if she knows it will not survive. Such a dificult decision to make either way. At least it seems its not a genetic transmited condition, just really bad luck, so they can have healthy children in the future.

[VelociRapture]

43 minutes ago, llucie said:

wow what a coincidence, i was just watching yesterday a youtuber who was just diagnosed with the exact same thing, it keep being recommended to me and finally clicked to see what it was about (The Moran family, if someone is interested), she also plans to keep carrying the baby even if she knows it will not survive. Such a dificult decision to make either way. At least it seems its not a genetic transmited condition, just really bad luck, so they can have healthy children in the future.

Spoiler because miscarriage discussion.

Spoiler

I’d like to very gently and respectfully point out that the bolded is by no means guaranteed. It’s also one of the least helpful things I had said to me - by my own mother no less - after I experienced my own miscarriage. I know there’s next to no chance of Kelsey or her husband ever seeing this, but I wanted to take a moment to say something so people remember this isn’t a helpful thing to say if they ever have a loved one experience pregnancy loss. 

 

[TatiFish9]

If Josie and Kelton are lying about their consummation mini-moon, then that further proves the Bates have gone off the rails for tv. Who is their true God? Money?

 Well maybe that is not a fair assessment. We all do things to keep our jobs that we would not otherwise do in general society. But ya gotta draw the line somewhere.  Just say " we went to a private honeymoon out of country and finished up somewhat local." Not at all bizarre.

Body language says they were still really really new -like hours married new, but that could also be fake . So hard to tell nowadays what is real or not.

Anyhow, I hope it was just modern media and not a bogus lie.

[llucie]

4 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

Spoiler because miscarriage discussion.

  Hide contents

I’d like to very gently and respectfully point out that the bolded is by no means guaranteed. It’s also one of the least helpful things I had said to me - by my own mother no less - after I experienced my own miscarriage. I know there’s next to no chance of Kelsey or her husband ever seeing this, but I wanted to take a moment to say something so people remember this isn’t a helpful thing to say if they ever have a loved one experience pregnancy loss. 

 

I understand perfectly and i am sorry for your loss. And even if i didnt understand i am aware that every person process things in a diferent way, and what others like myself would think of as a comfort in a moment of grief it wasnt for you but the total oposite. But every person is diferent and in the case of this youtuber i was mentioning it seems to be given her comfort since she herself pointed it out in one of her videos (And thats the reason why i mentioned it, it was not a comment out of nowhere, i just watched the video and she mentioned this with relief, but you are right that its a complete mistake to generalize and assume that the cousin of Kelton would feel the same way as this other girl).

So i apologize if i offended you or anyone else with my comment, it was far from my intention but sometimes even with good intentions you can make mistakes.

Edited March 18, 2019 by llucie
to add

[miss_batson]

Josie's new bump update

 

[Dandruff]

Are they planning to do a gender reveal?  Also, is that black nail polish she's wearing??

[VelociRapture]

6 hours ago, Dandruff said:

Are they planning to do a gender reveal?  Also, is that black nail polish she's wearing??

Someone mentioned another thread that they’ll be revealing the SEX and name next week. I guess Kelly said that during a Facebook Live she did with Lawson. 

[neurogirl]

Every couple should do what they want, but I think it's more interesting when the fundies announce the sex (if they want to) but not the name until birth. Though I don't want their platforms to grow, so yes, continuing announcing everything at once for one bump in popularity.  

[HarleyQuinn]

I don't blame anyone for withholding names, then their friends can't ruin them in the meantime. 

*speaking as someone who had a name picked out for Quinn 1 I really liked, only to find out from friends someone from Teen Mom named their baby that and I could never unhear it*

[CarrotCake]

I am not used to names being revealed before birth at all.

I have known only one Dutch person who has ever shared a name. Funny how these things are so different between cultures.

[freethemall]

On 3/17/2019 at 5:20 PM, lumpentheologie said:

CW: miscarriage

 

I can't imagine carrying a pregnancy I knew wouldn't survive for 8 weeks.  I'm very sorry for her loss, but the fact that she wants to force other women to do that is very upsetting to me. 

I agree, I hate that she is turning this into a political testimony, and wish she understood that carrying her pregnancy to (almost) term is a choice she is very lucky to have. Either way, it's quite sad.

[Meghann]

[Seculardaisy]

This photo with the three of them sandwiched together is very odd. Lawson and Kelton look like her two husbands.