Josiah and Lauren 15: The Drama Llama Rolls On

[FluffySnowball]

7 hours ago, amendgitan said:

Except when has a lack of maturity made most people refrain from overburdening themselves with kids, let alone insane cultists? I mean you think she’s going to secretly acquire birth control and not tell anyone? They even see fundie approved doctors. 

No, I think she’ll be anxious, miserable and depressed, her marriage might take a hit and she’ll be unable to enjoy the children she has. Then, there’s the added stress of homeschooling. If she has another miscarriage, her mental health will deteriorate even more. That’s why I can imagine Lauren and Si eventually opting to limit their family size and stop having children at some point, or to increase the spacing, e.g. with condoms.

I don’t wish her any of that and also feel for Josiah who really deserves a more carefree life. He used to be so spunky! But I can’t really see how things could turn out significantly better without any help such as counseling. 

[FaithAndReason]

3 hours ago, FluffySnowball said:

No, I think she’ll be anxious, miserable and depressed, her marriage might take a hit and she’ll be unable to enjoy the children she has. Then, there’s the added stress of homeschooling. If she has another miscarriage, her mental health will deteriorate even more. That’s why I can imagine Lauren and Si eventually opting to limit their family size and stop having children at some point, or to increase the spacing, e.g. with condoms.

I don’t wish her any of that and also feel for Josiah who really deserves a more carefree life. He used to be so spunky! But I can’t really see how things could turn out significantly better without any help such as counseling. 

Real counseling. Not their “pray to Jesus” brand of counseling. ?

[LacyMay]

Lauren really seems to enjoy being cared for and has almost come across as a little...frail? In past. I think I remember a comment about Josiah having to carry her around after the loss of Asa when she couldn't walk? 

I think having kids will be hard for her when she's no longer the one who needs to be cared for and when she still has to step up and parent even when she's not feeling great. 

[HeartsAFundie]

The Josiah threads always get me thinking about my son who is 23...the same age as Josiah.  He graduated from college last year and now works full time.  He is still living at home with us, but is saving his money in the hopes that he and his longtime girlfriend, whom he met at college and also works full time/lives at home, can purchase a condo or a house together and hopefully marry someday.  He has his own car, good friends and even got to travel with his BFF from high school to Ireland and France last year.  He has his own political opinions which slightly differ from mine and isn't afraid to voice them in a boisterous discussion, and is passionate about movies, particularly watching and critiquing them.    

I always wonder if Josiah would ever want to have a life like my son, if given the choice.   Because I could never imagine my son living Josiah's life and ultimately squashing all his hopes, dreams and individualism.  The whole thing just makes me sad.   

[Four is Enough]

2 hours ago, HeartsAFundie said:

 always wonder if Josiah would ever want to have a life like my son, if given the choice.   Because I could never imagine my son living Josiah's life and ultimately squashing all his hopes, dreams and individualism.  The whole thing just makes me sad.   

That's the problem with Josiah. I think he has been squashed so hard that there is no hope,no individuality, no fun, left in him. I fear he will be stuck in that relationship, in that family,forever. 

[HideousGreenShirt]

New baby Bella and family photos are up now on US magazine or if you're international/don't want to give them the clicks, they've been posted on SiRen's tagged photos on Instagram. 

[SorenaJ]

I can't seem to find the photos on their instagram, and can't access US magazine, can anyone post the pictures? 

Edited November 26, 2019 by SorenaJ

[FluffySnowball]

15 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

That's the problem with Josiah. I think he has been squashed so hard that there is no hope,no individuality, no fun, left in him. I fear he will be stuck in that relationship, in that family,forever. 

Call me overly hopeful and to the point of being naive, but he’s still so young and I’m not sure nothing of “him” is left. His individuality is suppressed, he’s been emotionally, spiritually, and physically abused and he’s been pushed into a seemingly trapping situation (aka his marriage). Now he’s a father and has to deal with all the responsibilities this new role comes with. BUT although not much might change anytime soon, I believe eventually, he’ll at least slightly become more “himself” again. It’s hard to destroy someone’s personality for good and the Duggars were so unsuccessful with so many things, I really hope they failed at destroying their children’s lives so fundamentally, too. 

[HideousGreenShirt]

For instagram, you need to go to the tagged photos as shown in below screenshot:

[Fundie Bunny]

If you can't see the pictures you're not missing much. Is a baby that looks like a generic baby, in a generic colorless newborn photoshoot.

[Glasgowghirl]

56 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

That's the problem with Josiah. I think he has been squashed so hard that there is no hope,no individuality, no fun, left in him. I fear he will be stuck in that relationship, in that family,forever. 

It's horrible, Josiah was the child I remember from the first special because of his personality, it's a shame that has been sucked out of him. I hope for his, Lauren and Bella's sake that things get better for them. 

[viii]

I really like how basic their photos are. There's nothing over the top girly and pink like I expected from Lauren. Pleasantly surprised. 

[anjulibai]

5 hours ago, HeartsAFundie said:

The Josiah threads always get me thinking about my son who is 23...the same age as Josiah.  He graduated from college last year and now works full time.  He is still living at home with us, but is saving his money in the hopes that he and his longtime girlfriend, whom he met at college and also works full time/lives at home, can purchase a condo or a house together and hopefully marry someday.  He has his own car, good friends and even got to travel with his BFF from high school to Ireland and France last year.  He has his own political opinions which slightly differ from mine and isn't afraid to voice them in a boisterous discussion, and is passionate about movies, particularly watching and critiquing them.    

I always wonder if Josiah would ever want to have a life like my son, if given the choice.   Because I could never imagine my son living Josiah's life and ultimately squashing all his hopes, dreams and individualism.  The whole thing just makes me sad.   

I honestly think of all the Duggar kids, Josiah would have been happiest with this life. I know we say college isn't for everyone, and it's not, but Josiah seems like he'd enjoy it. He'd also enjoy traveling a bit, going out and hanging with friends and just having a normal life. 

It's sad for him that he's been forced into being just like his brothers. 

[neurogirl]

There was this gem of a paragraph in the article: 

"Lauren used her own experience to comfort her sister-in-law Joy-Anna Forsyth (née Duggar) after her miscarriage. “I remember just when Jessa[Seewald (née Duggar)] was expecting Ivy and I had lost our first one, Asa,” Lauren told Us. “I just remember how sweet Jessa was. She’d write special notes and texts, just reminding me how much she loves me and that she was praying for me. That’s kind of one thing I do for Joy, sending her encouragement and sending her scripture. I know what it feels like when someone’s pregnant and you’re not. I know what you’re feeling and just knowing to be sensitive [to] different things.”

I think the thing that bothers me and others about Lauren is that she cannot read a room/see gradients of things.  Jessa was being very considerate and sweet to Lauren, and Lauren may be confused she is getting judged for trying to comfort Joy in the same way. I think Lauren sees everything in black and white, and can't discern that loss is loss, but maybe she doesn't know exactly what Joy is thinking having had to deliver a still-born Annabell in the middle of the pregnancy. 

I do have sympathy for Lauren, but that is an awful thing to say.

Edited November 26, 2019 by neurogirl

[Four is Enough]

4 hours ago, Fundie Bunny said:

If you can't see the pictures you're not missing much. Is a baby that looks like a generic baby, in a generic colorless newborn photoshoot.

Pretty taupe-y!

[tabitha2]

IMO they are clean well taken photos that strictly focus on the adorable baby and two adoring  parents and  will look very appropriate on a wall or table. Makes a very nice change from the cutesy gimmicky almost tacky baby photography that is so prevalent. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by tabitha2

[WarriorJane]

I think they all look really nice in these pics.  Bella looks like she's having a sweet dream and smiling in the first one.  Hopefully now that she's here,  they can both heal and move forward.   

[Glasgowghirl]

The pictures are adorable and well taken, unlike some of the other families we snark on, who have had some dodgy photographer's. Bella reminds me of Josie a bit when she was younger. 

[HeartsAFundie]

3 hours ago, anjulibai said:

I honestly think of all the Duggar kids, Josiah would have been happiest with this life. I know we say college isn't for everyone, and it's not, but Josiah seems like he'd enjoy it. He'd also enjoy traveling a bit, going out and hanging with friends and just having a normal life. 

It's sad for him that he's been forced into being just like his brothers. 

And sadly, from what I see on TV, Josiah totally would have been someone my son would have hung out with and would have been welcome in my home anytime.  With his quirky bow ties and sense of humor, Josiah definitely would have been welcomed into the fold of my son's friends, either high school ones or college ones.  He would probably love to hang out with my son's college friends on the weekends playing Dungeons and Dragons and eating takeout, or arguing with my son about which Quentin Tarantino film is better.  Such wasted potential.          

[FreeTheScapegoats]

There's nothing wrong per se in getting married and having kids this young if that’s what you want (and have the means to do so). I couldn’t do that... which is why I didn’t and don’t plan on doing so for at least the next seven years. My parents weren’t perfect, but at the end of the day they let me figure out and be myself and never led me to base my value on the marriage I landed or the kids I got. It’s always eerie to me to see these fundies my age (or younger) fulfill their parents’ plans, but at least some, paraphrasing Joy’s speech at Joe’s rehearsal dinner, seem like they’ve truly taken those plans as their own. Josiah doesn’t. I know he’d probably think of me as someone who’s wasting her youth, but I feel particularly sorry for him.

@HeartsAFundie I’m your son’s (and Josiah’s) age, and kudos to him for having a clear goal and working towards it while still having fun. He sounds like a great guy (plus a fellow film enthusiast will always have a headstart in my books) but most importantly, it doesn’t sound like he’s as dead inside as Josiah seems in those pics. I know that it could be considered basic decent parenting, but I’m glad you let your son be himself.

[ihaveanexamintwodays]

4 hours ago, neurogirl said:

I think the thing that bothers me and others about Lauren is that she cannot read a room/see gradients of things.  Jessa was being very considerate and sweet to Lauren, and Lauren may be confused she is getting judged for trying to comfort Joy in the same way. I think Lauren sees everything in black and white, and can't discern that loss is loss, but maybe she doesn't know exactly what Joy is thinking having had to deliver a still-born Annabell in the middle of the pregnancy. 

I do have sympathy for Lauren, but that is an awful thing to say.

YES, this exactly! I agree with other posters who note that Lauren seems to love being doted on - she praised Josiah for constantly being by her side to take care of her post-miscarriage (and for anyone who's seen this week's 'marriage camp' episode Si totally picked up the slack for her - like the awkward turtle he is lol - while she was sick with nausea/migraine). I bet Jessa's messages and constant check-ins on Lauren were appropriate and appreciated. Joy, however, does seem a bit more stubborn and independent, and Lauren "doing the same" as Jessa did could easily be overbearing rather than comforting. Also there is a BIG difference between "knowing what it's like when someone's pregnant and you're not" and *a 20-week loss*.

On the topic of this week's CO episode......wow SiRen looked like a mess. Even the parts that Lauren participated in. It seems like Lauren is super high-maintenance not only in the the unable-to-handle-feeling-unwell in that they only accomplished "communication" because she did all the talking and Josiah did exactly what she said, and in the "compromise" game that Josiah kept talking over Lauren when in the end her idea was better and she's all 'I told you so' in the TH. I feel really bad for Si in that he's already been smothered by his fundie family, and now has this fundie wife who seems to want to play perfect and puts even further burden on him to be the strong one because she can't. 

[JustEnough]

4 hours ago, Glasgowghirl said:

Bella reminds me of Josie a bit when she was younger. 

This was my exact thought too. ?

[LacyMay]

4 hours ago, ihaveanexamintwodays said:

Also there is a BIG difference between "knowing what it's like when someone's pregnant and you're not" and *a 20-week loss*.

I also feel like there's the added dynamic of when Lauren lost Asa she had only Jessa who was pregnant at the same time. 

Joy had to deliver a 20 week stillborn baby and then go home and watch not one but 4 of her Sisters in Law carry pregnancies. And a cousin. And another Sister with a new born. 

Every time Lauren mentions Joy's loss I just feel worse for what Joy had to have gone through. 

[LurkerOverThePond]

Josiah looks genuinely happy in the new photos, as does Lauren. I hope they truly are.

[CarrotCake]

13 hours ago, viii said:

I really like how basic their photos are. There's nothing over the top girly and pink like I expected from Lauren. Pleasantly surprised. 

I remember that their registry was also very gender-neutral. I agree it is a nice break from all the gender focused shoots.