Counting On Season 8/9/10/11 4: Babies, Babies, Babies

[Iamtheway]

7 hours ago, Dandruff said:

He might have been thinking ahead - if the baby got his name then maybe he'd get a different one.

I think it’s pretty common for small kids to suggest their own name for babies. Miniway does this with everything. His name is just the best name he knows and why should a baby or a puppy or a doll have any other name? One that is not the best? He has informed me he has 100 pretend friends and they are all called Miniway. 

Concidering he’s probably never going to school it’ll probably take many years before Spurgeon realises he drew the short stick in the naming department. 

[JMO]

Wait, Grandma Mary drowned???  I never heard that.  What were the circumstances?  How did I miss this? 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

49 minutes ago, JMO said:

Wait, Grandma Mary drowned???  I never heard that.  What were the circumstances?  How did I miss this? 

She had a prior stroke, and seems to have been staying at the pool house, or possibly was there alone for some other reason. She fell into the pool (maybe after another stroke) and drowned. Deanna seems to have found her.

[Lizzybet]

10 minutes ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

She had a prior stroke, and seems to have been staying at the pool house, or possibly was there alone for some other reason. She fell into the pool (maybe after another stroke) and drowned. Deanna seems to have found her.

It really was so awful. 

[scarlettphoenix]

On 11/26/2019 at 3:25 PM, lizzybee said:

Her lack of participation did seem weird for filming. I mean I know how bad you feel first trimester, I get that part, but if she felt that bad...maybe she ought have just stayed home? Insomnia is also a pregnancy symptom, it's usually one of my first symptoms before I even miss a period and take a test. Idk if she's a typical light sleeper like that or if it's just from being pregnant, either way, looks like if she came to film she would have muscled through or just opted out. I feel like "Lauren's really not feeling good with morning sickness so her and Josiah decided to stay home this time," would have been a reasonable explanation for them not coming.

It was so bizarre! Those girls are raised to tough it out...I mean, they’re expected to take care of a slew of little ones while dealing with all the pregnancy symptoms she was experiencing at the retreat, AND care for their husband. 
I’m sorry, but I don’t buy that illness was her only reason for ditching the project they were doing. 

[JMO]

Going back to the comment that only the wives espoused needing to work on something,  I didn't realize it until now. The only exception was Josiah who discussed that they were BOTH stubborn.  And Lauren's attitude was awful.  I can't believe that she skipped the vow renewal. 

[WarriorJane]

On 12/5/2019 at 6:42 PM, JMO said:

Going back to the comment that only the wives espoused needing to work on something,  I didn't realize it until now. The only exception was Josiah who discussed that they were BOTH stubborn.  And Lauren's attitude was awful.  I can't believe that she skipped the vow renewal. 

Hmmm.....skipped it, or given the chance, would not take those vows again?  Maybe it was passive-aggressively symbolic  

[HideousGreenShirt]

On 12/5/2019 at 10:35 PM, scarlettphoenix said:

It was so bizarre! Those girls are raised to tough it out...I mean, they’re expected to take care of a slew of little ones while dealing with all the pregnancy symptoms she was experiencing at the retreat, AND care for their husband. 
I’m sorry, but I don’t buy that illness was her only reason for ditching the project they were doing. 

She actually admitted during a TH that she quit and went to nap on the sofa because Si wasn't listening to her and she wasn't getting her own way during the nest task. 

The producer said "oh so now the truth comes out?" and she just laughed and basically said yes. Then she back tracked and said and it was also because she wasn't feeling great. 

Quite why she would completely skip the vow renewal is beyond me. They were the last to film theirs so why didn't she just get her act together for 20 minutes? She could have participated but not sat through the other couples renewals. Having him film it alone was absolutely bizzare. 

Why did they even attend this retreat? 

[AliceInFundyland]

Skipping the nest project was one thing but the vow renewal (lame as we think it may be) was shitty.

Who wants to watch your 4 siblings do that and then do the same thing to a phone? That was sad as all get out. I would have ended up in a dispute of some sort with my so. They'd probably have needed to have a puking migraine to not cough up for the 20 minutes to fake that scene. ?

 

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by AliceInFundyland
ETA: I did wish that Josiah could have opted out himself. Does it even occur to them to say no? Was it preferable for him to be with his siblings and fake that shit? Would he have wanted to try and be with Lauren? Be alone?... Sigh

[JMO]

I've been wondering.  Do the other duggars discuss the weirdness of the SiRen interactions at the retreat? I know they stress keeping sweet but did Jessa text Jinger from the retreat how weird it was? Or confide in her mom when she went to pick up the boys? Or do they make vague Bless Their Hearts sort of comments?

[scarlettphoenix]

2 hours ago, HideousGreenShirt said:

She actually admitted during a TH that she quit and went to nap on the sofa because Si wasn't listening to her and she wasn't getting her own way during the nest task. 

The producer said "oh so now the truth comes out?" and she just laughed and basically said yes. Then she back tracked and said and it was also because she wasn't feeling great. 

Quite why she would completely skip the vow renewal is beyond me. They were the last to film theirs so why didn't she just get her act together for 20 minutes? She could have participated but not sat through the other couples renewals. Having him film it alone was absolutely bizzare. 

Why did they even attend this retreat? 

My thoughts exactly- why even attend? Just stay home. I don’t see them having a particularly happy marriage in the long term. 
I’m surprised she admitted to Sisi having a fault at all. They’re generally not allowed to do that, are they?

[AliceInFundyland]

20 minutes ago, scarlettphoenix said:

My thoughts exactly- why even attend? Just stay home. I don’t see them having a particularly happy marriage in the long term. 
I’m surprised she admitted to Sisi having a fault at all. They’re generally not allowed to do that, are they?

It's very hard to know. What was clear to me is that they were the couple who needed advice. Once again TLC and 'the ministry' missed a golden opportunity to share some actual insight with us, or their dedicated Christian viewership, about how they worked through that situation.

 

[moreorlessnu]

28 minutes ago, scarlettphoenix said:

I’m surprised she admitted to Sisi having a fault at all. They’re generally not allowed to do that, are they?

Remember, they had barely come back from their honeymoon when, during a TH (in front of everyone!!!) Lauren turned to Josiah and informed him that he needed a breath mint. 

Lauren keeps sweet to a different sweetener. 

[Peaches-n-Beans]

3 hours ago, AliceInFundyland said:

Skipping the nest project was one thing but the vow renewal (lame as we think it may be) was shitty.

Who wants to watch your 4 siblings do that and then do the same thing to a phone? That was sad as all get out. I would have ended up in a dispute of some sort with my so. They'd probably have needed to have a puking migraine to not cough up for the 20 minutes to fake that scene. ?

 

quoting you but addressing the edit note lol

I don't think it occurred to him to opt out, I mean his entire childhood was on camera doing activities set up by "Mommy" camera crew, we all know they set up all these activities, and as a kid he couldn't say no, so I think it probably didn't occur to him that he could say no as an adult. 

Further more I think Josiah is a lot more invested in this marriage then Lauren is. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think he's much happier, but I think he's a lot more willing to make things work, he just doesn't know how (As evidenced by the nest activity) and it should not be Laurens responsibility to teach him. He just seems to be trying a lot harder to make her happy. 

[AliceInFundyland]

@Peaches-n-Beans

Yes to all of that. There's also that Duggar "competition gene" they all acknowledge. After all, they "won" the boat game - it probably doesn't occur to him that he has the choice. So much muddled thinking. So sad.

[singsingsing]

I would honestly not be surprised if Josiah and Lauren were the first Duggar couple to divorce. They both seem so unhappy in general, and so ill-suited.

[tabitha2]

Neither the Swansons or Duggars would allow it . A divorce would be a huge shame and disgrace to the both families and make them look very bad to the more influential Fundie families who might be marriage and business prospects.
 

Not to mention Lauren being a divorced mother would be the the Fundie Equivalent of labeling her  a  terrible ungodly harlot who was given a husband and children by God and rebelled against him by not fulfilling her proper role as helpmeet. I don’t think Lauren would allow or stand the shame and embarrassment .

[Bad Wolf]

Josiah had the courtship with Marjorie which didn't work.out. I think he'll work pretty hard at this marriage. Too bad he couldn't have had a normal dating experience.

[Peaches-n-Beans]

1 hour ago, AliceInFundyland said:

@Peaches-n-Beans

Yes to all of that. There's also that Duggar "competition gene" they all acknowledge. After all, they "won" the boat game - it probably doesn't occur to him that he has the choice. So much muddled thinking. So sad.

That "competition gene" is less natural competitiveness and more "we only got attention if we won something or did something perfect so now we all compete like we're still living at home and fighting for mom and dad's attention:" It's mostly just sad 

[singsingsing]

12 hours ago, tabitha2 said:

Neither the Swansons or Duggars would allow it . A divorce would be a huge shame and disgrace to the both families and make them look very bad to the more influential Fundie families who might be marriage and business prospects.

Well, Josiah and Lauren are adults. So if one or both of them decide they want to divorce, the Duggars and the Swansons can't do anything about it. Yes, I'm sure the pressure to stay married from their families would be intense, but they'd be far from the first fundies to divorce.

And I disagree that it would be a huge shame and disgrace to the family. All fundie families have family members who do things to shame and disgrace the family, it's just a given. If marriage and business prospects refused to deal with any family that had shame/disgrace, they would never do business or get married at all.

[SassyPants]

26 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

Well, Josiah and Lauren are adults. So if one or both of them decide they want to divorce, the Duggars and the Swansons can't do anything about it. Yes, I'm sure the pressure to stay married from their families would be intense, but they'd be far from the first fundies to divorce.

And I disagree that it would be a huge shame and disgrace to the family. All fundie families have family members who do things to shame and disgrace the family, it's just a given. If marriage and business prospects refused to deal with any family that had shame/disgrace, they would never do business or get married at all.

I agree. Josh has done far worse than “getting a divorce”, and the Duggars are still trucking along with their TV platform and money making schemes ( Mercy Corps).

[LacyMay]

Does anyone remember/know if SiRen had a covenant marriage? That might play into if they choose divorce or not, especially depending on the "marital counselling" requirement. 

[SassyPants]

Do I spy Bella sporting cloth diapers?  If so, good for them!

[nvmbr02]

2 hours ago, SassyPants said:

Do I spy Bella sporting cloth diapers?  If so, good for them!

I don't think so. If you are referring to the pictures on instagram it looks like a cotton diaper cover or bloomers. I would love to see cloth on any of the babies though. 

[adidas]

2 hours ago, SassyPants said:

Do I spy Bella sporting cloth diapers?  If so, good for them!

I wondered the same thing, but I think it’s just a cover.