The J'Babes - were they wanted?

[Daenerys]

A poster on here a few weeks ago mentioned that they didn't think the youngest children would have been born were it not for the TV show. It's worth noting that the oldest five girls all have lovely personalised beds in their room, which doesn't look like it has a lot of spare room to house any more, particularly considering Jill and Jana were given double beds. Hannie on down allegedly sleep in fold-down cot beds, unless they sleep with their buddies which is also possible. Either way, they don't get a 'proper' bed of their own. The house was built for the family the size it was at the time, which considering they apparently want to extend their family exponentially seems a little odd.

 

I'm sure whoever this was gave more reasons, but since then, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head...

[tkr322]

I think about this a lot, whenever they show the girls' room. Poor Hannie and Jennifer were sleeping in pack n plays until like age 3 or 4 I think! Which is ridiculous. My child is 2 and would be completely uncomfortable in one of those right now.

I've never seen the names on the beds change yet so again, the baby girls are all left out. You think they'd either add their names to a double bed or get twin beds for them. Maybe J'chelle and Boob thought some of the other girls would be married off by the time new little ones came along to take their beds.

[emmiedahl]

I think the parents have made efforts to continue having children at a rapid pace--tracking cycles, etc--because of their fame. It is very unusual for a woman to have so many children in her thirties and forties. Generally, there is a bit of waiting and trying involved. It is possible that she is ultra-fertile and has ovaries that just won't quit.

I think their older children just came despite breastfeeding and whatnot, and that the later ones were more planned to keep the "ministry" in the public eye. They don't seem to really *want* any of their younger kids. I mean, I don't see in Michelle and JB the special cherishing and adoration that my husband and I feel for our little ones. I was just telling a friend that I feel a little guilty for enjoying my baby's cold because he would let me rock and cuddle him all day.

[dawbs]

I think a 'blessing' was wanted. A pregnancy was (maybe) wanted. A baby was (maybe) wanted...but a kid, a person, another personality wasn't.

And that is sad.

[Feberin]

I think the girl's bedroom was designed by that designer who probably though "these people have 16 kids there is no way they'll have anymore" not by the Duggar parents. The parents should have requested room to grow but perhaps they thought the would be having more boys since before Johannah it had been a run of boys. Johannah was already born when they moved in so it was really short sighted not to give her a bed with her name on it.

[JenniferJuniper]

I think the girl's bedroom was designed by that designer who probably though "these people have 16 kids there is no way they'll have anymore" not by the Duggar parents. The parents should have requested room to grow but perhaps they thought the would be having more boys since before Johannah it had been a run of boys. Johannah was already born when they moved in so it was really short sighted not to give her a bed with her name on it.

I think it might be indicative of the fact that they were sure Jana at least would be out of the house by the time Johannah really needed a bed and they'd just paint over the name.

Why this hasn't yet happened (at least Jana and Jill married off) remains a mystery. However, there is no excuse for 3, 4 and 6 year olds not to have their own beds, especially when Pops is clearly wealthy enough to provide them.

[Feberin]

Oh I agree it's no excuse after all these years of not getting the girls beds. I think it shows how much they value their children. Perhaps Jimbob thought he would get some lucrative offers for his daughters and instead he's been left with "weirdos" and people he considers beneath is family.

[haveapicniclife]

I don't think it had anything to do with JB and Jichelle. Once TLC and that designer came on board, they bought and furnished the house as they saw fit--and for the people moving into it at the time. The girls are lucky to have the nice room at all, because I guarantee you if JimBob was in charge they would have more metal bunkbeds and used mattresses. I vaguely remember the cute little nursery/alcove in the master bedroom and it had the crib in there (for Johannah? or whoever was the newborn at the time). Not too long later, I noticed Jichelle had moved all of that stuff out of the alcove and instead had a recliner in there. All of those promotional shots for the house were taken right after they moved in, so they can still be found online.

[Kitten]

they were sure Jana at least would be out of the house by the time Johannah really needed a bed

This. I think they expected to marry off the oldest girls at roughly the same age as Josh, freeing up room for the younger ones. Maybe they realized they needed to keep the older girls around longer to take care of the kids. Or maybe they realized they needed to keep the older girls around longer to continue their TLC contract. After all, if the girls get married, unlike Josh, they move to their husband's "headship," and possibly out of Arkansas.

Or maybe they expected to keep having boys, and all the girls surprised them. Because, you know, manly boys don't care about pretty household things like beds. In fact, it probably makes them more manly to sleep on the floor. :roll:

[dawn]

I'm one of the people who think the last couple of children wouldn't have been born if it weren't for the show. I see it as a combination of fame whoring, greediness and being "trapped" inside their own legend. But I'm sure they have it all figured out inside their heads, nicely rationalized and wrapped in a pretty ribbon.

[Buzzard]

I'm one of the people who think the last couple of children wouldn't have been born if it weren't for the show. I see it as a combination of fame whoring, greediness and being "trapped" inside their own legend. But I'm sure they have it all figured out inside their heads, nicely rationalized and wrapped in a pretty ribbon.

And $$$$... I think sex for them is a scheduled act, kind of like taking out the trash and running the dishwasher. I dont really see passion involved at all. Those kids are a business.

[Mais Pourquoi]

Doesn't Michelle take a pregnancy test everyday? We all know she is addicted to being pregnant- the actual people that are the result of pregnancy take a back seat to it.

Also, kind of OT, but I rewatched Michael's birth episode recently and Anna knew she was pregnant at 4 weeks. I have zero experience in this area, but unless you're actively looking out for it (either really hoping for your period or really hoping for a baby), don't most women not realize they are pregnant until around six weeks? I always thought the first few "weeks of pregnancy" were really just the first two weeks of your menstrual cycle, zygote or not. What I'm trying to say is it seems Anna is a test-a-day lady as well, which just seems sad since she's so young.

[fakepigtails73]

The bed thing for the youngest girls bugs me to no end...

First, a "pack and play" is only meant for short naps, not full nights. They once showed Jennifer fussing and crying in one, and to be honest, were I her age at the time (2 or 3) and being made to sleep in those I would've fussed and cryed as well.

Then, how many times have we heard from Jill or Jinger that "Hannie just sleeps wherever", with a camera shot over a spot in the bedroom with a blanket and a pillow. Poor thing!

Last but not least, don't forget that they end up in the main bedroom pretty early so you just know poor Jordyn ended up sleeping wherever in there (most likely she's the one in the pack and play now) as soon as Josie was born.

Why can't JB with his $$$ buy 2 of those beds (one up and one down) like we saw him do in an earlier ep. with the howlers (sorry I don't know the english name for these....Is it "bunk beds"??) Get 2 of them for Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn and later on Josie.

There's also the fact that it must suck to be 21 (Jana) and sleep in the same room day in day out as my 4 and 3 yrs old sisters, but that's just me...

[Annette]

It would depend on the woman. I have always counted ahead to within a day or two when my period would be arriving, because the thought of getting caught away from home with a bloody underwear/pants mess is horrifying to me. I want to be prepared! On the other hand, my sister never really counted days. Whenever her period arrived she dealt with it. I sure as hell would know way before 6 weeks that something was afoot.

[dawbs]

It would depend on the woman. I have always counted ahead to within a day or two when my period would be arriving, because the thought of getting caught away from home with a bloody underwear/pants mess is horrifying to me. I want to be prepared! On the other hand, my sister never really counted days. Whenever her period arrived she dealt with it. I sure as hell would know way before 6 weeks that something was afoot.

Truth.

Hell, I never would have taken a pregnancy test when I did (2 years ago now) if I hadn't felt like crap and was debating what meds and/or liquor I could take to kill the migraine [with nausea. Which wasn't migraine-nausea, as I later realized)

[AnnoDomini]

Yes, they're called bunk beds in the US. Oh man, yeah, it must suck so bad for Jana. I'm 24 and I share a bedroom with my sister, but at least she's 26, not a kid.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

A while back we debated how to include more beds in the girls room. Maybe the best answer is--marry a couple of them off and free up bed instead of adding more beds.

Realistically I don't think even the Duggars thought they'd end up with this many.

I was watching some old episodes last night & in the ice storm show Jackson was sleeping on a pallet in the hallway!

[Daenerys]

A while back we debated how to include more beds in the girls room. Maybe the best answer is--marry a couple of them off and free up bed instead of adding more beds.

Realistically I don't think even the Duggars thought they'd end up with this many.

I was watching some old episodes last night & in the ice storm show Jackson was sleeping on a pallet in the hallway!

They must have turned down some good offers though, I mean a Bates match has been a long time coming...

[fakepigtails73]

A while back we debated how to include more beds in the girls room. Maybe the best answer is--marry a couple of them off and free up bed instead of adding more beds.

Realistically I don't think even the Duggars thought they'd end up with this many.

I was watching some old episodes last night & in the ice storm show Jackson was sleeping on a pallet in the hallway!

On a pallet? Damn, poor thing!!

That's all good, but poor kids! Their spines are forming at their age; no wonder Jennifer is always whiny if she can't sleep confortably (although I have a feeling that she might now sleep in Jill's double bed-you'll notice how Jennifer is always with Jill, when Jill leaves she always cry it's quite the sight to behold).

[JenniferJuniper]

They must have turned down some good offers though, I mean a Bates match has been a long time coming...

The fact that it hasn't happened with one of the Bates kids makes me wonder if they aren't good enough for Jim Bob, or if there are some other issues (bad blood over the "race to 20"?) that makes them unsuitable in his eyes.

[fakepigtails73]

The fact that it hasn't happened with one of the Bates kids makes me wonder if they aren't good enough for Jim Bob, or if there are some other issues (bad blood over the "race to 20"?) that makes them unsuitable in his eyes.

I don't want to seem judgemental or mean, but from the little I've seen on TV the eldest Bates guys look a bit on the "sweet but dumb" side. And aside from Lawson none of them works at a job it seems.

Maybe the Bates and the Duggars see each other a bit like an extended family, like cousins, so it would make a marriage seem weird?? Add that ongoing baby competition between Kelly and Michelle that we know is below the surface...

[bananacat]

I honestly don't think any of the kids were wanted after Josh. He was apparently intentional, then there was an accidental pregnancy that ended in miscarriage and Michelle started popping them out to make up for her perceived sin. If there had been the accidental pregnancy but no miscarriage, they probably would have stopped after the second kid. If the second pregnancy just never happened, they probably would have intentionally had one more a few years later.

[genericJname]

Also, kind of OT, but I rewatched Michael's birth episode recently and Anna knew she was pregnant at 4 weeks. I have zero experience in this area, but unless you're actively looking out for it (either really hoping for your period or really hoping for a baby), don't most women not realize they are pregnant until around six weeks? I always thought the first few "weeks of pregnancy" were really just the first two weeks of your menstrual cycle, zygote or not. What I'm trying to say is it seems Anna is a test-a-day lady as well, which just seems sad since she's so young.

I think its possible that she knew when to test. Personally, I do NFP (not for religious reasons) and even though I have irregular cycles, I know when to expect a period because I know within a day or so when I ovulated. The luteal phase is more consistent than the ovulatory phase. If you have different length cycles each time, it is generally because of how long it takes to ovulate. It should be consistent for each person how long it takes to go from ovulation to the next period (about 12-16 days)

Anyways, someone who is either trying to avoid or trying to conceive by charting their cervical fluids and basal temps will know what is going on with their body. I wouldn't put it past a woman who is "leaving it all up to God" to keep track of their cycles too, just to keep tabs on what "God" is up to.

[Mais Pourquoi]

I think its possible that she knew when to test. Personally, I do NFP (not for religious reasons) and even though I have irregular cycles, I know when to expect a period because I know within a day or so when I ovulated. The luteal phase is more consistent than the ovulatory phase. If you have different length cycles each time, it is generally because of how long it takes to ovulate. It should be consistent for each person how long it takes to go from ovulation to the next period (about 12-16 days)

Anyways, someone who is either trying to avoid or trying to conceive by charting their cervical fluids and basal temps will know what is going on with their body. I wouldn't put it past a woman who is "leaving it all up to God" to keep track of their cycles too, just to keep tabs on what "God" is up to.

I realize now that my post sounded kind of dopey. I of course have kept an eye on my own cycle (in the hope of not conceiving), and would hope that most other girls/women do as well. I think I was just more surprised that she had already told TLC and was actively talking about her pregnancy to the camera. I'm a bit superstitious and think it's best to hold off on telling people who aren't immediate family news like that until the ground is more solid, if you know what I mean. Either way, QF women must certainly have God on speed dial when wondering about their next blessing.

[Deleted07]

Thats one of the issues I had with Anna too. (and all people like Michelle Duggar and Kelly Bates that CLAIM they 'leave it up to God')

They got pregnant 4 months into their marriage right. And when she found out she was saying she was disappointed in the past, and thats why she left the test in the bathroom for Josh to tell her later, because she couldn't handle being let down anymore.... I mean, obviously shes just peeing on the stick every week to be THAT disappointed at not being in 4 months!