It's a Maxwell BOY

[bananacat]

Life for an adult female in Maxwell-land without children is fairly pointless. Just look at Sarah and Anna. I'm glad NR-Anna has a baby now, so she has something to do other than clean, cook, sew and memorise the bible.

I can't share your gladness about this. Kids shouldn't exist just to make their parents' lives better. It's not worth having a child and completely sacrificing his childhood and free will just so that his mother will have a slightly less horrific life. I feel nothing but sadness for this child.

[ladypuglover]

Congrats tot he Christopher and NRAnna on having a healthy baby.

JC, I wish you a long life filled with good health, happiness and love. Remember not everyone is the same as those you know and love. Some people are bad but most people are filled with love and light. Take time to know a person and really listen to them before you cast them as sinners and going to hell. Also know that some people in your life are going to be wrong some of the times and some all of the times. Learn to question things and find answers to things that don't add up. Learn to open your heart and keep an open mind. Be gentle in spirit, words and in your actions. A gentle word turns away wrath and sugar catches more flies than vinegar. I wish you well and hope you become the man you are destined to be not who others want to force you to be. I hope you have the time of your life.

[Katiebug]

I looked like crap after giving birth. A 17 hour induction with pre-eclampsia and then being confined to bed on mag sulfate isn't exactly a walk in the park. I was really grateful to my L&D nurse who got me cleaned up, got my hair brushed, and helped me put on a nursing bra and a real top so that I could feel marginally more normal - before the grandparents were allowed in to meet the baby.

Next time around I'll remember to bring a nice stretchy headband to tame crazy hair, along with a couple of nursing tanks to wear under normal tops (I prefer that layering but didn't discover it until the baby was a few weeks old). You live and learn, right?

That said, there's one picture which my husband took of me holding the baby right after she had nursed for the first time and we were skin-to-skin. I'm covered in a hospital johnny and blankets, my hair is a mess, my face is puffy and my eyes are red from crying and I look sort of dazed - but I am so incredibly happy. I radiate joy in that picture even though I look atrocious.

[Deleted03]

I had a very easy labor and delivery after a just horrible time getting pregnant and having not dead babies. So I didn't look tired or bruised, but I had cried a lot. A lot. So I didn't look glowing or relieved, which is what everyone demanded of me. I was relieved and so happy to finally have a not dead baby. But it was still emotional and difficult for me.

And you know, that is ok. Of course I had people comment on how great I looked weight wise after I had Thomas. Even though I basically starved for 9 months and looked skeletal. The pressure on women is stupid.

I think we're all allowed to look like crap at anytime, particularly after having a baby. But also when you're sick, don't feel like it, when you run, etc. Taking pictures is awesome, but no one looks good 24/7, and that's perfectly fine.

[Evilbad]

I looked like death warmed over after having my son. He had a massive head, and he was my first, and it was really awful and long and drawn out.

Anybody who looks all pink and healthy and glowing after birth has my thumbs up, just means they had an easier time of it than I did.

I always tend to think of it that way; not that she looks "Good" or "Hot" or whatever after giving birth, just that she looks healthy and obviously super happy.

[freejoytoo]

Alright so I am in a bad mood because of the fate of this poor baby, but really, what exactly do you expect a woman to look like after giving birth "naturally" to a "9 pounder"?

"Wow, I'm really surprised you look okay after going through a completely normal process to have to a normal sized baby!" Do you expect that she should have bruises all over her face and be crying and have half of her hair torn out, or what?

-_-

Why is it automatically unnatural to have been through pain and not look wonderful? Childbirth can be incredibly hard and it's not unnatural to not find it a breeze.

[treemom]

I looked like death warmed over after having my son. He had a massive head, and he was my first, and it was really awful and long and drawn out.

Anybody who looks all pink and healthy and glowing after birth has my thumbs up, just means they had an easier time of it than I did.

I always tend to think of it that way; not that she looks "Good" or "Hot" or whatever after giving birth, just that she looks healthy and obviously super happy.

Or maybe not. Like I said, I had a quick labor and delivery and it was super easy. And I still looked like shit.

My criticism is that this is something so routinely commented on. Not just, look how happy she looks, but also look how good she looks!

It is, in my opinion, just another way women are expected to be X.

[ncb]

I wonder how Nathan feels being overshadowed by Christopher. After it took Christopher so long to find a mate, he has moved ahead in the favored son game by having the first boy and he will most likely have a much fuller quiver.

[tabitha2]

Till one of then has the first set of twins or better yet twin boys then they will be favorite.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I'm honestly glad both mother and baby are fine. Other than that I feel sorry for the kid--he'll grown up in a bubble...............and will be likely displaced by siblings until he's 18 or 19

[tabitha2]

But he is the first son, the first grandson, the first to carry the name and the way of life the way espouse into the next generation...he will always be special, especially if he has a bunch of sisters to follow.He will be taught to 'lead' and 'protect' them :(

[Deleted03]

But he is the first son, the first grandson, the first to carry the name and the way of life the way espouse into the next generation...he will always be special, especially if he has a bunch of sisters to follow.He will be taught to 'lead' and 'protect' them :(

the way sarah is going she'll carry the name alright...

[lilwriter85]

I wonder how Nathan feels being overshadowed by Christopher. After it took Christopher so long to find a mate, he has moved ahead in the favored son game by having the first boy and he will most likely have a much fuller quiver.

I have been wondering about that too. I definetely see Chris and NR Anna having more than 5 kids. I think Nathan and Melanie will definitely try to meet the 5 kid requirement for the quiverfull, but they will still be over shadowed by Chris or NR Anna.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I have been wondering about that too. I definetely see Chris and NR Anna having more than 5 kids. I think Nathan and Melanie will definitely try to meet the 5 kid requirement for the quiverfull, but they will still be over shadowed by Chris or NR Anna.

It seems Melanie has had a somewhat easier time with this pregnancy, so maybe if she's patient and careful........

[0 kids n not countin]

JC, I wish you a long life filled with good health, happiness and love. Remember not everyone is the same as those you know and love. Some people are bad but most people are filled with love and light. Take time to know a person and really listen to them before you cast them as sinners and going to hell. Also know that some people in your life are going to be wrong some of the times and some all of the times. Learn to question things and find answers to things that don't add up. Learn to open your heart and keep an open mind. Be gentle in spirit, words and in your actions. A gentle word turns away wrath and sugar catches more flies than vinegar. I wish you well and hope you become the man you are destined to be not who others want to force you to be. I hope you have the time of your life.

This is nice. Too bad, poor Joshua.

I've never thought of NR-Anna as blessed in the looks department, but, imo, she does look beautiful in the photo of her and Joshua. If she ditched the "fundy dress code" and hairstyle, she could be quite an attractive women.

Saw this on the Famteam website and thought to myself perhaps it's good that Steve doesn't allow his family to "idolize" soda... :think:

Yes, I occasionally will drink a soda (usually diet) but I just find it disturbing when parents give soda to kids, and especially young kids.

[Justme]

I have been wondering about that too. I definetely see Chris and NR Anna having more than 5 kids. I think Nathan and Melanie will definitely try to meet the 5 kid requirement for the quiverfull, but they will still be over shadowed by Chris or NR Anna.

I don't know if they'll reach 5. Mel is 35-36. Her eggs are getting old..... Just like poor Sarah. She was 30 in January. If she "finds" a guy tomorrow, by the time a wedding is arranged, she'll be near 31. Even if a pregnancy comes quickly, she'll be near 32 at delivery.... She might have a nice family of 2-4 kids which is very small via "quiver" standards....

[moreorlessnu]

I don't know if they'll reach 5. Mel is 35-36. Her eggs are getting old..... Just like poor Sarah. She was 30 in January. If she "finds" a guy tomorrow, by the time a wedding is arranged, she'll be near 31. Even if a pregnancy comes quickly, she'll be near 32 at delivery.... She might have a nice family of 2-4 kids which is very small via "quiver" standards....

A family of 3 or maybe 4 children is a nice size. It will allow them to have time for each child, and not burden each child with raising the next child.

[bananacat]

Not all women dry up in their early 30s. I've known tons of women who got pregnant accidentally between 30 and 45, especially in my own family. My grandmother didn't get married until after 30 and had no problem have two kids just a two years apart, and then an oops baby when she near menopause. There's no way to tell for sure but she could have probably reached and surpassed the magical 5-6 if she were QF.

[Feberin]

I have been wondering about that too. I definetely see Chris and NR Anna having more than 5 kids. I think Nathan and Melanie will definitely try to meet the 5 kid requirement for the quiverfull, but they will still be over shadowed by Chris or NR Anna.

Do we actually know how Nathan and Melanie feel about having a relatively smaller family? Perhaps 3-4 kids is the perfect number for them and I would expect they'll count Susanna in their total number of children. We frequently hear Josh Duggar mention that he would be happy with just two or three kids if that's what God felt they needed. And if Melanie has a boy in the next couple weeks while JC might be the first grandson they'll be so close in age that there probably won't be much favoritism over one or the other from the grandparents.

[latraviata]

I don't know if they'll reach 5. Mel is 35-36. Her eggs are getting old..... Just like poor Sarah. She was 30 in January. If she "finds" a guy tomorrow, by the time a wedding is arranged, she'll be near 31. Even if a pregnancy comes quickly, she'll be near 32 at delivery.... She might have a nice family of 2-4 kids which is very small via "quiver" standards....

For Pete sake, I was 31 when my first child was born and almost 33 when the second was born, we were not exactly Sarah and Methusalem. Even after two children we had quite a job not to get pregnant again.

[WonderingInWA]

For Pete sake, I was 31 when my first child was born and almost 33 when the second was born, we were not exactly Sarah and Methusalem. Even after two children we had quite a job not to get pregnant again.

I was 34 and 36 and STILL have to watch my fertility even 10 years later. And we, too, finally had to bite the bullet and do the vasectomy because we didn't want more children and I had two pregnancy "scares" in my early 40s. Sarah still has plenty of time to pump out some babies. Just maybe not 8 of them.

[emmiedahl]

Most of us can have babies when we are older, but the fertility is still in decline. Also, the pregnancies get harder.