RebeccatheWriter
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Posts posted by RebeccatheWriter
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Erin seems to have that same view that Kelly Jo and Michelle Duggar have of there being no greater honor than being a martyr through childbirth. In the old 19 Kids episodes where Josie was still in the NICU, Kelly talks about God's plan and how precious the life of Josie is and she admires Michelle for risking her own life to deliver. No discussion of how continuing to have riskier pregnancies one after another would put her other children at risk of growing up without one of their parents.
I don't see it as much with the Bates, but with the Duggars, the kids were each made to say thank you to their mother for having risked her life to bring them into the world. While I certainly love my mother and celebrate her birthday (same as mine) and mothers' day, etc., I don't know that I would view it like they do.
Erin has that attitude that she's doing what she was destined to do and the risks be damned. People with blood clotting disorders are able to deliver healthy babies all the time, but they also usually see high-risk specialists and are monitored quite closely. Nothing against Dr. Vick who seems like a nice man and personable (the religion thing aside), but I would (in Erin's case) want to see a doctor who was skilled in those pregnancies that are higher risk. Erin's been quite lucky so far.
That said, maybe she has seen someone else too and it hasn't been shown on the show. I know many doctors don't allow for filming of themselves, appointments, and procedures because of legal reasons. If she was filmed with a doctor who said she was fine and there are no worries or issues, there could be legal issues if then it turned out that there was an issue that put her or the baby at risk.-
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9 hours ago, Temperance said:
I posted about this in the Sweet Fellowship thread of Counting On, but Alyssa Bates says she's been feeling really sick lately. She's seen a doctor and had tests run. She posted about this on Instagram. It's the text with the photo of her three daughters. I hope she's okay.
I don't know what medicine she is on for her heart, but a lot of that stuff can make you feel like crap. I was shocked by how much blood pressure meds could affect my well-being. If my pressure fluctuated too much in one direction it was headaches and hot flashes. Too much in the other and I was dizzy and tired. The diagnosis and drug change took a little while because my numbers seemed normal at the doctor.
Turns out that my issue wasn't my heart at all, but that I have cataplexy without narcolepsy. I can look like I'm fainting when my body essentially relaxes like I am asleep even when I'm awake. Most doctors would have missed it, but I had an episode in front of my doctor and he realized the issue.-
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11 hours ago, BrianJ1962 said:
I think Erin resembles her mom more than any of her sister's, am I crazy
She and Tori both do in the face and basic structure.
3 hours ago, MMLEsq said:Perhaps I'm stating the obvious here, but don't they get money from being on the show? I don't think they're rolling in the dough from it, but they've got to be paid something. Also, in addition to whatever money Chad is bringing is, they're getting whatever Erin's making from the Bates Sisters Boutique, plus anything she gets from sales of her CDs. I don't think any of those things on their own add up to a lot, but I'd be surprised if they're close to the poverty line.
Gil had Kelly and the kids on TennCare (Tennessee's name for Medicaid) for years, even after they had their first show. There are different income limits for different reasons, but pregnant women are at a different end of that scale. I worked with people in Tennessee and Georgia both where I was surprised at how many of the kids were on these programs while I was paying out the nose for premiums at work. (Not knocking people getting healthcare for their kids, but it is a flawed system sometimes.)
They use Dr. Vick for prenatal, who has said he charges everyone on a sliding scale. A news report a few years before all the kids' marriages said that Kelly Jo was getting treated by him for free because of the publicity he got from the news specials. I would bet that he extended that to Erin for getting the same publicity on the show. I know he used to have links to news reports and video of him being featured on the website for his practice.She has her kids at a hospital, but I'm not sure how much of that is covered under Dr. Vick and what's not at this point. We have a doctor near me who does the sliding scale thing for people and he has special arrangements for patient accounts at the hospital where he has privileges. I don't know how it works exactly, but I wouldn't put it past some of these fundie families to know the ins and outs of it.
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18 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:
So they are either going to move or stack the kids? That's crazy. Four kids in that tiny house? Of course she's expecting. Every year just like clockwork.
There is no way they aren't going to have that as a storyline on the show. Chad is either going to build a house, rehab one, or they will buy something. There will be plenty of interviews about how they have to hurry before the baby arrives.
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16 hours ago, BitterApple said:
I think Whitney definitely had some sort of corrective or cosmetic work done to the lower half of her face. She was a bit pudgier when she got married, but I don't think her weight loss is that significant to create such a drastic before/after.
My guess is that it is a combo of things.
I had a corrective procedure done to move my jaw forward (done with retainer looking things) to help with sleep apnea. They had me sign paperwork saying that I understood that it could potentially change the shape of my lower face. Mine didn't change, but still, they did warn me. From what I was told, it could make your jaw area more or less pronounced.
I still can't figure out her chin though. I studied (way too much) her photos yesterday. Her chin was very pronounced (long) in their wedding photos and during the later part of her pregnancies. The photos of her right after Kaci was born are like a different person. Around the time of her real estate launch, her lower part of her face is much thinner and defined. But then in the latest People photos of her with Zach and the kids and the ultrasound pics, her chin looks longer again.
I just spent way too long looking at her pictures.
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15 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:
Maybe jaw surgery?
I'm not sure what she had done, but the early video/pics of her show her with a much more prominent lower half of her face. She smiles more broadly than she did when we first started seeing her on the show. That could be it, but that doesn't explain why there is even a difference when she doesn't smile.
Maybe it's simply the way she wears her hair now versus then or different makeup, but there is something different there.
I'm not thinking surgery, as she still has a prominent one (just not as big as it was before). Maybe she had some sort of dental procedure that affected her jaw alignment? Or maybe it is a weight thing?15 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:When would she have had time? She got knocked up with Bradley practically on the honeymoon.
Looking at images of her on Google, she appears to have the more prominent jaw and chin through her pregnancy with Bradley and maybe even Kaci. So it was a while after the wedding before she started looking different.
That also lends itself to the idea that it is weight related. When her face is rounder, it is more noticeable than when she is at her thinnest and you can make out her cheeks more.-
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Whitney's jaw and chin are less prominent.
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11 hours ago, answerphone said:
As I'm watching now, I'm just rolling my eyes at how Kelly and Gil always have their arms intertwined and are touching each other's thighs.
The married couples also do this, but it's just awkward that Kelly and Gil, no matter how wonderful their marriage may be, have this over the top public display of affection.
They are really sort of awkward with each other for having been together so long. Even when they are showing them kissing hello or sitting together at a restaurant they have this weird spacial thing where they don't seem to know if they are doing things right or not.
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On 5/27/2019 at 9:45 PM, cereality said:
So I imagine they got a huge COMP from Castleton Farms for their wedding? It is a real wedding venue and looks gorgeous – I can’t see how lunch/dinner there is less than $100/head (maybe less since it’s the rural south) and they had 500 guests!? In any event, it was a REAL wedding venue for the first time. I know the Bates do it better than the Duggars – we haven’t seen any parking lot receptions with dixie cups of ice cream. But as I recall from Erin and Tori’s weddings – it was just church basement receptions with punch and cake; Josie’s appeared to be at that house/venue at the state park where they married and that also looked like a quick punch and cake and then we’re off to have sex type of reception. Michael was also a church reception, but I seem to recall theirs involved at least casual food – bc Kelly was planning out how much BBQ chicken was needed. We never saw Alyssa’s but I imagine punch and cake and we want to get out of there ASAP to get to the hotel.
Tori had a baked potato bar at her reception. She also had a small wedding in terms of attendance, as it was close to Christmas, invitations were late, and there were a lot of empty seats/tight camera shots. Erin, Alyssa, and Zach (first wedding) had cake and punch per the pictures. Michaela got the family she babysat/nannied for to cook from their restaurant (termed loosely) to do BBQ sandwiches and tea/lemonade. Josie appeared to have light appetizers and cake.
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On 5/28/2019 at 9:43 AM, IndianPaintbrush said:
Yeah, I think Castleton Farms comped the wedding in exchange for television coverage. This was definitely the classiest fundie wedding I've seen. Carlin's dress is just gorgeous.
Though I do feel bad for everyone melting in Tennessee's heat wave over the weekend. I don't imagine Carlin anticipated it would be quite so hot.
There is no way they comped it 100%. I think they gave them a discount and allowed for outside vendors such as the aunts with the flowers and cake, as well as the photographers. I haven't seen what the menu was for the reception, but that's another area that might have been negotiated if she got someone to comp it and Castleton Farms to not charge an outsider fee. Outside vendors are not normally allowed, but that can be negotiated sometimes if there is a perk for the venue.
I did an event at a similar location. They would play with those numbers, but they weren't giving anything away for free. This event that I planned was getting national and some international coverage. I had to agree to have so many mentions of the name in talking points and interviews were set in front of a monument with the location name. They agreed to provide things like bottled water for free, but even that was branded with the logo so you couldn't help but see it.
UP would not bring in enough eyes on the screen to get a place that stays pretty booked to comp it completely. If Castleton Farms did, they need to fire their sales and marketing staff for a stupid decision, as the ROI would never match what they could have earned from a non-reality show bride.-
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12 minutes ago, chaifan said:
I think that's a cute shout out to the uber-fans. I never would have noticed.
Did you see the "behind the scenes" special after the finale? They did a walk-through of the wardrobe room, and ALL of the outfits/costumes were there. I never realized a show would do this - keep every outfit worn by the characters through the run of the show. I'm not exactly certain why they would want to do it, especially for 12 seasons. But they even had the Aquaman and Flash halloween costumes, Bernadette's pageant dress, things like that.
On that note, I hope Mayim was able to keep all the post-makeover outfits from the finale. Especially her "reveal" outfit.
There are a few reasons for this, including expenses and tracking. Sometimes a scene has to be reshot for DVD release because of a production issue or there is a flashback in a future season.
This article is about movies, but it pertains to television shows too. Studios have to account for the money they are spending and cannot easily just give away or sell off things that cost money. https://www.racked.com/2018/3/16/17072356/movie-and-tv-wardrobes-after-
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20 hours ago, BitterApple said:
Has Trace settled into a career? When we left off, it seemed like he was dabbling in several things but hadn't quite found his niche.
I don't know if he has decided what he wants to do in the long run, but he's still been working for/with Chad. I am not sure how much he is still dabbling and how much of that was simply for the show.
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Of the three bachelor guys (Lawson, Nathan, and Trace), Trace seems the most likely to meet someone and begin a relationship next. Lawson's not going to stop looking in the mirror long enough and Nathan's got too many issues with women to attract one without intervention. Of those three he is the most normal in terms of daily responsibilities and life.
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3 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:
Joy will be a bridesmaid in Carlin's wedding, and one of the Duggar Howlers, Justin I believe, will be an usher.
If Jana being in Michaela's wedding is any indication, there may be a brief mention, but no footage. We will likely see them in Instagram photos of the wedding party or in People stories/pictorials. They will place them in the ends so that other than sideshow where nobody is discernable, they can be cut out.
Carlin and Joy are close, as are Michaela and Jana and Zach and John David. I don't know that any of the others are as close. But Lawson and sometimes Katie do head that way a few times a year. I don't know that the parents are as close as they used to portray. But it makes sense that the older siblings would be closer. They grew up in very insulated and isolated circumstances compared to the ones who are still kids.
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5 hours ago, BrianJ1962 said:
Are the Bates and Duggars on sort of a time out in their friendship nowadays?
You can see the older ones hanging out together in pictures on social media. You won't see them on each other's shows as long as they are on different production companies and different channels. Editing takes care of most of that, but look in the crowd shots at weddings. They usually show up for each other.
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21 hours ago, SoCalAgain said:
I’m shocked at how ugly those dresses are- because those three young women, in my opinion at least, have much better taste and style than those dresses would lead us to believe.
They aren't my style at all. But I guess there is an audience for them. Some of the photography is laughable. There is one (https://batessistersboutique.com/product/the-daisy-blush-stripe/) Carlin is modeling where you cannot even see the dress from the way she's sitting.
The quality doesn't appear to be that great with uneven hems and darts/seams. It does appear to be a drop ship business venture. As someone else said in another discussion, it appears to be basically a dropship business for dresses probably made in sweatshop conditions in Asia.-
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21 hours ago, Adeejay said:
I wouldn't go by anything Alyssa does. She seems to put up with her family just because. I have a feeling if she could get away with not seeing them she would.
I think it's awesome that she is that way. I'm that way too with the exception of my parents.
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6 hours ago, BitterApple said:
I wonder if that's a leftover habit of growing up poor. Before the TLC makeover, the Bateses' home was a glorified shack. It wouldn't surprise me if the siblings only bathed a couple times per week. Alyssa may not see it as a huge deal because it's how she was raised.
In addition to growing up poor, there were simply a lot of children/people. They used well/spring water so cost wasn't necessarily an issue, but the capacity of a hot water tank certainly was not going to allow for the bathing of more than a dozen children and mom and dad every single night. Even splitting them between morning and evening would not allow for everyone to have hot water after a point.
We are spoiled into thinking we need daily showers and baths. Not all that long ago people only bathed once a week (before the sabbath). That seems gross now, but then it was pretty standard practice. There are downsides to bathing a child daily, including drying out their skin and washing away any natural immunity they develop.
If Alyssa's children play indoors most of the time and are not doing things that get them that dirty (numerous diaper blow outs, sweating profusely, etc.), then a more lax schedule is just fine. She may find it easier on her if she rotates their schedule so that each one gets a bath on a different night rather than all at the same time.-
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On 4/19/2019 at 10:23 PM, Sew Sumi said:
Aside from Michael, all of the sisters were rail thin on their wedding days. Carlin is also tiny. As was Kelly in her wedding pictures. Kelly wasn't that bad until menopause hit. Erin has retained a few lbs. after having 3 kids in 3 years, but she isn't overweight or anything. Alyssa probably has the metabolism we all wish to have.
Michael, Tori, and Erin tend to carry weight around their middles as Kelly does. Alyssa, Carlin, and Josie both seem to have more slender builds and probably great metabolism. Katie is slim right now, but she tends to take after Erin who is still carrying a bit of extra baby weight still (understandable with three close in age). Addie and Ellie look a lot like Michael where Callie looks more like Josie and Alyssa in terms of build.
Kelly and her daughters all could use some advice on dressing for their body types. Alyssa, Josie, and Carlin have the body types that can wear most anything. Kelly and the other girls would look better in some different styles and fewer layers. I get the modesty thing, but they tend to go boxy and not have natural flow and curves. It adds inches to the eye when they cut off a longer torso at the hips. Long dresses are comfy, but these girls aren't tall and it rounds them out even more. I say this as a big girl who prefers comfortable clothing.
The boys have their fashion issues too. Zach has battled his weight, but the tight shirts he seems to like (or Whitney likes for pictures) add the pounds back on him. Nathan is someone who should ditch the layers too. He has a naturally square head. If he grew out his hair a little to not emphasize the shape, he'd look thinner. He also has a short neck, which would look better without collared shirts all the time. Lawson should actually emphasize horizontally since he is vertically challenged. Otherwise, he looks short and skinny.
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I am not impressed with the quality of the dresses in the photos or the photos themselves. I would not calling selling out fast a success until they see how their suppliers manage. The cost of them is more than would typically do well at that quality.
I admit I buy a rather cheap style dress that is horribly made. The thing falls apart in the wash after one or two times. But I buy them for $10. I wear it and wash it. If it falls apart, I throw it out and get another. It's very comfy and I love it.I see on IG that some are questioning where the dresses are made.
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2 hours ago, Barb23 said:
Unless they have moved, they live in a ranch style house not an apartment in Florida. It seems like it's bigger than Erin's from what we've seen on the show. It could be a rental but I'm glad there is a yard for the girls to play in.
It's the same house. They have changed their furniture out a bit, but it is the same one. Alyssa, who used to be portrayed as a neat freak is getting a little cluttered. Every surface in the kitchen is covered from the counters to the tops of the cabinets to the top of the refrigerator with picture frames. There are baskets and shelving everywhere for toys and various items everywhere.
I'm not judging. My condo is cluttered too. It's just a bit odd given her portrayal as someone who very neat and tidy.
Two other notes:1. The girls have more toys in the living room than I've ever seen in the Bates house even when all the kids were younger.
2. The camera crews most definitely shoot to make things seem bigger because, from this raw footage, it's not a large house.
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On 4/17/2019 at 3:18 PM, Sew Sumi said:
Since the procedure was last Thursday and the shower Saturday, I suspect they were back in plenty of time to attend.
Logic doesn't apply to these people. I would bet money we'll get a talking head interview of them going worrying if they can fit it all into their schedules because they "want to be there for all their children."
Since the last two showers have had the bride or bride and groom being late (plus others), maybe this one can have Kelly Jo and Gil arriving at the last minute for the drama. Cue the worried looks of Erin and Whitney as they pour jarred salsa into plastic bowls.
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22 minutes ago, iluvobx said:
I know they were there for the procedure but I wouldn't want them to stay and help. They probably went back to Tenn when they knew she was ok. Also, don't see Kelli taking on 3 young children and helping her daughter.
No, Kelly Jo would not take on actual work. She was there and we'll probably see on a future episode that she sat in the waiting area worrying with one or two shots of her hugging a granddaughter or two. Then there will be a talking head of her and Gil feeling torn about wanting to be there and wanting to be with Carlin for the wedding shower.
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12 hours ago, BitterApple said:
Hmmm, interesting. Just my observation, but it seems like when this crowd marries, it's all about them and the undesirable stuff is left to the single sisters. Boob/Michelle have always put their wants first, as do Kelly and Gil. Josie keeps her plans, Katie gets stuck with babysitting duty. It's the Fundie way.
I'm an only child so I didn't grow up with siblings. My parents are both from big families (8 kids and 14 kids). My mom's family is very much hands on. When my mother had surgery for lung cancer a few years ago, all of her siblings showed up at the hospital to wait for word together. My father's family is the opposite. They call around to each other, wring their hands, and then do nothing.
Given that Katie's getting or about to get the brunt of the work at Casa Bates soon, Florida with only three kids who were probably on good behavior for her is a minor job.
Alyssa probably didn't want everyone around given her temperament. I don't blame her at all.
The dynamic of all this struck me as strange with the emphasis they place on how close every sibling is with each other. Again, I'm an only so I can only comment on how it looks. Josie was absent from two kind of biggish events for two sisters she chose to be in her own wedding. Maybe she had conversations with them behind the scenes and they encouraged her to keep her plans.
Even from a show/storyline perspective, it would make sense for Josie and Kelton to volunteer to go to Florida on child watching duty for Josie's matron of honor/sister. Good practice for Josie, who sort of skipped out on some of the sister mom duty since there were always older sisters at home and she got married so young.
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Erin and Chad: Fifty Shades of Pink
in Bringing Up Bates
Yes, they certainly would. Part of their trust God mantra includes the idea that if God blesses them with a pregnancy, it is the woman's job to do whatever she has to do to birth that child. If she (a fundy woman) was told that she should not have children, her trust is supposed to be in God that he would not allow her to become pregnant again if it was really meant to be the stop of the train.
I haven't seen this with the Duggars or Bates, but there are certain Fundies who would see limiting the number of children or not wanting (more or any) children as a viable reason for divorce. One of the few reasons that Fundies can get divorced. Think back to that woman Andrea Yates. She had severe schizophrenia and post-partum psychosis and killed her children. She and her husband were following many of the same ideas that Fundies and Quiverful believers follow. Her husband divorced her after her arrest and conviction, claiming she could no longer perform her wifely duties. His statement later changed to saying he simply wanted to move forward and couldn't do that with her.