Erin and Chad: Fifty Shades of Pink

[3 is enough]

My first thought when I saw that photo was that she looked pregnant.

[floridamom]

With only one half of one ovary, Erin is defying the odds here if she is expecting again.

[Salacious Kitty]

I hope to baby Jesus that it's just that baggy dress proofing at a bad place due to her holding the baby. The last thing she needs now is another pregnancy. 

[Heathen]

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

With only one half of one ovary, Erin is defying the odds here if she is expecting again.

The Bateses aren't averse to fertility treatments if it suits them. See: Kelly's progesterone treatments. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Wouldn't Erin need more, costly treatment not covered by insurance? They don't have that kind of money. 

[cereality]

I was going to say the same - these people are not against any fertility treatment, they probably believe God wills it. When her ovarian concern became known, do we really think they wouldn't have frozen eggs? I realize it's costly but I really think what they say and what they do differs A LOT. They're anti debt when it is a mortgage bc their existing blessings can be stacked 4 to a room, as long as Prince Carson gets his own. But credit card debt to make another baby and maybe a brother for Carson - God probably wants them to do that. 

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, Heathen said:

The Bateses aren't averse to fertility treatments if it suits them. See: Kelly's progesterone treatments. 

That wasn't a fertility treatment.  She was already pregnant when she began the progesterone.  

[Heathen]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Wouldn't Erin need more, costly treatment not covered by insurance? They don't have that kind of money. 

Clomid isn't expensive. It's been around for decades, so it's available in generic form. 

16 minutes ago, Absolom said:

That wasn't a fertility treatment.  She was already pregnant when she began the progesterone.  

Tomatoes/tomatoes. To me, anything that helps artificially achieve or preserve a pregnancy is a fertility treatment. 

Funny how fundies think it's god's will as long as it's something they want. 

[Absolom]

37 minutes ago, Heathen said:

Tomatoes/tomatoes. To me, anything that helps artificially achieve or preserve a pregnancy is a fertility treatment. 

We're all entitled to our beliefs, but medically there's a definite difference.

I do kind of think Clomid or something similar may have been involved in that last "miracle" pregnancy.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Absolom

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, Heathen said:

Clomid isn't expensive. It's been around for decades, so it's available in generic form. 

Tomatoes/tomatoes. To me, anything that helps artificially achieve or preserve a pregnancy is a fertility treatment. 

Funny how fundies think it's god's will as long as it's something they want. 

At the lowest dose, Clomid costs 30 bucks a month, tops.  Using GoodRx, you can get it even cheaper.  They could've used that.

As far as ovaries go, if she's having regular periods, she is probably ovulating, no matter how much ovary remains.  You only need one egg to get pregnant.  Even if she lost 75% of her ovaries. Erin still has around 500,000 eggs left.  Most women in her situation are fertile.

As far as health insurance, once she gets pregnant, they are probably eligible for Medicaid/Chip,  the federal program for mothers, babies and young kids.  

In Ohio, anyway, a family of 7 would qualify if their income was $5400/month or less.  I expect that they would qualify.  Any kid of theirs under the age of 4 would also be covered for well child visits and immunizations as well as any illness or injury.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Notabug

[Dehumidifier]

From 7:08 to 7:33 in the video she is standing talking to the camera. It's from the front but she doesn't appear to have a big belly. 

 

[YupItsMe]

Carson’s room. Oh, and yeah, let’s just toss the baby in the closet…

I do like his room, but there were no toys, just art supplies. Hopefully that’s just for the video and he will be allowed to bring some toys in now.

[3 is enough]

Meh. It looks a lot better, of course, but I don't think that decor is something a 7-8 year old boy would want. Looks more like a guest room/office combo.  

But hey, they framed a picture he drew.

Not crazy about the baby in the closet but I will say it does seem roomy. 

Had to get the Hobby Lobby plug in.  And the shot of the Chip Gaines book, which I know every 7 year old boy wants. 🙄

I'm sure Carson is happy he has a space of his own.  Wonder how long the girls will have to wait for their room?  With 3 of them in there I would think that would be more of a priority, but the golden son always has to come first.

 

 

 

 

 

[BetyBee]

I'm watching it now. Her eyelashes look so weird to me!

I came back to add that Carson seems like a sweet kid. His room is nice, much nicer than that goddawful green they had to start with. I wonder if the baby ever wakes him up at night? I guess she'll move into the girl's room in the next year or so. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by BetyBee

[GeeGolly]

Of all the Bates and Duggar kids' rooms this is by far the most thoughtful and least ugly.

[Dehumidifier]

17 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Of all the Bates and Duggar kids' rooms this is by far the most thoughtful and least ugly.

It's nice, but not at all for a child. Carson better get cracking painting some nice poster board sized pictures.

Hope they replace those books on the shelf over the bed with stuffed animals. I can picture the kids horsing around on the bed, banging into the wall, and the books landing on them.

[lookeyloo]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

It's nice, but not at all for a child. Carson better get cracking painting some nice poster board sized pictures.

Hope they replace those books on the shelf over the bed with stuffed animals. I can picture the kids horsing around on the bed, banging into the wall, and the books landing on them.

I would go with there is no horsing around in Erin Bates house!!!!!

[GeeGolly]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

It's nice, but not at all for a child. Carson better get cracking painting some nice poster board sized pictures.

Hope they replace those books on the shelf over the bed with stuffed animals. I can picture the kids horsing around on the bed, banging into the wall, and the books landing on them.

I think the books are okay, but not the plant. Books don't seem all that dangerous to me, but I wouldn't want to deal with the mess of a spilled plant, even if it is tiny. But Carson is 7, almost 8 so I think a room he can grow up in is appropriate at that age. That desk is all about Carson and I'm guessing he loves it.

[floridamom]

This is not a kid's room. It looks more like a guest room. Is he sleeping on a day bed?

[65mickey]

I cannot understand why they are putting Finely in a closet??  Never heard of putting a one year old in a small closet.  Really weird.  

[BitterApple]

I just finished Erin's video. Admittedly, there's elements of the room I like. The color scheme of green, gray and gold is a nice change from the traditional blue most people do for boy's rooms, and the setup for Carson's art supplies was cool. But yeah, the space felt weirdly sterile. Most kids have toys, tchotchkes and little momentos they've collected over the years that they love to have on display. Aside from the two pictures Carson drew, there were zero personal touches. I also didn't see a dresser. Are they keeping his clothes in those storage baskets? Or does Erin have a communal closet like Jessa Seewald? 

On a sad note, Papa Bill doesn't look well. Erin didn't mention why he was in the hospital, but I hope his health improves. 

[GeeGolly]

I know a couple of parents who used a second closet as a nursery in their bedrooms. But they (temporarily) took the doors off and made cute little nooks. Once the babies were sleeping through the night they went into their sibling's rooms.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:44 AM, YupItsMe said:

Carson’s room. Oh, and yeah, let’s just toss the baby in the closet…

I do like his room, but there were no toys, just art supplies. Hopefully that’s just for the video and he will be allowed to bring some toys in now.

Nobody puts baby in a corner closet. 

[BitterApple]

Okay, so I'm not trying to appearance-shame, but man, Chad is looking so worn out these days. I would never guess he's only in his early 30s. Meanwhile, Erin is wrinkle-free and fresh as a daisy. Doesn't take a genius to see who does all the work in that marriage. Someone needs to tell this poor guy "no" is a complete sentence. 

 

[AstridM]

8 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

Okay, so I'm not trying to appearance-shame, but man, Chad is looking so worn out these days. I would never guess he's only in his early 30s. Meanwhile, Erin is wrinkle-free and fresh as a daisy. Doesn't take a genius to see who does all the work in that marriage. Someone needs to tell this poor guy "no" is a complete sentence. 

 

Could also be a lack of sunscreen usage on his part. 

[Heathen]

3 hours ago, AstridM said:

Could also be a lack of sunscreen usage on his part. 

Genetics + working outside = wrinkles. Genetics + working outside without sunscreen = early wrinkles. Really not even that early. 

[ranchgirl]

Erin drove her kids to Orlando to meet up with her parents who had a layover there.  (Chad was not shown or mentioned so not sure he went.)  She tagged the Webster family in one of the pictures but just said that her kids enjoyed some cousin time.  No picture of her with Alyssa nor did she even mention Alyssa and John.  Alyssa also tagged the Paynes in a picture but never mentioned Erin and Chad by name or had a picture of them.  

[SMama]

The Bates sisters seem to have more complicated dynamics than the Duggar sisters.  One thing I found interesting, Alyssa does not post on Sundays as that time is completely dedicated to family and two visits to church. Katie has a baby and Alyssa broke her rule to post on Sunday. There seems to be so much competition among them, what the heck did KJ&G do to foster such animosity. 

[GeeGolly]

18 minutes ago, SMama said:

The Bates sisters seem to have more complicated dynamics than the Duggar sisters.  One thing I found interesting, Alyssa does not post on Sundays as that time is completely dedicated to family and two visits to church. Katie has a baby and Alyssa broke her rule to post on Sunday. There seems to be so much competition among them, what the heck did KJ&G do to foster such animosity. 

I agree about the Bates. I think Erin is the Christian mean girl and Alyssa, Carlin and Josie are the influencer bitches. Michaela is Switzerland and watches while her sisters play a game of musical BFFs. Tori and Katie are collateral damage.

I think the Duggars have the exact same bullshit going on, but it just isn't played out too much on SM. 

[cereality]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

I agree about the Bates. I think Erin is the Christian mean girl and Alyssa, Carlin and Josie are the influencer bitches. Michaela is Switzerland and watches while her sisters play a game of musical BFFs. Tori and Katie are collateral damage.

I think the Duggars have the exact same bullshit going on, but it just isn't played out too much on SM. 

Obviously IDK but somehow the 5 oldest Duggar girls don't seem as petty and mean as the Bates girls. My sense is that the Duggar girls - not matter what they say - rightly place their hate on their PARENTS more than each other. More than one daughter [Jill; Jinger] has said just bc you can keep having kids doesn't mean you should, you need to take care of the ones you have. So I think they do acknowledge that their parents had far too many and then let bad things go on while protecting their first born SON.

I also think the Duggar daughters just have their own lives and aren't trying to be each others' besties anymore - probably due to a realization that they are really different and the only reason they were besties is bc their parents said so and never allowed them to have real friends. Seems like they don't see each other much, don't comment on each others' social media much, but then when they do randomly visit - like Joy visiting Jinger in LA recently even though their lives are worlds apart - they're happy just to be together for a few days and catch up. Maybe they is some realization that their lives are just too different to compare anymore - single Jana vs. Jing in LA being vocal about her upbringing vs. Jill in Okla with her lawyer husband also vocal about her upbringing vs. Joy in rural Ark in a quiet country life with her old school husband vs. Jessa in Ark with her husband I think still relying on her father for work/money.

And pragmatically unlike the Bates sisters bc they have much larger social media followings, they aren't competing with each other for social media $ either. Jill shills cereal, some swim school her kids go to, and some meal prep company whereas the last Joy ad I saw was for one of those car battery chargers to jump start a car. Meanwhile in the Bates' clan I feel like it REALLY chaps the sisters' asses when they get in with Dime Beauty or Navy hair or Cuts or whomever and oh look within weeks each of their sisters is plugging the same thing - cutting into their potential earnings.

The Bates girls haven't realized they are so messed up bc of G&K giving them NO attention except on their wedding day and pushing out baby number 1 day. Instead of blaming G&K, they find reasons to pick on each other for "stealing" attention away. And apparently they aren't content enough in their own husbands/home lives to just focus on those rather than their sisters.

And BTW Carlin looks like an idiot in the hospital room wearing that poofy braid that Josie made SUCH a big deal of as she stood in front of the mirror on the ski trip proclaiming her bestie to be Lydia as they both did their hair that way for skiing. It was very much Carlin's way of being like - well you may have skied with YOUR bestie Lydia but I can wear my hair the same way while watching MY BESTIE Katie, your FORMER bestie push out a baby which beats skiing any day. Maybe that hair style has some benefits for windy conditions on a mountain but it just looks asinine indoors in L&D.

[Salacious Kitty]

To be fair, that ponytail is all the rage right now. I see it everywhere. 

[Heathen]

14 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

To be fair, that ponytail is all the rage right now. I see it everywhere. 

The ponytail as well as the French/braided version. 

I think Katie has "influencer bitch" potential if she hangs with Carlin too much. She has that self-obsessed vibe going on. 

[ranchgirl]

Everything has always been a competition with Ma and Pa Bates.  Even their I Love You Day is a competition with the themed costumes.  They have been competitive with "talent shows" at other parties and get togethers.  

[AstridM]

18 hours ago, Heathen said:

The ponytail as well as the French/braided version. 

I think Katie has "influencer bitch" potential if she hangs with Carlin too much. She has that self-obsessed vibe going on. 

Emphasis on “bitch.” 🤣

[Salacious Kitty]

28 minutes ago, AstridM said:

Emphasis on “bitch.” 🤣

I don't get a bitchy vibe from Katie. Carlin and Josie? Yup. And because this is Erin's thread, get holier than thou arrogance.

[Meow Mix]

Thanks @cereality for the great summation on the differences with the Bates vs. Duggar sisters.  I do find it interesting that Erin seems to be more distant from her sisters than the others.  I wonder how much of that is the favoritism she was shown growing up due to being musical.  It seems that Lawson and Erin have always been Kelly's favorites because of that.  

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, Meow Mix said:

Thanks @cereality for the great summation on the differences with the Bates vs. Duggar sisters.  I do find it interesting that Erin seems to be more distant from her sisters than the others.  I wonder how much of that is the favoritism she was shown growing up due to being musical.  It seems that Lawson and Erin have always been Kelly's favorites because of that.  

In the Chad/Erin Q&A they just did she got the sisters question. She said she and Tori have been best friends since childhood and she is very close with Michaela. Which is what has been said here -- the more conservative sisters.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Dehumidifier

[SMama]

So the Tori and Carlin pairing (like Josie and Katie) for talking heads was BUB’s doing. 

[GeeGolly]

On 2/25/2023 at 1:46 PM, SMama said:

So the Tori and Carlin pairing (like Josie and Katie) for talking heads was BUB’s doing. 

I think Josie and Katie were actually close growing up. Carlin was the odd one out. Both Alyssa and Erin were married by the time BUBs was on so pairing Tori and Carlin made sense.

Edited March 1, 2023 by GeeGolly
Alyssa, not Ashley

[floridamom]

I wish someone asked them about what they are doing in that church they moved to Florida to participate in. Why was Chad needed there?

[Salacious Kitty]

3 minutes ago, floridamom said:

I wish someone asked them about what they are doing in that church they moved to Florida to participate in. Why was Chad needed there?

I'm sure someone asked. They just decided to avoid it.

[FizzyPuff]

6 hours ago, floridamom said:

I wish someone asked them about what they are doing in that church they moved to Florida to participate in. Why was Chad needed there?

They probably needed a handyman and Chad was cheap. 

[SMama]

I finally got around to watch the Q&A but didn’t finish. Both have very soft, calm voices. The evil in me wonders if they talk like that all the time, especially with five kids underfoot.

Chad is obviously very busy with house projects, is he already working for the sweet congregation at their sweet, new church? Erin mentioned he still needs to make some furniture. 

I understand they are devout Christians. But there’s more to life than devotions, read the Bible daily (they must have it memorized by now), encouraging others, and all the devotion paraphernalia. They are one dimensional. 

This I’m really curious about. Erin’s dream is to own a mini Jersey. Funny it is still an ongoing joke in our heathen household that we should have invested in a milking cow.  Both our kids are milk drinkers, we should have invested in a mini.  

Erin said she wants to make her own cheese, and other dairy products. Do people really get those minis for a milk supply outside a farm setting? They are going to have four girls sharing one room soon, and are still renting.  I would have thought Erin’s dream would be to own a home with enough rooms so the kids don’t end up stacked like firewood again. 

 

[moonchild81]

On 2/25/2023 at 1:55 PM, GeeGolly said:

I think Josie and Katie were actually close growing up. Carlin was the odd one out. Both Ashley and Erin were married by the time BUBs was on so pairing Tori and Carlin made sense.

do you mean Alyssa and Erin?

[GeeGolly]

9 minutes ago, moonchild81 said:

do you mean Alyssa and Erin?

Yup! Thank-you!

[SMama]

I only saw pictures of Erin and Carson at ILY day. First, I’m really surprised Erin made it. Second, I hope she didn’t bring only Carson because that would be beyond messed up. 

[Dehumidifier]

37 minutes ago, SMama said:

I only saw pictures of Erin and Carson at ILY day. First, I’m really surprised Erin made it. Second, I hope she didn’t bring only Carson because that would be beyond messed up. 

Chad was at the table in the restaurant scene in the video. I doubt they left the other kids home.

[SMama]

Screenshot from a video.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by SMama

[Salacious Kitty]

Sherlock Holmes? 

[BitterApple]

I just had a random thought. With all the talk of Trace flying down to FL for Jackson's engagement and Carlin being left out of the loop, I totally forgot about Erin. She wasn't there either, and if I'm not mistaken she's only a couple of hours from Orlando. They drove to have lunch with Gil and Kelly when the latter two were on a layover, so I'm a little surprised they didn't attend the engagement plus the dinner. Maybe they were just busy that weekend, but usually these folks take any opportunity to meet up with family. Did they want to avoid an awkward reunion with Zach and Whit?