Maddie Brown: Seeking a One-Woman Man

[ginger90]

 

3 hours later, she realized she left something out:

[Scarlett45]

I’m getting back into this show with WFH etc, did Maddie ever complete her degree? Last I recall she was at University of Wyoming when she married Caleb. 

[ginger90]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I’m getting back into this show with WFH etc, did Maddie ever complete her degree? Last I recall she was at University of Wyoming when she married Caleb. 

From what I recall, she dropped out after they got engaged. I believe she attended Utah State. After that, no clue. Wasn’t she going to, or talking about going to nursing school?

Edited August 15, 2020 by ginger90

[YupItsMe]

If I recall correctly, she deleted her IG account for a while so I think it was a hiatus from social media, but a very short one.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

46 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

From what I recall, she dropped out after they got engaged. I believe she attended Utah State. After that, no clue. Wasn’t she going to, or talking about going to nursing school?

I believe she ended up dropping out that first semester.  Not sure if she is going to school now or not.  I believe her and Caleb might have been going when she was pregnant with Axel.  I doubt she has time to even do online classes.  I know I wouldn't with two small children.

[Gramto6]

7 hours ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

I believe she ended up dropping out that first semester.  Not sure if she is going to school now or not.  I believe her and Caleb might have been going when she was pregnant with Axel.  I doubt she has time to even do online classes.  I know I wouldn't with two small children.

Especially with one being special needs...her hands are full right now.

[ginger90]

 

[laurakaye]

Looks like he's about to "read" a book to his baby sister.  My two kids were spaced about the same as Maddie's.  When I came across a sweet moment like this, I typically let it play out and if I really wanted to take a picture, I did it as stealthily as I could so as not to interrupt them.  Forcing Axel to constantly stop and "SMILE FOR MOMMY" is going to make that kid loathe his mother's phone.  Perhaps he will find it unattended on the kitchen counter, take it into the bathroom and attempt to flush it down the toilet.

This is NOT meant to mom-shame Maddie.  But if your child clearly does not like having his picture taken (as Axel has demonstrated since birth), perhaps you don't need to keep trying.  That's all.

[xwordfanatik]

Yes!  Axel needs to flush mommy's annoying gadget.  A grimace is not a smile.  

Evie seems to be a much happier kid than her brother.  She's a doll!

[crazycatlady58]

Axel may just not be a smiley person. He could be happy and content but not smile a lot.

[deirdra]

1 hour ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Axel may just not be a smiley person. He could be happy and content but not smile a lot.

Living in a selfie-obsessed family, he may think a fake smile is the only kind of smile.

[ginger90]

 

[Meowwww]

On 8/19/2020 at 12:41 PM, deirdra said:

Living in a selfie-obsessed family, he may think a fake smile is the only kind of smile.

Reminds me of Kody’s smile at the family party “look down the camera!!!”

[Joan of Argh]

A few days ago Maddie posted a short video of Evie walking.

I wasn't aware that she could walk and I was so happy to see her going right along like nobodys business, so cute.❤

[Gramto6]

God bless that sweet little angel! I'd love to see the video of her walking!

[Roslyn]

On 8/19/2020 at 11:50 AM, crazycatlady58 said:

Axel may just not be a smiley person. He could be happy and content but not smile a lot.

 

On 8/19/2020 at 5:33 PM, CocoPuffs said:

You do have a point there. One of my kids was never smiley (talkative but not smiley). As far as we know, she was/is happy. My other one has a permanent, genuine smile at nearly all times. People are always commenting on how beautiful his smile is. They were both raised the same way.

 

My daughter has a very expressive face.  When she was around 4 I pointed my camera at her and told her to just make some faces and I took a whole "roll" of film.  They are some of my favorite photos of her. Even now in her 20's she has a face of a thousand "faces".

And most of my favorite photos of my kids are real "captures", they aren't smiling or posing, they are just being themselves.

[Joan of Argh]

10 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

God bless that sweet little angel! I'd love to see the video of her walking!

Unfortunately she posted it on the instagram stories that disappear after so many hours.

I went and looked for it but it seems to be gone, maybe Ginger90 knows how to find it.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

23 minutes ago, Joan of Argh said:

Unfortunately she posted it on the instagram stories that disappear after so many hours.

I went and looked for it but it seems to be gone, maybe Ginger90 knows how to find it.

I remember seeing it but don't remember what website it was on.  She was walking pretty normally for having missing/curved bones.

[Joan of Argh]

2 minutes ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

I remember seeing it but don't remember what website it was on.  She was walking pretty normally for having missing/curved bones.

Oh good, glad to know someone else saw it... I was starting to wonder if I imagined it!  😂

Yes that's what surprised me, she was walking right along like you said " pretty normally" even with her medical issues.... It made me happy to see how well she's doing. ❤

[Sandy W]

11 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

God bless that sweet little angel! I'd love to see the video of her walking!

The video is still up on reddit, posted 2 days ago, titled Baby Evie walking, her First birthday is in 2 days.  Scroll down about 20 comments on the reddit SW site.  So cute.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

8 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

The video is still up on reddit, posted 2 days ago, titled Baby Evie walking, her First birthday is in 2 days.  Scroll down about 20 comments on the reddit SW site.  So cute.

That's where I saw it.  Just couldn't remember.  Thanks.

[Absolom]

48 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

The video is still up on reddit, posted 2 days ago, titled Baby Evie walking, her First birthday is in 2 days.  Scroll down about 20 comments on the reddit SW site.  So cute.

https://preview.redd.it/skfkldpnoth51.gif?format=mp4&s=2cc33b38164e6faac264e68e32d9475885bea911

 

[Gramto6]

5 hours ago, Absolom said:

https://preview.redd.it/skfkldpnoth51.gif?format=mp4&s=2cc33b38164e6faac264e68e32d9475885bea911

 

Thank you! I'm not on reddit so couldn't see it! She does look like she is walking normally. She is a doll!

[Absolom]

Maddie has posted about the first surgery for her daughter.  It almost makes me cry.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Absolom

[suomi]

Spoiler

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12484055_The_Boyd_amputation_as_a_treatment_for_osteomyelitis_of_the_foot

Most of the foot is removed and the heel remains. It truly is good news that it was possible to do her amputation this way. Saving the heel preserves a lot of stability.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by suomi

[xwordfanatik]

Good to hear that darling girl is recovering well.  

[Kbo]

Poor little darling, it breaks my heart that any child should have to go through those kind of surgeries.  I hope they can do a lot of the work while she’s too little to remember. Get well soon, sweet girl. 

[Gramto6]

30 minutes ago, Kbo said:

Poor little darling, it breaks my heart that any child should have to go through those kind of surgeries.  I hope they can do a lot of the work while she’s too little to remember. Get well soon, sweet girl. 

My heart breaks for that sweet angel, but I agree, it is good they can do these amazing surgeries while she is so young she probably won't remember them.

[Joan of Argh]

I was just reading about her surgeries on another site and apparently Evie had her foot amputated.

I hadn't noticed that her foot was gone in the picture but now when I look at it I see that her little foot isn't there anymore.

I guess she'll have a prosthetic foot fitted to her leg?

So sad because in the video she was doing so well with her walking.❤

Edit to add: Oooops looks like you all knew that already, I'm still trying to catch up.

Edited August 25, 2020 by Joan of Argh
Oooops my bad I see it was already mentioned, sorry I hadn't noticed.

[Gramto6]

36 minutes ago, Joan of Argh said:

I was just reading about her surgeries on another site and apparently Evie had her foot amputated.

I hadn't noticed that her foot was gone in the picture but now when I look at it I see that her little foot isn't there anymore.

I guess she'll have a prosthetic foot fitted to her leg?

So sad because in the video she was doing so well with her walking.❤

Edit to add: Oooops looks like you all knew that already, I'm still trying to catch up.

According to the link to the type of surgery she had, they left her heel to give her better stability. I suppose she will have a partial prosthetic foot fitted. It is amazing what they can do these days. It is going to be a long road for that sweet girl, I just hope they can do the minimalist procedures on the surgeries to correct what needs to be fixed.

[Scarlett45]

Get well soon Evie! Like you all I hate to see a little one in such pain, but I’m sure the surgeries will improve her quality of life. And having them young will help her coordination etc. 

[deirdra]

I think she is also missing all or part of one of her lower leg bones, so it will be interesting to see how that is dealt with in a growing child.  In the photo, Evie still looks happier than the average Brown even though she has more challenges.

Edited August 25, 2020 by deirdra

[Kohola3]

9 minutes ago, deirdra said:

In the photo, Evie still looks happier than the average Brown even though she has more challenges.

She does seem like a happy little thing.  She is always smiling.  

Having the surgeries while she is young will help a lot.  She will grow up already used to coping with things.  We adults would be fighting it tooth and nail.

[CalicoKitty]

20 minutes ago, deirdra said:

I think she is also missing all or part of one of her lower leg bones, so it will be interesting to see how that is dealt with in a growing child.  In the photo, Evie still looks happier than the average Brown even though she has more challenges.

She is missing her fibula, which is the smaller bone in the leg. It will be interesting to see what other surgeries she will have.  It is amazing what the surgeons can accomplish, and the outcomes they achieve.  Evie has a long row to hoe, but it is great that her family is so supportive.

[Kbo]

I hope Caleb’s job has good insurance. Even with decent insurance, you know it’s still going to be expensive. I work for a Fortune 100 company, and our only option is a high deductible plan. The annual maximum for one person is over $7,000.  I hope they have something better, because obviously she’s going to need a lot of care. I wonder if Maddie will have to get a job at some point. 

[CalicoKitty]

2 hours ago, Kbo said:

I hope Caleb’s job has good insurance. Even with decent insurance, you know it’s still going to be expensive. I work for a Fortune 100 company, and our only option is a high deductible plan. The annual maximum for one person is over $7,000.  I hope they have something better, because obviously she’s going to need a lot of care. I wonder if Maddie will have to get a job at some point. 

I'm hoping she is going to Shriners or St Jude.  They have excellent care and the family pays little or nothing.

[Not Buyin It]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:00 PM, Joan of Argh said:

Axel takes after his parents with the gritted teeth so it looks more like a grimace than a smile plus both of his shoes have holes in the toe with his socks showing through.

Those little boots are always on sale dirt cheap at the bargain shoe outlets, take $5 and get the kid a new pair of shoes! 

I will say, in the parents' defense, that I grew up with my "fishin' shoes". They were worn and nasty, but fine for fishing or even better, going out to the clamming flats.

It's not like they're sending the kid to church or to the first day of school wearing those.

 

[ginger90]

 

[Kohola3]

That is one adorable kid!  She is going to do fine.

[xwordfanatik]

Evie is so beautiful.  I agree @Kohola3, she's going to do fine.

[laurakaye]

I also think she'll do fine, but I'm not really looking forward to her parents using her as a storyline for TLC $$.  

[Dustbunny]

 

[Liddy52]

1 hour ago, Dustbunny said:

 

That is actually a well thought out reply. She did a nice job of explaining without getting defensive. And, she actually seemed to know what she was talking about. It appears they put a lot of thought and research in before making their decision on the best course of action.  I am actually somewhat impressed.  I wouldn't have expected such rational thought and action from a Brown. 

[lookeyloo]

Its a hard decision to have to make, I'm sure.  I wonder if any doctors would let them  jump into this kind of decision without having lots of education, some kind of evaluations, mental for parents and physical for child.  I couldn't even have my hip replaced until I went to a "class".  Granted, different situation, but, they wanted me to have information.  Has Caleb ever mentioned having more than one wife?

[Sandy W]

3 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

 Has Caleb ever mentioned having more than one wife?

Caleb would have no interest in polygamy, he was raised Evangelical, his father is in fact an minister in that faith.  Kody's brother married Caleb's sister and Kody's brother was raised as a traditional Mormon (LDS), so I don't think Kody's brother and Caleb's sister have would been practicing polygamy either.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Sandy W

[ginger90]

[laurakaye]

"Cheese harder?"  Let the kid be.  Snap a candid shot of your kids if you must document them every single day, but let him be himself.

My son was not a smiler.  My daughter was.  I look through their baby pictures and think they're great because they were who they were.  In fact, in order to get my son to smile for his senior pictures I had to yell out to him from behind the photographer that I'd buy him ice cream if he smiled.  He laughed, and that's the picture I have framed in my house because I know the story behind it.  I think Maddie needs to chillax on what she thinks her followers want to see and just let her kids be kids (see also: Prop Bow Vuolo, daughter of Jeremy and Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo).

 

[ginger90]

 

[deirdra]

9 hours ago, laurakaye said:

"Cheese harder?"  Let the kid be.  Snap a candid shot of your kids if you must document them every single day, but let him be himself.

I agree, fake smiles are not cute.  90% of the photos I have of my niece and nephew have fake smiles.  The only ones I like are the 10% where they did not realize they were on camera and I can see their natural expressions. It would be natural to look apprehensive, or curious or excited with a dash of apprehension on the first day of school.  Real expressions are nuanced.

Edited September 3, 2020 by deirdra

[Gramto6]

I look at the photos my kids send me of my grands...I don't see one forced smile in any of them, just happy go lucky kids. I'm sad that Maddie has to  force Axel to "smile/cheese it up" so sad and such pressure on a little boy...