S05.E16: Skeletons In The Closet

[happykitteh]

If he and Amber get married, can she be legally responsible (financially speaking) for his debt or child support? Amber, girl, you can't be that dumb. Call off the wedding. Get answers. Figure things out. You're only 23. There's no rush.

 

I was thinking the same thing, that Amber's income may be counted toward child support. I looked it up and found this:

 

"In Indiana, when a parent remarries, the remarriage itself doesn’t affect child support. But courts can consider a new spouse’s income when calculating that parent’s available income, since a new spouse contributes to the household living expenses, which increases the funds available for child support.

In one case, a mother who earned $18,000 per year remarried a business owner who earned considerably more. The court ruled that the mother had to disclose her husband’s salary so the judge could determine how much he was contributing to her living expenses. Essentially, the money that the husband contributed to the mother’s living expenses could be counted as financial resources she had available for child support.

Indiana courts can also “impute” income to a parent, meaning that the court estimates the earning potential of a parent who is either unemployed, underemployed, or receives money from a spouse that should be treated like income. For example, one Indiana judge found that a mother’s new spouse paid half of her expenses, including the mortgage of a home she owned prior to her remarriage. The mother didn’t earn a high income from her job, but the court treated the money she received from her new husband as income for child support calculations."

[happykitteh]

I have decided that the fighting between Farrah and her parents is her idea of a storyline. She has no relationship, they can't highlight her "career", so the only part of her life where they can stir up drama is fights with Debra and Michael. Everything is fake about their fighting, and their BS counseling session, at the end of which everything with Debra is just fine. I think they are all in on it together. 

 

 

I've been thinking the same! No one can be as hateful and abusive to their parents as Farrah is, especially while being filmed. People who are shitty usually clean up their act while in public and act like assholes when no one is looking. Also, I don't believe anyone would tolerate that kind of treatment from their daughter long term, as her parents have, even if access to a grandchild was on the line. Everyone has limits and Farrah's parents would have hit theirs if this was real and not an act.  The sad part is Sofia. She's not old enough to understand her mom and grandparents are just "acting" or "pretending". Even though I can't stand that annoying little Demon Seed Troll my heart did break for her last week when Farrah and her mom were fighting and Sofia went over to the producer for comfort, then climbed into the bed and put pillows on her head to drown out the fighting. Then this week she said she was scared when Farah and her mom were at it again.Sofia is definitely one messed up kid so there IS some level of dysfunction - it's just ramped up on steroids for the show, IMO. I don't doubt Farrah is a total narcissistic psycho bitch IRL, I mean she can't even get along with her costars, I just don't think it's to the extreme shown on the show towards her parents. When she comes on screen I want to give her a beatdown. She looks so much better and younger without all the makeup. Her lips drive me to distraction. They look especially awful and ducky in a profile view. I don't understand why she's ruined her looks with all the plastic surgery, I have nothing against ps for those who need it but all she needed was a nose job and the braces and she would have been a very pretty girl. She used to have an nice figure - thin, small boned, cute - and now she looks overweight due to those matronly breast and huge ass. If she felt the need to have bigger boobs she should have gone up to a "C" cup and no more. That would have fit with her previous size and looks good. Now she's ruined. I guess it's fitting that she be as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside.

 

Cate&Tyler: How can they just lie around all damn day for YEARS and not be bored crazy?? I'm thinking Tyler must have some level of depression too. I can't imagine an emotionally healthy person being able to sit around and do nothing for as long as he has. I wonder if Butch, after being locked up and FORCED to do nothing all day, is thinking, "What the hell son? You have the option and freedom to do ANYTHING you'd like, the choice to go outside whenever you want, yet you sit in the house like a prisoner? Get your shit together little dude!"  If Tyler feels a 9-5 is below him (ya know, cuz he's such a big tv star) or too routine and boring he should at least volunteer at several places. Serve a different need every day of the week to stave off the "routine" he's so afraid of. He's an asshole for not helping Cate. Since neither on of them works they should be taking turns every other day being the main caretaker for the day and taking the nighttime/early morning duty so they each have a chance to sleep through the night/sleep in and Cate could get out and have time with friends, run errands, get a manicure, whatever, without having to leave the baby with her mom. It's definitely NOT normal to be away from your baby as much as Cate is. And the constant nail biting grosses me out!!!

 

Amber: I was really surprised Gary's lawyer told him to go ahead and show Amber the papers before she researched as to whether what Gary found was accurate. I though she would have told him to wait for confirmation. Gary is a dick. Amber is no prize either but it seems to be Gary's mission in life to make Amber miserable. Even if Amber was with a decent guy instead of Creepy Old Guy he's still be making trouble under the guise of "doing what's best for Leah." If he really cared about Leah's future as much as he claims to he'd lose about 300 lbs. If he dies from weight related complications Amber will get full custody, Leah will have no dad. Wonder if he ever thinks about THAT scenario while he's inhaling a large pepperoni and sausage.

 

Maci: Ryan's behavior went from one extreme to the other. When he was sitting with his mom he seemed really slow and depressed. Cut to the party and he's happy and active. Makes me wonder if he's doing drugs. Maci seems more interested in Ryan than Taylor and I think Taylor knows it. When the camera cut to him he didn't look all that thrilled that Ryan was holding his baby (then again it may be the editing). Maybe that's why he hasn't proposed yet. Bentley is a total cutie pie! I'm sure that's why Maci agreed to have him back on camera. Nobody cares about her boring life - we just all want to see Bentley!

Edited February 3, 2016 by happykitteh

[LilaFowler]

Farrah needs in-patient psychiatric care.

 

Does Matt really have 7 kids?

[ebkitty]

Gary handle that the best he could, it was obvious Amber & Matt, knew it was coming from the way they talked on the way over. Plus in the ashley article baby mama no#8 stated, she contacted Mtv way before this scene was filmed, so it was going to come out, no matter what. Amber is the one who handled herself poorly, if she would stop acting like a junkyard dog and start listening to people, get sober, go to treatment, n/a meetings, get a sponsor, find a therapist, take some parenting classes, get a job or go to school, and put her child first, these kinds of things wouldn't happen.

Edited February 3, 2016 by ebkitty

[CofCinci]

Does Matt really have 7 kids?

No.

He has 9.

[starfire]

Catelynn and Tyler are useless. I remember few seasons ago when Tyler had a fleeting moment of motivation. He was supposedly going to go to college and do something with his life. He wanted Cate to go to school too. In fact, he even had a conversation with his mom that he couldn't see himself being with a person who had no motivation to go to school and improve herself. It sounded like he was strongly considering breaking up with Cate if she didn't sign up for classes. Cate protested and didn't even pretend she wanted to go to school, but I think she finally agreed to please Tyler. I think Tyler may have taken a class or two back then. 

 

Since then, neither of them have accomplished anything. I find it really sad since they have had so many opportunities, money, plenty of time, lots of support, and so on....not to mention all their empty promises to Carly about how giving her up would allow them to do things like go to college.

[alexa]

I watched the aftershow last night, and I found Amber's segment interesting.  I don't think she totally swept it under the rug, and I got the impression she is still processing all of this, and also that she is not necessarily okay with him having a lot of kids (she says if it is true, and admitted he probably has at least 2 more than the original 2 she knew about).  She stated that she doesn't understand how you could not want to be a part of their life, so I do think she is thinking about all of it versus just saying--I love him, I don't care about this news, etc.  Plus I am sure she couldn't say everything as not everything has come on tv yet, so they have to talk about what is current on the show.

 

The Farrah stuff was interesting.  I didn't think all of that was going to play out this season since she was on the show this season at all... it also gave Catelynn a reason to get fired up about something, and admit Farrah is over the top.

[ginger90]

Amber Portwood Calls Matt Baier A ‘Deadbeat Father’ After 7 Children Scandal, Threatens To Quit Teen Mom OG

I'll spare you the first 7 pages: http://okmagazine.com/photos/amber-portwood-calls-matt-baier-deadbeat-father-seven-child-scandal-tmog-recap/photo/1001385380/

Edited February 3, 2016 by ginger90

[Kellyee]

Catelynn and Tyler don't need therapy. They aren't depressed or mentally ill. They are just incredibly, massively immature. They have the emotional maturity of immature 14 year olds. And they're lazy, and they've gotten very used to getting paid by MTV for doing basically nothing. They're in for a huge shock when they age out of MTV, and realize that the reality star career market is now flooded with people, most of whom won't be making a living off their "fame" for very long.

 

Tyler can pursue writing if he wants, but most writers also have jobs. In college, they informed us that there are around 250 writers in the entire country who make a living just off of writing novels. That's it. The rest have other jobs or sources of income. I don't see Tyler cracking that 250 glass ceiling anytime soon.

 

And Catelynn is not a "stay at home mom" if her daughter is spending 40% of her time living with grandma. Catelynn could be attending a class or learning some other skill during the time she's hoisting her daughter off on other people.

 

Is it too late to send Nova to live with Brandon and Theresa? Maybe they can take Leah and Sophia too.

 

And while Gary is correct that Matt is a huge loser, Gary is a loser too. Get a job, Gary.

[Tatum]

I haven't even watched this episode yet, and I'm not sure my blood pressure can take it. Tyler really is a worthless sack of shit, isn't he?

 

I am most disappointed by Cate. I will try to withhold judgment about the overnights at April's- not sure if Cate has been officially diagnosed with PPD and to what extent it affects her, but if Cate, for whatever reason, is not able to properly look after Nova, then outsourcing her care is what needs to be done (ahem, LEAH). However, that should be a short term solution, while Cate uses that time to go into therapy or switches her meds or something. In addition, the time away from Nova should be used more productively. I have to think at least some of Cate's depression comes from her completely stagnant lifestyle.

 

What disappoints me is that I always imagined Cate to be like Maci or Chelsea, in that maybe she doesn't have the most drive or ambition (Maci thinks she has a lot of ambition, but really her only drive is to make a lot of money by doing very little work, and she just got lucky Teen Mom indulges that for now), maybe not the most solid work ethic, but I will give Maci and Chelsea each respect for how much they adore their kids and try to teach them and do age appropriate activities with them. Now, maybe Cate will get it figured out and fall into that category, but I am wondering if maybe she approaches motherhood like school, work, fitness, etc- fine to do when she's in the mood, but as soon as she's not, she wants the responsibility taken away. And she's not in the mood far more than she is in the mood.

 

Parenting is hard work. And it's hard in a different way for every age. Maybe Cate just isn't cut out to raise babies, but will be more involved when Nova is a toddler?

[Elizabeth9]

My mom is an alcoholic. I love her, but if I ever had a kid, you best believe I wouldn't be dropping that kid off over there 2/3 days a week!

Can't believe T/C were smarter at 16 than they are now. Wasn't the entire point of giving up Carly to keep her away from people like Butch and April?

Why doesn't TYLER help Cate with the baby? I mean, babies tend to sleep a lot, so he'd will have time for social media. Maybe do a night shift where he stays up all night online and tends to the baby when she cries. You know. Just incorporate that kid into his life somehow..be a parent, in the sense that you, you know, like pick the kid up and change her diaper sometimes, in between tweeting about your other "child" on social media. Throw her a crumb every now and then and she might not grow up feeling infinitely inferior to Carly...

I used to really like Catelynn but now I'm questioning her judgement.

[Pepper Mostly]

Why are half of these people forever sitting on a damn couch? No one ever cleans, cooks, makes a bed or dusts anything?

Right? Either they are sitting around on the couch or going out to eat at some strip mall restaurant. Does anyone have any hobbies? Their houses are all so depressing--no houseplants, no books, no art on the walls, no knickknacks or keepsakes around, just ugly furniture pushed up against the walls, and a laptop. They all have dogs--does anyone walk the dogs, play with them, take them to the park? Jesus, I'm lazy. I'm as lazy as can be, and my idea of a perfect day is to remain supine, with snacks close at hand. BUT my house is clean, I played with and enjoyed my son's company when he was little (still do!), I love to bake and cook, I have plants, I read, I play board games, go out with friends, and so on. Oh, and have a job. To see these kids, so young, doing nothing but lie around makes my blood boil. Aren't they interested in anything? They have nothing but time and plenty of money. At 23 I would have given an organ for that opportunity. (still would!). Do they not realize that the day is coming when Cate is going to be doing double shifts at Burger King to make ends meet?

[WhosThatGirl]

I have a lot to say about Tyler and Cate but too much to say it all right now. But probably a lot of issues that they have with parenting is based on their role models of parents. Although, Tyler should at least have more of a handle, considering his mom seems to have it together and that just shows me what a selfish jerk he is. He is so self-centered on himself that he didn't even think Nova spending 2 nights overnight was a thing to be concerned about. And then has the nerve to be all, "I want to help you. But you have to tell me when I can help you, otherwise the baby will cry and cry". Like, what..? At this point, he is acting like every new father on 16 and pregnant which proves Tyler, not the most admirable guy who's so much better than all the other ones. 

[Tatum]

 

"I want to help you. But you have to tell me when I can help you...

 

This makes me apoplectic. My own husband is guilty of this sometimes. I'm just going to go ahead and use dads as the culprit, fully conceding mothers can do it as well. Anyways, newsflash: dads don't "babysit", and they are not doing their wives a "favor" by taking care of their own children. If Cate has to say, "Tyler, will you please watch Nova while I take a shower", that really rubs me the wrong way. It comes across as Cate essentially asking Tyler for permission to take a shower, take a nap, run an errand, etc. It contributes to a power differential, I think, when the wife feels like she has to ask her husband to do something he should be doing already, and like he can decline to do it if he chooses, while she's stuck with it automatically.

 

I know that's a common problem when one parent works and one stays at home- the working parent feels like managing the child is the stay at home parent's job even when both parents are home, while the stay at home parent feels resentful that the working parent gets time to himself or herself. But that isn't even the case here! Neither of these lazy morons have ANY obligations other than Nova.

[qtpye]

When maci pulls her hair up in one of those bagel buns, she looks like a lightbulb.

 

 

She looks like she has a damn gear shift on her head.

 

That hairstyle also shows how much forehead she has going on and highlights those fugly gauges she wears. I swear, when I look at Maci I believe that the guys she has attracted have only been because they were high or drunk. Or both.

 

 

When Maci did her 16 and P episode, I thought she was a bit plain, but cute.  Even though Ryan was out of her league look wise, they still kinda made a lovely couple.

 

Now Maci looks haggard for her age.  I commented that she kinda looks like the granny from the Beverly Hillbillies, if you took away the spunk.  I really hope she is not sick.

 

 

can see why Tyler thinks he can not only write a book but "be a writer" [without ever actually reading a book] because first he watched Amber, Kailyn, Maci andFarrah all get book deals and then he and Cate "wrote" one as well.  I honestly don't think he understands this is just capitalizing on the fame and actual writers and editors do all the writing, lol.

 

 

I agree. Tyler is not going to need any training or education to write his books.  He will outline his life to a ghost writer and he or she will write the book for him.  This is was all d-list reality show people do.  These Teen Mom people get everything handed to them so easily on a silver platter, that they have no idea what hard work looks like.

 

 

Maybe Butch can get Tyler a job building fences with him. I'm sure they go to different properties and build different looking fences, so it won't be all exactly the same everyday. (Which seriously, fuck off Tyler. That's life. And you're doing the same shit most days just like the rest of us - except your days are spent lazing around on your couch on social media while Catelynn, April or Butch parent your child day after day

 

 

Tyler is the type of guy who would enjoy styling his hair and outfit all day, rather than build fences.  I am in no way implying that he is gay...just that he is not the type of guy to get his hands dirty.  He probably should try to get some sort of training in fashion (even though his own fashion sense is horrid), because that is probably where his real interests lay.

 

I also think Tyler feels his main fatherly responsibility was providing good looking genes for Nova and Carly.  Cate is so lucky to have him.

Edited February 3, 2016 by qtpye

[Tatum]

 

When Maci did her 16 and P episode, I thought she was a bit plain, but cute.  Even though Ryan was out of her league look wise, they still kinda made a lovely couple.

 

I did not think she was very cute in her 16 and Pregnant episode. I think her face is too small for all that hair. I think Maci looked the best during her first season of Teen Mom with the short strawberry blond bob. She also dressed really cute too. A lot of people rag on her for being skinny but I thought she looked really nicely put together the first season, even when she was dressed casually.

 

Then in later seasons she bleached her hair and got those ghastly extensions and looked like a bargain basement Hefner girlfriend cast-off, and her sartorial choices vacillated between XXL sweats/ oversized stained tshirts and hooker ware. Not a fan of that phase and I also don't love the bulky sweatshirt paired with short shorts combo she's been rocking this season.

[CofCinci]

Wasn't the entire point of giving up Carly to keep her away from people like Butch and April?

This is the narrative they sell when they stand up to speak for Bethanny but it's not the truth. They can't wait to leave their baby with those two pieces of human garbage. The truth, which they won't admit but is so evident in the way Nova is passed around, is that they didn't want to be parents. They didn't want to with Carly. They didn't want to for Nova. They like to bang without birth control and didn't learn from the first pregnancy.

[Brooklynista]

This is the narrative they sell when they stand up to speak for Bethanny but it's not the truth. They can't wait to leave their baby with those two pieces of human garbage. The truth, which they won't admit but is so evident in the way Nova is passed around, is that they didn't want to be parents. They didn't want to with Carly. They didn't want to for Nova. They like to bang without birth control and didn't learn from the first pregnancy.

I have to disagree w a small part of this post. I doubt Tyler bangs Catelynn at all. I think they've done it exactly two times once produced Carly and the last one produced Nova.

There is no sexy time happening between these two. No heat at all. Did you see that dry ass kiss at the wedding?? I kiss my grandma with more passion. Tyler strikes me as a guy with a real low sex drive and Catelynn is no sex kitten herself. They both lucked up meeting an equal that loves to sit on the couch and swipe thru Instagram.

[CofCinci]

I have to disagree w a small part of this post. I doubt Tyler bangs Catelynn at all. I think they've done it exactly two times once produced Carly and the last one produced Nova.

There is no sexy time happening between these two. No heat at all. Did you see that dry ass kiss at the wedding?? I kiss my grandma with more passion. Tyler strikes me as a guy with a real low sex drive and Catelynn is no sex kitten herself. They both lucked up meeting an equal that loves to sit on the couch and swipe thru Instagram.

I definitely agree.

[The Mighty Peanut]

I think Tyler has a normal sex drive but isn't physically attracted to Catelynn. Catelynn knows this and accordingly is reluctant to put out because she is still very body conscious. 

 

But they both know that Teen Mom is their paycheck. Vague aspirations of psychology and nursing careers don't pay the bills, but it doesn't take a lot of studying to fuck, so, Nova. YMMV.

Edited February 3, 2016 by The Mighty Peanut

[qtpye]

I think Tyler has a normal sex drive but isn't physically attracted to Catelynn. Catelynn knows this and accordingly is reluctant to put out because she is still very body conscious.

 

 

Thank God when Tyler gets angry a lot, Cate is the ONLY ONE who can calm him down.

 

This was a tidbit Cate let slip when Mtv asked her to tell them something about Tyler that no on knew.  It screams of insecurity on her part.

[Brooklynista]

The thought of an enraged Tyler just tickles me.  Nothing about him says tough guy.  Who exactly is he intimidating with his rage??  Outside of the dogs, I don't really see Tyler doing too much damage.

 

Perhaps he can be verbally abusive, but even there I don't see him as smart enough to really come up with anything that could be damaging.

[VioletNevermind]

This may be a somewhat obscure reference but Michael looks just like Bottles the Mole from the old video game Banjo Kazooie with those giant glasses.

 

I'm going to get into trouble at work over the laugh that just exploded from my mouth and it's all your fault!

[langway]

The thought of an enraged Tyler just tickles me.  Nothing about him says tough guy.  Who exactly is he intimidating with his rage??  Outside of the dogs, I don't really see Tyler doing too much damage.

 

Perhaps he can be verbally abusive, but even there I don't see him as smart enough to really come up with anything that could be damaging.

 

I don't know about that. You don't have to be smart to make people feel terrible, which (to me anyway) it's obvious that he has made Cate feel bad numerous times. Like that whole "You were talking to a boy that you probably didn't do anything with except hold hands at the age of 12..." thing. Sure, he obviously doesn't love Cate, but he loves the attention he gets from her plus Tyler is basically the holy grail in her eyes. I don't think he would ever leave Cate for that reason alone. No one else is going to kiss the ground that he walks on like she does. Instead, he's going to continue to walk in and out the door every so often, claiming they're done, and he'll just come right back to her so he can blame her for all of their problems and tell her things that she has to fix in order to get him to stay with her. He is a total manipulator, imo.

Edited February 3, 2016 by langway

[heatherchandler]

Maci: You and Taylor are so cute together. So glad that Ryan is finally stepping up as a Dad, (Without Jen and Larry nagging him to). Jayde is adorable.

 

And what made him think the Novalee Batman tat was a good idea? It looks ridiculous.

 

Amber: Amber needs to open her fucking eyes, and see the truth! Matt is using her for money, fame and whatever else. He’s shady. I felt bad for her when Gary brought that up on camera, but it definitely should’ve been addressed between she and Matt. Also, his denial is shady. Dude has problems.

 

I agree that JaYde is really cute now.  She wasn't the cutest infant, but she is starting to get cuter.

 

Tyler and his whole family have some sort of weird Batman obsession.  One you see it, you can't NOT notice it.  They all have the Batman tattoos and lots of trinkets around the house.  I think Butch was wearing a Batman tie or something once.  Nick had a Batman something-or-other on once too. 

 

Matt is fucking disgusting.  Does Amber actually find him attractive?  I mean, does she look at him like, hey wow he's hot!??  He is so gross and creepy.  And he dresses like a loser teenager.  What is his deal?  I am glad that Gary brought it up on camera.  It forces him to take responsibility.  Not that he can afford to pay for any of those kids. 

[gunderda]

Oooh, good theory.  That would make sense, more sense than Deborah and Michael continually letting their daughter treat them like garbage while they try and pacify the absolute crazy dictator that is their daughter.   Also, judging by the Aftershow previews of Farrah being her charming and lovely self she has some sort of deal for a show about therapy with Deborah and herself - so this theory makes even more sense.  

 

And along those lines, I have a question that's been bugging me since the counselor scene with Abraham family though: Doesn't Farrah (and Michael) live in Austin and Deborah somewhere else like Seattle?    But the counselor was the same counselor Farrah was seeing alone and with Deborah way back when both lived in Council Bluffs.  So I was shocked to see her "called in" to referee an Abraham Family Brawl a.k.a. a Farrah beat down on her parents to Farrah's house in Austin.  

 

In fact, it was just the last episode that Farrah was back in her old hometown and so decided to pop in on her old counselor which is actually when this scene was probably filmed since it makes more sense that Michael would come to Council Bluffs than the counselor to Austin.   All of which makes me think this idea of a FAKE storyline is probably true. 

 

Did anyone else notice that?

I noticed and thought it was odd too, especially since the previous episode when she was back in Council Bluffs/Omaha she said "since I'm back in town I've decided to see my old therapist since she knows my family so well"  and then suddenly this same therapist is apparently a phone call away??  Something is a little stinky. 

 

Didn't Amber mention something about having money issues in a recent episode?

 

She made a comment that the first time around for her she wasted all her Teen Mom money and this time she was going to be 'smarter' with it.  

[Soobs]

The lack of self awareness Amber showed at the end when she was crying about how she was "breaking in two" over all the bad choices she's made was appalling. Even after jail, therapy, rehab, watching herself with some hindsight on the show, she still thinks that her life just happened to her. I want to root for her, but her stubbornness to not admit wrongdoing is her undoing.

[GreatKazu]

 

Maybe Butch can get Tyler a job building fences with him.

I don't think Tyler wants to do anything that might cause him to sweat, mess up his hair, God forbid he get a blister because he will then cry about it. Sophia is more the type to swing around a hammer with Butch than Tyler.

 

 

And even that has only been true for about 20 years; before that a new spouse's income could be considered in child support since California is a community property state.  They had to pass a law to specifically stop it.

True, although it likely goes back a bit further than that. I never saw any cases in the courtroom where a step-parent's income was counted towards child support. I am talking going back as far as 1992.

 

I think Butch was wearing a Batman tie or something once.

Butch wore a Batman belt in the wedding rehearsal scene.

[GreatKazu]

 

The lack of self awareness Amber showed at the end when she was crying about how she was "breaking in two" over all the bad choices she's made was appalling. Even after jail, therapy, rehab, watching herself with some hindsight on the show, she still thinks that her life just happened to her. I want to root for her, but her stubbornness to not admit wrongdoing is her undoing.

My sentiments exactly and why I have not been feeling an ounce of sorrow or pity for her.

 

Amber knew from the get-go she needed to get herself into some treatment/therapy once she got out of prison. She mentioned it several times.  I mentioned this before at least twice, but it bears repeating. Amber said why should she bother getting any therapy since everyone else is still the same around her. No matter how many times I remember her words, I am still stunned at her stupidity. Of course others around you are still the same since they are who they are. It is up to you [Amber] to make the changes that are necessary to not fall into the same patterns as before. Amber had a history of being angry and abusive and not just to Gary. The world isn't going to stop being mean because Ambie came out of prison. She needs to learn the proper tools to handle whatever the world dishes out to her.

 

And, sorry but, Gary advising Amber on what Matt is all about is reality and a fact. Leah is in the picture and this dude is around his child. Matt can't keep his dick in his pants and is now with a female who is young enough to be his own daughter. At what age is too young for Matt? Whatever Gary may be, he did the right thing in calling out Matt for what he was. Besides, the tabloids got around to dishing about Matt as well. Did Amber go have a shit attack and go tell off the tabloids? Did Matt tell the tabloids they are a bunch of "phony bastards"? Did he call them up and tell them he would sue for defamation? Likely not. You can't sue when the allegations are true. Instead, he attacks Gary. Guess what Matt, you go on a hit tv show, all your skeletons will come out of the closet without anyone having to drag them out. .

 

All she does is deflect, deflect, deflect. Amber may not be a drug abuser, but she is still going around behaving like one.

Edited February 3, 2016 by GreatKazu

[charmed1]

Matt is fucking disgusting. Does Amber actually find him attractive? I mean, does she look at him like, hey wow he's hot!?? He is so gross and creepy. And he dresses like a loser teenager. What is his deal? I am glad that Gary brought it up on camera. It forces him to take responsibility. Not that he can afford to pay for any of those kids.

I agree. He looks so dirty and unkempt. Even Butch looks cleaner in comparison. Matt looks like he reeks. I don't understand what Amber finds attractive about that loser.

[guilfoyleatpp]

I agree. He looks so dirty and unkempt. Even Butch looks cleaner in comparison. Matt looks like he reeks. I don't understand what Amber finds attractive about that loser.

Matt validates every bad decision Amber makes. 

I noticed when he was yelling at the producers that she had a small smile on her face.  Like as shitty as everything is, and as much as all this shit storm is COMPLETELY HIS FAULT, he still manages to make her believe that he's defending her. 

With her fucked up parents and her rocky relationship with Gary, I can certainly believe that she believes that no one else stands up for her. She can't defend her own decisions logically, so she appreciates his explosions on her behalf - like "the court of public opinion," etc.  She's also mentioned many times how much it hurts when people call her a bad mother. Which, as PP pointed out, she's not actually working on making better, just working on making sure she doesn't hear it.

Matt's a cunning dude. He knows this is a way in for him. 

[SnarkKitty]

Actually, my youngest daughter is 22 and I still call her Boo boo to this day and she likes it. Now mind you I don't sing song it to her because that's just nauseating. My late father gave her the nickname when she was a year old and it's a cherished term of endearment between her and I, of course YMMV.

 

That was my younger sister's nickname and everyone from family to neighbors called her that. When she was 19 and a real boyfriend (and eventual ex-husband, ha) came into the picture, he heard us call her that, tried it on for size, and that was the end of that nickname! It was banned from then on. It took a while but we eventually learned to call her by her actual name, 'cause whoa to us if we didn't.

 

It was good for us, though. Helped us to break the nickname habit with my younger brother. (I know you want to know what it was. He was nicknamed "Pig" as a fat, greedy baby. And Pig he was called - by everyone-  until he was 16.)

[missbonnie]

The nickname thing is pretty much a widespread thing in my family. My siblings, our kids, our first and second cousins, our aunts and uncles and even our great aunts and uncles have them. I guess it's just what you grow up with?

Edited February 3, 2016 by missbonnie

[tumamita]

Thank God Catelynn and Tyler gave up their first child for adoption. Based on how her parenting is now, 6 years later, still just not right. I hate talking about the parenting of another person since it ultimately has nothing to do with me but REALLY!!? 2 and 3 times a week the baby goes to her moms. That sounds like you're co-parenting with your mother. I have a 5 month old and he's been to my mothers maybe 2-3 times in his existence, not yet for an overnight visit. Welcome to parenthood, hello. 

 

Can someone PLEASE tell Amber to wake the hell up... she is pretty much the stupidest person I've ever seen on TV. Matt, you won a real prize. Does anyone know what ever happened to these allegations?? Are they even still together??

[ghoulina]

Maybe Butch can get Tyler a job building fences with him.

 

But that would require him to conform. Sigh....

 

When I heard Catelynn's voiceover say "Butch is watching Nova" (while they went to therapy), I basically said aloud "Carly wins! I hope she sees this one day and realizes how lucky she was. She'll never be babysat by Butch!" (Poor Nova. Don't get me wrong, I think Butch is an entertaining "character" on this boring ass show, but I'm pretty sure he's a shit person, was a shit dad, and should not be trusted to watch a child.)

 

No shit. That just proved they made one right decision in their lives, by placing Carly. People can certainly change, but Butch has been out of prison how long??? And he's babysitting? Oh hell no. I really really do not think those two have a clue, nor do I think they care. 

 

4.Sophia complaining to Farrah that grandpa is boring sonetimes; so, like her mother, she is already expecting others are to be at her beck and call, entertaining her/fulfilling all her whims? Wonderful.

 

She called Deb "boring" before as well, and that really stood out to me. My kids have never called an adult "boring" before. Usually when they go see their Nannie, she lets them watch movies and has fun snacks for them, she plays War with them. Grandparents are often not as energetic as parents, maybe can't get out and about with you, but they usually love spoiling their grandkids to a degree. What exactly does Sophia want them to do? Put on a play for her?? It's just very telling that she is already using that word to describe people.

[ghoulina]

Parenting is hard work. And it's hard in a different way for every age. Maybe Cate just isn't cut out to raise babies, but will be more involved when Nova is a toddler?

 

But that's not how parenting works. Yes, some ages are harder than others, but you don't get to pick and choose. You have weather all the storms. If Cate is outsourcing care of her baby several nights a week, she may be missing out on key bonding time and once Nova is a toddler, it will be too late. Attachment disorders are formed from infancy. Who knows how well she is attended to over at April's. Given April's track record of parenting, I wouldn't hold my breath expecting her to be a doting grandmother. 

[luvly]

I noticed when he was yelling at the producers that she had a small smile on her face.  Like as shitty as everything is, and as much as all this shit storm is COMPLETELY HIS FAULT, he still manages to make her believe that he's defending her. 

 

Right? It's always assumed that he's spinning some lies and bullshit when the cameras aren't there and Amber's falling for it, but damn it's chilling to actually see the process of him gaming her. "She's been through enough with the court of public opinion. He wants to come after me, I don't give a fuck. He let her get ambushed." He knew to play right into her victim complex.

[Lastwaltz]

Wowza, that episode sure did expose some skeletons. 

 

Cate and Tyler -- wow, Cate, defensive much? It's absolutely NOT normal for a baby to spend that much time away from her mother. I remember when my daughter (26 now!) was an infant and barely slept. Cried and cried, but not colicky. My mother would call and say, "we'll come over and help anytime!" and my response was, "no, this is something we need to get through together." And, of course, we did. I'm also experienced at depression (ha ha) and it tends to sneak up on you -- often, it was my husband who would ask me if I was in a bad spot. There was a brief period when I would go upstairs to change clothes when I came home from work and lie down -- then I'd fall sleep and wake up 2 hours later. THAT was depression, not exhaustion, and my husband was the one who gently told me I wasn't acting like myself. And this was while I was on anti-depressants -- I needed a change in meds. Why didn't we see the therapist tell them anything constructive -- her measly "3 times a week is excessive" wasn't adequate at all. I noticed how Cate jumped in to talk over her and say that it's normal, but she wasn't corrected. Get a new therapist, Cate. 

 

Amber -- I'm rooting for you, girl. Toss that albatross overboard and get something going in your life that's yours. 

 

Farrah -- blech.

 

Maci -- loved Ryan with the baby sister, and he was so attentive to Bentley for a change. I guess anyone can change. I also noticed his dramatically graying hair -- being a layabout can take it's toll, I guess? Otherwise, Maci tends to bore me. 

Edited February 3, 2016 by Lastwaltz

[GreatKazu]

Amber Portwood Calls Matt Baier A ‘Deadbeat Father’ After 7 Children Scandal, Threatens To Quit Teen Mom OG

I'll spare you the first 7 pages: http://okmagazine.com/photos/amber-portwood-calls-matt-baier-deadbeat-father-seven-child-scandal-tmog-recap/photo/1001385380/

Interesting, considering she tweeted just recently that we [the viewers] will soon find out the truth and all doubts will be removed. I didn't read this article. I am going by what she just tweeted. The tweet appears on the Amber thread. Amber seems to be going full steam ahead with Rancid Matt.

Right? It's always assumed that he's spinning some lies and bullshit when the cameras aren't there and Amber's falling for it, but damn it's chilling to actually see the process of him gaming her. "She's been through enough with the court of public opinion. He wants to come after me, I don't give a fuck. He let her get ambushed." He knew to play right into her victim complex.

And this is what I mentioned he would be pulling when we were discussing this scene before it aired. I mentioned he would use what Amber has been through to manipulate this whole thing. He knows what strings to pull with Amber. I mentioned she would be upset about it and he would play right into it. Did anyone notice how the whole time she cried about the situation, not once did Matt even offer any sort of hug or compassion? This reminds me of the scene when Amber walked away from the reunion couch and all Matt could muster was the energy to scoot himself over on the couch and continue to talk to Dr. Drew. Not once did he show his woman any sort of compassion or offer to go after her to console her.

 

I don't believe lazy Cate has PPD, but I think she will now use it for her back-up to explain away why she can't tend to Carly. Oops, I mean Nova. Speaking of Carly, you'd think for all the tears she shed over missing her first child and the "what ifs", she'd be more than happy to spend as much time with Nova, holding her, playing with her, not leaving her side for any length of time. Frankly, Cate seems like she enjoys not doing a damn thing, laying on a couch, chomping on her nails until she gets to the bone.

 

 

It's just very telling that she is already using that word to describe people.

Sophia is parroting what she hears Farrah saying. Farrah has used that word many times before and now, obviously, Sophia has picked up on it. Farrah has likely used that word to describe her parents.

Edited February 3, 2016 by GreatKazu

[teapot]

.

 

 

Sophia is parroting what she hears Farrah saying. Farrah has used that word many times before and now, obviously, Sophia has picked up on it. Farrah has likely used that word to describe her parents.

OMG like that "awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" noise that they both make...which makes me want to stab myself in the ear.  with a spoon.  repeatedly.

[Harperlee1]

I was a SAHM before I went back to school and SAHMs definitely need breaks, so by itself, I wouldn't fault Caitlyn for feeling that. But two (or more!) OVERNIGHTS a week is ridiculous. And the way the therapist just shrugged it off, and was all, "if it were any more than that...." Like, how about you address why a new mother is spending the night away from her daughter so often just to have time away from her. You're parents now, Caitlyn and Tyler. As much as you may long for the days of being able to sleep in and do nothing all day, life has changed.

But I was thinking. I think it may be a cultural thing, as well. I think that in a lot of lower socioeconomic families, multi-generational childrearing is the norm. I'm sure Caitlyn's grandmother had to pick up a lot of the parenting slack when Caitlyn was growing up. Granted, it was largely because of April's substance abuse. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, and I hope I'm not offending anyone! I do think it's more acceptable in some communities. Not excusing her AT ALL. I think its sad that she's pawning off her infant so she can sit around and do nothing. At the very least, her house should be spotless lol. I think Tyler only cared because his mom basically told him to. If it bothered him, he would've said something. Just like if he wanted to help with Nova, he would've done so without waiting to be asked.

And I hate to be on her so hard, but Caitlyn represents the worse kind of SAHM to me. I guarantee she simply doesn't want to work and this is a just convenient reason not to. I want to root for them, but gosh they frustrate me.

Its true that PPD can show up well into a child's infancy, so if Caitlyn is suffering, I do hope she gets help.

Eta: fixed a sentence

Edited February 3, 2016 by Harperlee1

[CofCinci]

PPD this. PPD that. Why is Catelynn's slovenliness being pathologized? She was without goals and lived attached to the sofa for years before Nova.

[ginger90]

I think she has suffered from depression for a very long time, probably before Carly was born.

[Harperlee1]

I totally agree with you about her laziness. But ahe did get tearful a lot around the time of the wedding. It may not have had anything to do with that even though they made it appear that way. There may have been more that we weren't shown. I don't know, she has a history of depression, so it's plausible, imo. With her changing hormones, it could even be that her medication/dosage may need to be changed.

[qweenB]

Please tell me Cate and Sugar Pants Ty don't put Nova on that filthy stained carpet with the dogs. I agree with a previous post about Cates nervous chewing and picking and scratching is so gross!

[FanOfTheFans]

The thing that makes me worry for Nova is whether she is getting enough stimulation. Baby brains are like little sponges. They have a remarkable learning capacity. Is she being read to, exposed to music for example. This is so important for her future when it comes to school and reading, learning, etc. You can't go back and reclaim those early years but they definitely set the groundwork for her success in academics.

[butterbody]

I wonder if April is dragging her ass out of bed for those late night feedings.

[grumpypanda]

I laughed when Cate complained about getting up at 7. I guess she doesn't realize that most adults with or without kids are up by 7 because they have actual responsibilities like work or school.

I'm not a morning person but 7 isn't even that early. I'm a SAHM right now and if my toddler sleeps until 7 I consider that a victory. Grow up and drink tons of coffee in the morning like the rest of us! Tyler needs to wake his lazy ass up too. With two parents at home these two should be getting plenty of sleep.

Anyway, if Tyler and Cate can't handle their baby now while she's still immobile I don't know how they're going to take care of her when she starts walking and all the trouble really begins. Compared to having a toddler that gets into everything I think having an eight month old is pretty easy.

[CofCinci]

The thing that makes me worry for Nova is whether she is getting enough stimulation.

She gets to crawl through homemade mazes of empty Natty Ice cans and discarded syringes at Grandma April's apartment with the eventual goal of learning how to feed herself. That's plenty of stimulation.

Tyler and Catelynn aren't broke. They can afford baby music classes or Gymboree. What's the excuse except for laziness and disinterest?

Edited February 4, 2016 by CofCinci

[FozzyBear]

I think Cait's depression is sort of a case of "I got what I said I wanted. Now what?" I'm sure there's a better clinical definition, but she just doesn't have anything else to look forward to. She said before the wedding that she has wanted to marry Tyler since she was 13 and she's wanted another baby since she gave up Carley. She wanted these things so bad I don't think she ever thought past them. So now she has a baby, she's married to Tyler, they have the money for her to be a SAHM, but it's done and just normal now. I don't even think she's unhappy so much as she's never had a normal boring routine and she doesn't know how to set goals past "make somebody love me" or "find a place to sleep when we get evicted because April spent the rent on drugs". All of Cait's life skills are about short term crisis management. Now there's no crisis and she doesn't know what to do with the next 75 years of life.

Edited February 4, 2016 by FozzyBear