Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[Nysha]

Michelle speaks in the same cutesy baby voice my 4-year-old grandniece uses when she's trying to wheedle more candy out of her great grandpa.

[Quilt Fairy]

4 hours ago, Adeejay said:

With the exception of Jason, I don't detect an accent in any of the Duggars.  My younger brother who was born and raised in New York City, was stationed at the Air Force Base in Little Rock for eight years; and now, his accent rivals President Clinton's.  I just don't understand this.   

For some reason it's very easy to drop into a drawl.  I'm from the Midwest (where of course we have no accent ;-) ) and I remember being in a company training class with a guy from Texas with a pronounced drawl.  By the end of the week I had a drawl. I sounded like Dennis Weaver as Marshall McCloud: "Well, there ya go!"

[Marigold]

ben looks terrible.  Very tired and totally worn out.  Completely out of it. Unhappy. Lack of joy. 

Jessa looks a little pale but that can be lighting or lack of make up. 

I hope that Ben doesn't follow in Josh's footsteps...not that he is a perv like Josh.  I do NOT mean that at all.  

But in the sense that Josh clearly didn't have baby fever and found an alternate life for himself away from his wife and children.  I hope ben doesn't land in strip clubs, prostitutes, porn, Ashley Madison etc all because he can't say "that's enough babies for now. We need a break" 

[Churchhoney]

11 hours ago, Adeejay said:

With the exception of Jason, I don't detect an accent in any of the Duggars.  My younger brother who was born and raised in New York City, was stationed at the Air Force Base in Little Rock for eight years; and now, his accent rivals President Clinton's.  I just don't understand this.   

Some people just pick accents up really easily and without intending to. I do. It's embarrassing sometimes because it seems as if I'm mocking people or something, but I haven't even noticed that I'm doing it. It must have something to do with having efficient brain functions in the "hear and repeat" area or whatever. ...Of course, that probably wouldn't be Jessa's deal. 

[tabloidlover]

12 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Some people just pick accents up really easily and without intending to. I do. It's embarrassing sometimes because it seems as if I'm mocking people or something, but I haven't even noticed that I'm doing it. It must have something to do with having efficient brain functions in the "hear and repeat" area or whatever. ...Of course, that probably wouldn't be Jessa's deal. 

I do this too!  I will pick up an accent or a phrase that the other person uses and then hear myself using it just minutes later.   Not great as I also feel like I'm mocking them and that is not my intent at all.   Glad to know it isn't just me that this happens to!

[lookeyloo]

I grew up in NJ.  Moved to Georgia for a few years, then CA for a few years and then to Louisiana for a long time.  Now live in GA again.  People in Louisiana could always tell I wasn't a native.  Even after 30 plus years.  When I go back to NJ for a visit everyone tells me I talked "so southern".  In my own head I don't sound any different. what's that all about?

[MunichNark]

It's actually called a musical ear - I have it too, which is why I sound like an irish native and will never ever move to Saxony (that accent is just.........no..). Quite a handy thing to have.

Henry is still such a plain dull name, but better than Spurgeon, I suppose.

I really don't like Jessa's voice in that Spurge video, she sounds so condescending and kind of bitchy. No warmth at all.

[Pinke]

1 hour ago, Churchhoney said:

Some people just pick accents up really easily and without intending to. I do. It's embarrassing sometimes because it seems as if I'm mocking people or something, but I haven't even noticed that I'm doing it. It must have something to do with having efficient brain functions in the "hear and repeat" area or whatever. ...Of course, that probably wouldn't be Jessa's deal. 

My brother does it too. And I have a tendency as well. The thing about doing it without noticing it is spot on lol.

Back to Jessa and Ben... Boy they sure do look thrilled in that video. They'd better stop the baby train before it's too late... but we all know it won't happen - or at least not as long as the show is on. GOTTA MAKE DAT MUHNEY.

[BitterApple]

2 hours ago, Marigold said:

ben looks terrible.  Very tired and totally worn out.  Completely out of it. Unhappy. Lack of joy. 

Jessa looks a little pale but that can be lighting or lack of make up. 

I hope that Ben doesn't follow in Josh's footsteps.

Ben looks older and older in every video, doesn't he? I think part of him wishes he could run off and join Flame's crew, or at least run off to Laredo and share the guest room with Rufus. I get exhausted watching Jessa on my TV screen, I can't imagine living with her 24/7. Like Jill, I don't think Jessa even realizes what a buzz killing nag she is, but she is one nonetheless. I hate to say it, but their marriage is the perfect storm for Bin to have an affair five years down the road or walk out the door entirely at some point.

Edited March 8, 2017 by BitterApple

[Arwen Evenstar]

1 hour ago, MunichNark said:

really don't like Jessa's voice in that Spurge video, she sounds so condescending and kind of bitchy. No warmth at all.

Jessa always acts like she just split the atom, regardless of what she does.

[Churchhoney]

13 minutes ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Jessa always acts like she just split the atom, regardless of what she does.

Or she would if she, you know, knew what "split the atom" means.  ;  )

[Marigold]

6 hours ago, BitterApple said:

 I hate to say it, but their marriage is the perfect storm for Bin to have an affair five years down the road or walk out the door entirely at some point.

Unfortunately, I get that vibe too. I really hope they can get on a different life course. The signs are there and I actually don't hate Ben so no snark...I just see those two self destructing. I feel sad for Ben. 

[BitterApple]

4 minutes ago, Marigold said:

Unfortunately, I get that vibe too. I really hope they can get on a different life course. The signs are there and I actually don't hate Ben so no snark...I just see those two self destructing. I feel sad for Ben. 

It really is a recipe for disaster. Browbeaten husband who married way too young. Bitchy, self-absorbed wife. Babies in rapid succession. No income to speak of. Controlling in-laws. Bin might as well start hitting on girls at the local bar right now, because that's where it's headed. 

[Marigold]

24 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

It really is a recipe for disaster. Browbeaten husband who married way too young. Bitchy, self-absorbed wife. Babies in rapid succession. No income to speak of. Controlling in-laws. Bin might as well start hitting on girls at the local bar right now, because that's where it's headed. 

Sadly, I agree. A lot of red flags waving. 

[Sew Sumi]

I doubt things will fall apart for them until the TLC money dries up. And even if it goes bad before that, you KNOW that Jessa will put up a valiant front of happy marriage to keep up the facade to keep the gravy train rolling as long as possible. 

[lascuba]

I will never feel sorry for Ben. Dude went out of his way to pursue someone because he saw her on tv and thought she was hot and would do whatever he wanted if he could win her. (And that goes for Derrick and Jeremy, too. Men who pursue women precisely because they like how "meek" and "submissive"  they are are garbage and deserve to choke on their misery.) Yes, Ben was young and his parents majorly failed him by encouraging and facilitating his pursuit of Jessa (is there anyone here who wouldn't immediately put the kibosh on their child hoping for a relationship with someone he only knows from tv?!), but unfortunately, too many people are only capable of learning the hard way. Ben's clearly one of them. Oh, well.

[Churchhoney]

5 minutes ago, lascuba said:

Men who pursue women precisely because they like how "meek" and "submissive"  they are are garbage and deserve to choke on their misery.

C'mon. Tell us how you really feel.  ;  )

Happy International Women's Day.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Churchhoney

[GeeGolly]

Ben is really still a little boy. He has no idea what life is about and he proves that all the time by telling all what life is all about. I don't care much for either Ben or Jessa and if their marriage falls apart they have only themselves and in their case their parents to blame. I'm not sure Ben will cheat though, I think he'll either suck it up and stay cuz his suffering will make him a better Christian or he'll cut and run.

Edited March 9, 2017 by GeeGolly

[ariel]

1 hour ago, lascuba said:

Yes, Ben was young and his parents majorly failed him by encouraging and facilitating his pursuit of Jessa (is there anyone here who wouldn't immediately put the kibosh on their child hoping for a relationship with someone he only knows from tv?!),

I do put blame on Bin's parents.  What should have been a red flag for a horny teenage boy, wasn't for Bin's dad who seemed very eager for his teenage son to marry a Duggar.

[louannems]

And never to be seen again.

[Sew Sumi]

They were at the Duggar compound after Prince Henry was born, so they're not totally persona non grata. 

[Barb23]

7 hours ago, BitterApple said:

It really is a recipe for disaster. Browbeaten husband who married way too young. Bitchy, self-absorbed wife. Babies in rapid succession. No income to speak of. Controlling in-laws. Bin might as well start hitting on girls at the local bar right now, because that's where it's headed. 

Lifetime movie??

[Marigold]

I see problems further down the road...when Ben is 35 or older.  Right now he is still on his Jesus Euphoria, which will last for a while. 

[Scarlett45]

12 minutes ago, Marigold said:

I see problems further down the road...when Ben is 35 or older.  Right now he is still on his Jesus Euphoria, which will last for a while. 

Yes he's young and still has stars in his eyes. Let Jessa have Michelle's fertility and he may have a breakdown at child #8. I don't think Ben is a bad person, but I don't think he knew what he was getting into with this marriage and being a part of the Duggar machine. 

[lookeyloo]

Doesn't the dreaded and shunned science say the human brain isn't even fully formed until around age 25?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141164708

Mr. Google has more on this topic, which relates to Ben in that he (and the other young marrieds) really can't/shouldn't  make a fully adult decision on how to spend the rest of their lives.  Of course it works out for some people.  They can grow up together, with shared values, etc. Maybe it will for these two.  

[yogi2014L]

I also don't think Bin is a bad person. Just was a teenager making stupid mistakes and his parents failed him horribly. They should have never allowed him to get sucked into that circus.

When I was Bin's age I was in a horrible relationship making awful choices.... fast forward almost ten years and I really have changed ( personality-wise I'm still the same but normal growing up/experiencing life changes  ect). Had I married that jackhole I was with I am 100% sure we would have been divorced by now. Not compatible AT ALL but we still stayed together for a year for some reason.  I look back on it and its almost remembering someone else's life haha. 

 You grow up a lot between late teens late twenties...they will be really interesting to see in 5- 6 years that is for sure.

[Lunera]

I don't see Ben as a cheater either. He is the type that will stay in a miserable marriage because it's the right thing to do. If he does eventually get out of the house and away from Jessa to pursue education in an actual shcool or a hobby he seems like the type that would crush on other girls but never actually act on it. He's way to young and has barely been exposed to other women besides sister-in-laws it's bound to happen.

Edited March 9, 2017 by Lunera

[WhineandCheez]

Quote

If he does eventually get out of the house and away from Jessa to pursue education in an actual shcool 

I read this as "Shul," the Yiddish word for a religious school.  Ben's next step in exploring Fundamentalism of all types, perhaps??

RE Jessa's "Southern" accent-- next video expect a hoop skirt and a lace parasol.

[sometimesy]

I can't see Ben going anywhere. He is just a marionette.

[Evagirl]

Jessa is about a year older than Ben.  We learned at an early age that females mature faster than males.  I would say they are at least 5 years apart on the maturity scale.  Jessa seems content to have a man around to fertilize her eggs every 18 months or so.  I don't think she ever loved Ben, just liked him.  She was so unsure of Ben that she wouldn't even agree to their first kiss on their wedding day being public. 

I don't know why she was so anxious to latch onto the first guy that expressed an interest in her.  It was painfully obvious that they had nothing in common mentally/emotionally.  Sometimes she talks to him like he's a child.

She seems content in their situation.  Ben appears miserable.  He has aged almost 10 years in 2 years.  My heart kind of breaks for him because he really didn't fully understand what he was getting himself into by marrying Jessa at age 19.  They honeymooned in Europe.  Who paid for it - TLC?  You know Ben didn't have anything to bring to the table.  Poor sap.  He still doesn't appear to have anything going on as far as bringing home a paycheck.

[lascuba]

10 minutes ago, Evagirl said:

Jessa is about a year older than Ben.  We learned at an early age that females mature faster than males.  I would say they are at least 5 years apart on the maturity scale.  Jessa seems content to have a man around to fertilize her eggs every 18 months or so.  I don't think she ever loved Ben, just liked him.  She was so unsure of Ben that she wouldn't even agree to their first kiss on their wedding day being public. 

I don't know why she was so anxious to latch onto the first guy that expressed an interest in her.  It was painfully obvious that they had nothing in common mentally/emotionally.  Sometimes she talks to him like he's a child.

She seems content in their situation.  Ben appears miserable.  He has aged almost 10 years in 2 years.  My heart kind of breaks for him because he really didn't fully understand what he was getting himself into by marrying Jessa at age 19.  They honeymooned in Europe.  Who paid for it - TLC?  You know Ben didn't have anything to bring to the table.  Poor sap.  He still doesn't appear to have anything going on as far as bringing home a paycheck.

This has had stumped me from the beginning. I know Jessa isn't a favorite around here but out of the entire unlikable bunch that is the Duggar family  I "like" her the most and think she's smart enough to have made a better choice, so I've been screaming, "Run, girl!" at her since Ben first showed up. I've come to the conclusion that he was the least offensive of the guys who approached her, and she thought it would be a good idea to marry a guy who came off as malleable and was way more into her than she was into him. Which, all things considered in their belief system, is not an unreasonable way for a woman to go about things. Except you need to be a lot more savvy about people to pull that off. I think Jessa got unintentionally hoodwinked by a boy who got hoodwinked by the Duggar universe, and now they're both stuck.

[Evagirl]

3 minutes ago, lascuba said:

I think Jessa got unintentionally hoodwinked by a boy who got hoodwinked by the Duggar universe, and now they're both stuck.

Agree.  I remember watching the show even before Jill and Derick got involved and the girls mentioned that there were several young men who had expressed an interest in them, but they were "losers".  They may not have said losers, but whatever word they used meant the same thing.  I think in JimBob's world they were losers.  Probably wouldn't fill out that stupid 50-page "application" in order to just date/court the girls or probably was not of the same religious order or something.  And this chaperon craziness just to sit in a room alone in a house full of people is insane!  How do you get to know each other if there's never any alone time.  You always have guard to make sure you don't say something that the tattler will tell daddy about.

JimBob NEVER, EVER should have been the one picking which boy his daughters should date.  They were all over 18 years old and could decide that for themselves.  There is nothing wrong with a father trying to steer his daughters toward acceptable companions, but to actually APPLY for the position is outrageous!

[Ripley68]

If Jessa is really a media whore and just wanting money, you would think she would realize that if she were to be the first to "escape" dad, get a divorce and let the cameras follow her around for a while - she could probably get a pretty pay check for a year or two.

[birkenstock]

49 minutes ago, Evagirl said:

Jessa is about a year older than Ben.  We learned at an early age that females mature faster than males.  I would say they are at least 5 years apart on the maturity scale.  Jessa seems content to have a man around to fertilize her eggs every 18 months or so.  I don't think she ever loved Ben, just liked him.  She was so unsure of Ben that she wouldn't even agree to their first kiss on their wedding day being public. 

I don't know why she was so anxious to latch onto the first guy that expressed an interest in her.  It was painfully obvious that they had nothing in common mentally/emotionally.  Sometimes she talks to him like he's a child.

She seems content in their situation.  Ben appears miserable.  He has aged almost 10 years in 2 years.  My heart kind of breaks for him because he really didn't fully understand what he was getting himself into by marrying Jessa at age 19.  They honeymooned in Europe.  Who paid for it - TLC?  You know Ben didn't have anything to bring to the table.  Poor sap.  He still doesn't appear to have anything going on as far as bringing home a paycheck.

I agree with everything you wrote except that Jessa is 2 1/2 years  older than Ben (Jessa was born 11/1992 and Ben 5/1995).  She was/is light years away in maturity than Ben.  Wasn't he 17 went he showed up and they waited to officially court at 18? I think Jim Bob saw someone easy to manipulate from a family with similar beliefs.  I think that Jessa was just ready to get out of the house and Ben was the best option (or only option) presented.  

[Evagirl]

Just now, birkenstock said:

I agree with everything you wrote except that Jessa is 2 1/2 years  older than Ben (Jessa was born 11/1992 and Ben 5/1995).  She was/is light years away in maturity than Ben.  Wasn't he 17 went he showed up and they waited to officially court at 18? I think Jim Bob saw someone easy to manipulate from a family with similar beliefs.  I think that Jessa was just ready to get out of the house and Ben was the best option (or only option) presented.  

You know what?  I think you're right.  OM gosh!  That's even worse than I thought!  She IS light years ahead of him on the maturity scale.  Wow, this whole thing is so sad.  

Seeing Ben interact with little Spurg is like watching someone play with a puppy.  He is so not ready for this.  We KNOW what Jessa is going to be doing for the next 20 years, but what about Ben?  He talks about the future, well she talks about HIS future, but it doesn't indicate how he'll make a living for the family.  She talks about the mission field and his work with youth, blah, blah, blah. 

When they were dating/courting, Ben would look at Jessa like he could eat her with a spoon.  Now he like, "whatever".  It's almost like he's resigned himself to a life of imprisonment.  Remember when she talked about adopting even when she was pregnant?  He just sat there like he was in shock - LOL.  He was like, "Lord, what have I done?!!!!"

[jcbrown]

2 hours ago, sometimesy said:

I can't see Ben going anywhere. He is just a marionette.

I read that as "majorette" which took me to a weird mental picture of Ben with go-go boots and a baton.

[kalamac]

2 hours ago, lascuba said:

This has had stumped me from the beginning. I know Jessa isn't a favorite around here but out of the entire unlikable bunch that is the Duggar family  I "like" her the most and think she's smart enough to have made a better choice, so I've been screaming, "Run, girl!" at her since Ben first showed up. I've come to the conclusion that he was the least offensive of the guys who approached her, and she thought it would be a good idea to marry a guy who came off as malleable and was way more into her than she was into him. Which, all things considered in their belief system, is not an unreasonable way for a woman to go about things. Except you need to be a lot more savvy about people to pull that off. I think Jessa got unintentionally hoodwinked by a boy who got hoodwinked by the Duggar universe, and now they're both stuck.

I always thought she wanted out of the girls dorm, but didn't want to actually leave the safety of the compound entirely, so she went with Ben to get her own place, away from the noise and lack of privacy, while still being supported by JB.

[SongbirdHollow]

On March 7, 2017 at 7:08 PM, kalamac said:

Henry looks like one of those babies, where in 65 years time, when he's closing in on retirement age (if he ever gets a job), and balding, he will look exactly like he does now, just adult sized.

I think he looks like Uncle Fester.

[GeeGolly]

Oh my Jinger is wearing shorts - without a skirt. Anyone think Jessa will be next?

[Fallacy]

4 hours ago, Evagirl said:

.My heart kind of breaks for him because he really didn't fully understand what he was getting himself into by marrying Jessa at age 19.  They honeymooned in Europe.  Who paid for it - TLC?  You know Ben didn't have anything to bring to the table.  Poor sap.  He still doesn't appear to have anything going on as far as bringing home a paycheck.

Jesse and Ben courted for over a year before they got married, which is forever in fundie land. Plus, he lived on the Duggar's property for at least 6 months of that time, so he absolutely knew what he was getting himself into. Ben and Jessa were so in love, she threatened to elope if Jim Bob wouldn't give them permission to marry after Jill's wedding. I've been watching old episodes (don't ask) and it's really interesting to see how in love both the Seewalds and the Dillards were on their wedding day. I don't know that they no longer love each other either or if the lack of emotion is more a product of the couples settling into a married with children routine, which dulls the fire of many passionately in love couples.  They may still love each other deeply, but the "I can't wait to be with you" phase has passed. I still think Ben is super dumb, but he was very romantic pre-marriage, so hopefully Jessa still gets the flattery she needs to survive. 

[BitterApple]

21 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Oh my Jinger is wearing shorts - without a skirt. Anyone think Jessa will be next?

It's absolutely going to kill Jessa when the entire Internet is talking about how cute and skinny Jinger looks in regular clothes. I think Jessa will start wearing tighter stuff depending on how well she bounces back from this latest pregnancy. She's not going to keep her figure too much longer if she's birthing nine pound babies every year.

[Adeejay]

4 hours ago, Evagirl said:

Agree.  I remember watching the show even before Jill and Derick got involved and the girls mentioned that there were several young men who had expressed an interest in them, but they were "losers".  They may not have said losers, but whatever word they used meant the same thing.  

Referring to potential suitors as "losers" would have been kind.  In an interview with People magazine, Jessa called them "creeps and weirdos." 

[lascuba]

33 minutes ago, Fallacy said:

 I still think Ben is super dumb, but he was very romantic pre-marriage, so hopefully Jessa still gets the flattery she needs to survive. 

The thing is, though, Jessa wasn't at all into the super romantic flattery, she just pretended to be after Michelle shot her down for asking "but where would I put them" when Ben said some cheesy nonsense about wanting to give her all the flowers in the world. If that wasn't a sign of incompatible personalities, I don't know what is. 

[Churchhoney]

5 hours ago, lascuba said:

This has had stumped me from the beginning. I know Jessa isn't a favorite around here but out of the entire unlikable bunch that is the Duggar family  I "like" her the most and think she's smart enough to have made a better choice, so I've been screaming, "Run, girl!" at her since Ben first showed up. I've come to the conclusion that he was the least offensive of the guys who approached her, and she thought it would be a good idea to marry a guy who came off as malleable and was way more into her than she was into him. Which, all things considered in their belief system, is not an unreasonable way for a woman to go about things. Except you need to be a lot more savvy about people to pull that off. I think Jessa got unintentionally hoodwinked by a boy who got hoodwinked by the Duggar universe, and now they're both stuck.

The thing is, though, that she might not have gotten any better options, even if she'd waited. She wanted to go (and who can blame her), and she wasn't going to be allowed to get to know any suitor all that well, so the 'hoodwinked" possibility was always going to be there. And, all things considered, I think she could have accidentally picked somebody much worse than Bin. Because in their world, I'm quite sure that there are a lot worse people. 

Would-be mates aren't exactly beating their doors down, and the ones who are all have ulterior motives (whether they know it or not) and are, just, odd in some ways -- because if you weren't odd, here in the 21st century you wouldn't chase down one of these locked-up people and almost sight unseen marry into the walled-off Duggar universe where JB and M will be breathing down your neck, or at least trying to, for eternity. 

Edited March 10, 2017 by Churchhoney

[lascuba]

2 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

The thing is, though, that she might not have gotten any better options, even if she'd waited. She wanted to go (and who can blame her), and she wasn't going to be allowed to get to know any suitor all that well, so the 'hoodwinked" possibility was always going to be there. And, all things considered, I think she could have accidentally picked somebody much worse than Bin. Because in there world, I'm quite sure that there are a lot worse people.

Would-be mates aren't exactly beating their doors down, and the ones who are all have ulterior motives (whether they know it or not) and are, just, odd in some ways -- because if you weren't odd, here in the 21st century you wouldn't chase down one of these locked-up people and almost sight unseen marry into the walled-off Duggar universe where JB and M will be breathing down your neck, or at least trying to, for eternity. 

You're right on all points. I'm judging that relationship based on normal standards, which is pointless.  I think Ben was a poor choice, but he was the least bad option. Jessa wasn't going to strike out on her own which meant if she wanted to leave, it was marriage, preferably to someone relatively benign, like Ben. 

Thinking about this stuff really keeps my hate for Gothard, Jim Bob and Michelle fresh. 

[Churchhoney]

1 minute ago, lascuba said:

You're right on all points. I'm judging that relationship based on normal standards, which is pointless.  I think Ben was a poor choice, but he was the least bad option. Jessa wasn't going to strike out on her own which meant if she wanted to leave, it was marriage, preferably to someone relatively benign, like Ben. 

Thinking about this stuff really keeps my hate for Gothard, Jim Bob and Michelle fresh. 

Yep. It really hits home how terrible things are for all these kids when you realize that you can't use normal standards to judge anything about their lives. "Best he/she could do under the awful circumstances" looks to be about as good as it gets for each of them. .... So much for those parents-of-the-year. 

[Christina87]

2 hours ago, Fallacy said:

Jesse and Ben courted for over a year before they got married, which is forever in fundie land. Plus, he lived on the Duggar's property for at least 6 months of that time, so he absolutely knew what he was getting himself into. Ben and Jessa were so in love, she threatened to elope if Jim Bob wouldn't give them permission to marry after Jill's wedding. I've been watching old episodes (don't ask) and it's really interesting to see how in love both the Seewalds and the Dillards were on their wedding day. I don't know that they no longer love each other either or if the lack of emotion is more a product of the couples settling into a married with children routine, which dulls the fire of many passionately in love couples.  They may still love each other deeply, but the "I can't wait to be with you" phase has passed. I still think Ben is super dumb, but he was very romantic pre-marriage, so hopefully Jessa still gets the flattery she needs to survive. 

I've thought the same thing, but I do think some of it is the fact that they were all in the very beginning stages of their relationships when they got married! Most people date for several years, where they spend time alone with that person, so it makes the Duggars look more in love by comparison, because everyone is infatuated with a new partner they've known a few months, but very, very few actually marry at that point! I just hit the one year mark with my boyfriend (one year of meeting...our actual anniversary is still 3 months away), and it has been sweet thinking over the first few dates, and how excited he was to see me. I remember everywhere we went, he said, "maybe this can be OUR place!" Just imagine popping me in a wedding dress right then in front of TLC cameras, and we would have looked like the most adorable couple ever!!!

[Christina87]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

It's absolutely going to kill Jessa when the entire Internet is talking about how cute and skinny Jinger looks in regular clothes. I think Jessa will start wearing tighter stuff depending on how well she bounces back from this latest pregnancy. She's not going to keep her figure too much longer if she's birthing nine pound babies every year.

I feel like sometime around midlife, Jessa is going to have a MAJOR crisis! JB and Michelle will be old or dead, and have less power over her everyday life. Money will be tight. She will have teenage kids, and may even have younger siblings still courting. What if her buddy Jordyn slips off to college, joins a sorority, and attends spring break in Forf Lauderdale, sending Jessa pics of her cute new bikini? That probably won't happen, but we can dream. 

Somewhere along the line, someone is going to adopt a more mainstream lifestyle. Sure, she is too good for immodest clothes now, because they're HeathenWear, but it will shock her when one of the fold starts wearing them and nothing bad happens. Jessa is not a woman who will accept aging, period, and it will be worse when she realizes how hot she WOULD have looked in a bikini, or a cocktail dress, or a ballet costume, or prom attire. The other kids may have small twinges of regrets, but I think it will hit Jessa hardest, since she'll simultaneously be mourning her youth in general. When she sees Jinger's teenage children wearing cute pairs of shorts or tank tops, it is going to hit her hard that she was never allowed to experience that part of youth. She will spend the rest of her life picturing every cute outfit in the mall on her 22-year-old body, and it will be depressing. 

Edited March 10, 2017 by Christina87

[GeeGolly]

9 hours ago, Christina87 said:

I feel like sometime around midlife, Jessa is going to have a MAJOR crisis! JB and Michelle will be old or dead, and have less power over her everyday life. Money will be tight. She will have teenage kids, and may even have younger siblings still courting. What if her buddy Jordyn slips off to college, joins a sorority, and attends spring break in Forf Lauderdale, sending Jessa pics of her cute new bikini? That probably won't happen, but we can dream. 

Somewhere along the line, someone is going to adopt a more mainstream lifestyle. Sure, she is too good for immodest clothes now, because they're HeathenWear, but it will shock her when one of the fold starts wearing them and nothing bad happens. Jessa is not a woman who will accept aging, period, and it will be worse when she realizes how hot she WOULD have looked in a bikini, or a cocktail dress, or a ballet costume, or prom attire. The other kids may have small twinges of regrets, but I think it will hit Jessa hardest, since she'll simultaneously be mourning her youth in general. When she sees Jinger's teenage children wearing cute pairs of shorts or tank tops, it is going to hit her hard that she was never allowed to experience that part of youth. She will spend the rest of her life picturing every cute outfit in the mall on her 22-year-old body, and it will be depressing. 

Jessa now runs to Walmart to buy a bikini to put on in a closet when/if her body returns to pre-pregnancy state and take selfies.

[Guest]

Jessa's pictures of Henry's one month were posted on insta yesterday and he looks soooo jaundiced.