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

[Sew Sumi]

She still is spending quite a bit of time on SM. She got quite snippy in the comments of her messy house/good mama post. I'm sure she went on a banning spree then as well. 

[galaxychaser]

She is a horrible housekeeper.  Hire someone to clean up the house. 

[ariel]

51 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

She is a horrible housekeeper.  Hire someone to clean up the house. 

Or stop taking & posting pictures.  Take the time to clean up your house. I have the feeling if she hired someone to clean, she'd take credit for the cleanliness & post some lame picture with her, a broom, & smiling into the camera with duck lips.

[Caracoa1]

Can u imagine how much time she spends on SM just to delete negative posts?!

[Arwen Evenstar]

16 minutes ago, Caracoa1 said:

Can u imagine how much time she spends on SM just to delete negative posts?!

 It isn’t like she has a full time job outside the home. She was especially annoying while she was incubating her first spawn- duck lipped belly shots as if she herself was going to give birth to the Messiah.

 I tried to figure out how much time all that smiting added up to, and doing the math gave me a headache. 

[queenanne]

30 minutes ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

 It isn’t like she has a full time job outside the home. She was especially annoying while she was incubating her first spawn- duck lipped belly shots as if she herself was going to give birth to the Messiah.

 I tried to figure out how much time all that smiting added up to, and doing the math gave me a headache. 

Just thought I'd add, that Narcissus shot of Jessa pouting at her full belly in her cell phone screen and skin-tight tee, is the first, and indeed, perhaps only, mental image that leaps into my mind when anyone says "Jessa Seewald", so Jessa might want to think about that in future.  

Edited November 18, 2017 by queenanne

[DangerousMinds]

9 hours ago, ariel said:

Or stop taking & posting pictures.  Take the time to clean up your house. I have the feeling if she hired someone to clean, she'd take credit for the cleanliness & post some lame picture with her, a broom, & smiling into the camera with duck lips.

Of course she would! And people would fall for it, just like they fall for the "cute kids, what a great mother!" Pics.

[Gemma Violet]

On 11/17/2017 at 8:58 AM, Fostersmom said:

Although, my mom has a thing about barefoot babies, and she would call that out. 

So did my mom and so do I (in cool or cold weather).  I've seen mothers at the grocery in the middle of winter with bare-foot babies.  It's obviously cool in that photo since Henry has a long-sleeved sweater-type shirt.  Little feet can get cold quickly.  My mom also had a problem with dressing babies in jeans.  She would says babies need something flexible to move around in and jeans are too stiff and binding.  I agree, although there are now some jean-looking pants that expand.  I wouldn't publicly berate Jessica for any of that, though.  Just making an observation.

[GeeGolly]

2 hours ago, queenanne said:

Just thought I'd add, that Narcissus shot of Jessa pouting at her full belly in her cell phone screen and skin-tight tee, is the first, and indeed, perhaps only, mental image that leaps into my mind when anyone says "Jessa Seewald", so Jessa might want to think about that in future.  

One of these?

[queenanne]

3 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

One of these?

Yes!!  Maybe all of 'em, lol!

...Seriously, I think it's the bottom right hand corner in marled gray sweater, but some of the others look familiar as well.

[GeeGolly]

Jessa looks just like Henry in this pic.

[cmr2014]

43 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa looks just like Henry in this pic.

I was thinking about this picture and almost everything about it is just "off" for me.

For one thing, I find it a little disturbing that a grown woman can be "caught" eating food in her own home.

That said, though, the thing that made me stop and think about it is that they seem to post a lot of these old photos. Most of us have old photos that we go through from time to time, but we have jobs, and homes to maintain, and families to care for, and we don't have the time or energy to travel down memory lane day after day. I know that to some extent, this is jessa's "job" and it makes sense to remind the humpers how cute they all were, and how much they once liked the family. Still, for someone with no job and a filthy house, I don't know how effective it is at burnishing the brand.

I think that Jessa could do a lot more for the brand by posting photos of them DOING something. I know that this is kind of a pointless thing to say, since the Duggars never do anything for anyone other than themselves, but if Jessa really cared about her brand and really wanted some positive PR, she could try DOING something for someone else. Pictures of the family putting together food baskets for the holiday, or care packages for people affected by the hurricanes, or really anything decent and productive for someone other than themselves would really help the brand (extra points if they don't take the food back later).

[floridamom]

My mother said the same thing about barefoot babies and clothing, like jeans, or grown up clothing being too restrictive for them. I agreed and had socks on my baby boys even during the summer when we went out due to the a/c AND I dressed them in comfortable, soft, flexible BABY clothes. I don't understand the trend to dress a newborn or an infant in grown up like clothing. It just disturbs me for these reasons. My mom also said their newborn and baby 'skin' is very delicate and those thick seams and fabrics aren't good for them. Mom knew...

Sorry, but Jessa looked like she swallowed a torpedo. That image may be 'wonderful' for the parents involved, but it's not appealing to the general public to see in such detail, especially not to me. It is especially in poor taste for Jessa to do this and post those photos for all the world to see since they claim to be so modest and Godly...many people in this world have pregnancy fetishes and enjoy seeing photos like that 'too much'. This family has no common sense. JMHO

[Barb23]

20 minutes ago, floridamom said:

My mother said the same thing about barefoot babies and clothing, like jeans, or grown up clothing being too restrictive for them. I agreed and had socks on my baby boys even during the summer when we went out due to the a/c AND I dressed them in comfortable, soft, flexible BABY clothes. I don't understand the trend to dress a newborn or an infant in grown up like clothing. It just disturbs me for these reasons. My mom also said their newborn and baby 'skin' is very delicate and those thick seams and fabrics aren't good for them. Mom knew...

Sorry, but Jessa looked like she swallowed a torpedo. That image may be 'wonderful' for the parents involved, but it's not appealing to the general public to see in such detail, especially not to me. It is especially in poor taste for Jessa to do this and post those photos for all the world to see since they claim to be so modest and Godly...many people in this world have pregnancy fetishes and enjoy seeing photos like that 'too much'. This family has no common sense. JMHO

Agree totally.  My son was born the end of October & I dressed him in the long sleeved  onesie playsuits  for most of the winter.  Babies only stay babies for a small amount of time &  I don't think  they have to be dressed in grown up style clothing especially jeans which always seem tight & constricting. IIRC on the episode where Jessa & Ben were packing for San Antonio, Jessa was changing Henry & dressed him in jeans that were very tight & she commented on how he was growing.  I can't imagine how uncomfortable they were for him. Also who can forget the newest Baby Waller dressed  in the adult style clothing for pictures when he was just a few days old?

[Sew Sumi]

12 hours ago, queenanne said:

Just thought I'd add, that Narcissus shot of Jessa pouting at her full belly in her cell phone screen and skin-tight tee, is the first, and indeed, perhaps only, mental image that leaps into my mind when anyone says "Jessa Seewald", so Jessa might want to think about that in future.  

Which one? I always go back to the stupid football shirt one. She wore that shirt to her "bachelor/ette" football party. 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by Sew Sumi

[QuinnInND]

Just to add to the babies in jeans discussion, they have baby jeggings. Super soft and comfy and easy to move in. My twins love them. Although Henry is wearing what looks like regular denim. Which is too stiff IMO for a baby. My older son was born on Halloween, and he was in sweat pants when he was that size. 

[mynextmistake]

56 minutes ago, QuinnInND said:

Just to add to the babies in jeans discussion, they have baby jeggings. Super soft and comfy and easy to move in. My twins love them. Although Henry is wearing what looks like regular denim. Which is too stiff IMO for a baby. My older son was born on Halloween, and he was in sweat pants when he was that size. 

My daughter practically lives in Carter’s jeggings. They are a very good value because they wear extremely well — we haven’t yet had a pair rip or wear out, even though she is at the age that she takes a lot of tumbles. 

[QuinnInND]

34 minutes ago, mynextmistake said:

My daughter practically lives in Carter’s jeggings. They are a very good value because they wear extremely well — we haven’t yet had a pair rip or wear out, even though she is at the age that she takes a lot of tumbles. 

Thats the brand I have. My girls are 18 months. When they were crawling exclusively, they wore those too. The knees aren't worn out at all. Just a little faded. Now that they're walking, and falling down some still, no rips or tears here either. 

Topic? Um... I'm glad Henry had mastered the straw technique. My girls are still working on that. Some days better than others. 

[latetotheparty]

13 hours ago, Barb23 said:

Agree totally.  My son was born the end of October & I dressed him in the long sleeved  onesie playsuits  for most of the winter.  Babies only stay babies for a small amount of time &  I don't think  they have to be dressed in grown up style clothing especially jeans which always seem tight & constricting. IIRC on the episode where Jessa & Ben were packing for San Antonio, Jessa was changing Henry & dressed him in jeans that were very tight & she commented on how he was growing.  I can't imagine how uncomfortable they were for him. Also who can forget the newest Baby Waller dressed  in the adult style clothing for pictures when he was just a few days old?

That poor baby looked so miserable. These people are impossible. 

[GeeGolly]

The only denim my kids wore when they were babies were overalls and jumpers. Overalls were a necessity for my loved-to-be-naked child. It's not rocket science - kids feel discomfort the same as adults. A cotton shirt with soft sweat pants are just more comfortable, especially around babies protruding bellies. Jessa has experience with what feels comfortable on a round belly. Diaper changes are harder with jeans and naps can't be that comfortable in them either.  But because the boys are part of Jessa's brand she puts them in what she thinks others will think of as cute and appealing.

Edited November 19, 2017 by GeeGolly

[flyingdi]

15 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Which one? I always go back to the stupid football shirt one. She wore that shirt to her "bachelor/ette" football party. 

 

See, I hate these pink sports jerseys because I think women who are sports fans want the team colors just like guys.  Pink jerseys seem to be a really sexist idea to me.  I would blow a gasket if someone gave me a Philadelphia Flyerss jersey in anything other than the traditional orange and black.  Well not directly, cause that would be a rude response to a gift.

This appears to be a T-shirt and not a jersey but the same rules apply.

[Arwen Evenstar]

@flyingdi, hence your avatar? I’m not a Flyers fan, but I do agree a Flyers jersey in anything but orange and black, just wouldn’t be right. Houston has shown a lot of interest in getting an NHL team.  I really enjoyed the Aeros games when they were here.

[Sew Sumi]

*small voice* I have a Carolina Tar Heels tee in lavender. All of my other sports gear is in its appropriate team colors. And I have a lot. ?

[JocelynCavanaugh]

I have a pink Cowboys hat because I love pink and I love the Cowboys. ??

[flyingdi]

28 minutes ago, JocelynCavanaugh said:

I have a pink Cowboys hat because I love pink and I love the Cowboys. ??

I like the color pink but I'd have to wait until a major sports team changes their colors to pink to get a jersey.

1 hour ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

@flyingdi, hence your avatar? I’m not a Flyers fan, but I do agree a Flyers jersey in anything but orange and black, just wouldn’t be right. Houston has shown a lot of interest in getting an NHL team.  I really enjoyed the Aeros games when they were here.

That and a song from Evita.  Did I ever tell you guys I'm kind of weird?

[Arwen Evenstar]

1 hour ago, flyingdi said:

I like the color pink but I'd have to wait until a major sports team changes their colors to pink to get a jersey.

That and a song from Evita.  Did I ever tell you guys I'm kind of weird?

That’s okay. No judgment here.  It might even be a requirement for being on this board!!!!

[ariel]

We're the Isle of misfits waiting for Rudolf & Santa to appear.

[flyingdi]

I

3 hours ago, ariel said:

We're the Isle of misfits waiting for Rudolf & Santa to appear.

I always did like that elf who wanted to be a dentist!

[GeeGolly]

The island of misfits is for creative thinkers that march to the beat of their own drummers in addition to having some differences. We can be assured that no Duggar will ever be seen here.

[Genevrier]

18 hours ago, flyingdi said:

I like the color pink but I'd have to wait until a major sports team changes their colors to pink to get a jersey.

That and a song from Evita.  Did I ever tell you guys I'm kind of weird?

High Flying Adored? I love that song.

 

Topic? There’s a topic? Oh, right, baby jeans. They generally elastic waists and diaper snaps on the legs. There are far worse things Jessa can (and does) do with her kids than putting them in jeans. (One of mine was a born nudist. We were always trying to find clothes she couldn’t get out of. Or at least slow her down enough to catch her before the show.)

[Marigold]

Jessa has food issues.

She posts a lot about food, eating food, wanting food etc.  Now as an adult married woman, she gets "caught" eating Goldfish by her husband?   You're an adult and you buy your own food.  If you want to eat Goldfish, Jessa, it's OK.     Is Ben the food police?

There is a lot of stuff going on here...

[Lunera]

18 minutes ago, Marigold said:

Jessa has food issues.

She posts a lot about food, eating food, wanting food etc.  Now as an adult married woman, she gets "caught" eating Goldfish by her husband?   You're an adult and you buy your own food.  If you want to eat Goldfish, Jessa, it's OK.     Is Ben the food police?

There is a lot of stuff going on here...

Exactly. I don't have children but I'm always snacking on my niece's snacks when I'm hungry. Bitchelle probably had the girls on a strict diet and eating schedule and would punish them if they were caught snacking. Also, she must be annoying to eat with, since she was raised on canned food and no manners. In her lovey dovey letter to Ben she said she sticks to what she knows and doesn't like trying new things. She also eats off his plate instead of ordering more food.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Lunera

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

On 11/18/2017 at 9:55 PM, mynextmistake said:

My daughter practically lives in Carter’s jeggings. They are a very good value because they wear extremely well — we haven’t yet had a pair rip or wear out, even though she is at the age that she takes a lot of tumbles. 

My one year old daughter wears these a lot, too.  They look so comfy. I wish they made them in my size. Haha.

 

1 hour ago, Marigold said:

Jessa has food issues.

She posts a lot about food, eating food, wanting food etc.  Now as an adult married woman, she gets "caught" eating Goldfish by her husband?   You're an adult and you buy your own food.  If you want to eat Goldfish, Jessa, it's OK.     Is Ben the food police?

There is a lot of stuff going on here...

I'm kind of surprised the girls don't have MORE food issues stemming from the lack of food and Gothard-influenced focus on being thin. 

[flyingdi]

2 hours ago, Genevrier said:

High Flying Adored? I love that song.

 

Topic? There’s a topic? Oh, right, baby jeans. They generally elastic waists and diaper snaps on the legs. There are far worse things Jessa can (and does) do with her kids than putting them in jeans. (One of mine was a born nudist. We were always trying to find clothes she couldn’t get out of. Or at least slow her down enough to catch her before the show.)

Bingo! love that song!

[Zahdii]

1 hour ago, Lunera said:

... she said she sticks to what she knows and doesn't like trying new things. She also eats off his plate instead of ordering more food.

A lot of young adults keep to what they know, but over time they usually get to try new foods when they leave the home.  They might go off to college, move in with a roommate, join the military, etc.  How much they expand their palate is pretty individual, but usually they're going to be exposed to new foods and slowly find new things they like.  Jessa has to learn more about food while she's also learning about who she married and how to live apart from her enmeshed family, how to keep house, and how to become a mother, all in very short order.  She's not going to be perfect at it, although she'd like to think she is.  Hopefully she doesn't find a bare minimum she's comfortable with and continues to learn new things.

As for eating off Ben's plate, that's something that some people think is OK.  Hint to Jessa: no one is fooled if you order a salad and then start grazing off everyone else's plates.  Pretending to be a whispy female with a tiny appetite doesn't impress anyone when you've eaten your food and then start looking hungrily at everyone else's food.

If you'd tried that with my father, he'd have told you the first time to keep your fork to yourself and ask if you'd like to taste something he had, but after that he'd get very territorial about his food.  I've never seen it for myself, but my step brothers have assured me that Dad's stabbed their hands and drawn blood when they've tried to steal his food.  My dad grew up moderately poor, and had some lean years as an adult before he got a good job that allowed him to provide plenty of food for his family, so when he got to the point where everyone ate their fill and leftovers after a meal were expected, he had no patience for someone poaching off his plate. 

My husband had a similar problem if he had his sister with him when they were teens.  He'd say he was hungry and pull into the nearest fast food restaurant.  "Sis, what do you want?  I'm buying."  "Oh, I'm really not hungry.  I'll just eat a couple of your fries."  Then his sister would eat all his fries and ask him if he was going to finish his burger.  Eventually he'd just order her her own meal, and she'd be insulted.  But she'd eat all of her fries and most of her burger, then he'd finish her burger.

[Lunera]

1 hour ago, Zahdii said:

Pretending to be a whispy female with a tiny appetite doesn't impress anyone when you've eaten your food and then start looking hungrily at everyone else's food.

I have a sister who is constantly dieting and will always order the smallest thing on the menu but ends up eating food off others plates. I think Jessa is the same way, always watching her weight and ordering salads instead of a proper plate of food, while picking off Ben's plate because she's still hungry. 

I'm glad Ben is adventurous with food and taking her out to different restaurants. I can still remember her disgusted face at the food when they went to an Ethiopian restaurant in New York. 

[SMama]

Jessa’s food issues are Ma and Pa Kettle’s fault. God laid it on Boob’s heart to blow $250,000 on a senate race he didn’t have a chance to win. Meanwhile his children were stacked like cordwood, and ate love offerings. I doubt Ben is the food police (hope I’m right), Jessa is simply responding to trauma consciously inflicted by her vile parents.

Edited November 20, 2017 by SMama

[ariel]

That would be strange if Bin is the food police since Jessa is the one who is bringing home the bacon from the show.  I'm sure feisty Jessa doesn't let him forget that.

[QuinnInND]

I grew up in a horrible situation. Never got enough to eat. I was given one tablespoon  (like the ones that you eat soup with) of each thing that was served. Period. And a glass of water. The exception was Thanksgiving, Christmas and once a month Sunday dinners at my grandmother's house. Even after 30 years, I've still got food issues. I'm afraid to try and eat more than a bite or two sometimes.  Eating a full meal is still difficult.  Thank God I've got a wonderful supportive husband.  So Jessa may have lots of food problems. I just hope she doesn't pass them on to her kids. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

Regarding being "caught" eating Goldfish, maybe I have food issues as well, but if I was trying to eat healthy (which I do), and got a craving for something I told myself I wouldn't have (which I do as well), I would quite likely feel a bit guilty for giving in, and try to "sneak" it when no one was looking. Not that it would be a big deal or anything, but I'd still feel a bit red-handed if someone happened to walk in when I was having my little splurge. I'd probably laugh it off, but would also probably refer to it as being "caught" were I to tell someone about it. Is that an unusual way to react? It didn't occur to me that her wording indicated any sort of real problem.

[SMama]

Maybe it’s just me. I’m going to guess you didn’t grow up with a perpetual food shortage (until TLC came along). You saying getting caught would mean to me what you just explained. But coupled with Jill’s story about hiding in the bathroom to eat, it’s difficult to not infer.

[GeeGolly]

I think Jessa was trying to be funny and unintentionally revealed too much. But the snack box (that a toddler can't read) was filled with toys, not food, so it doesn't appear that baby Jessa was caught doing anything then and I doubt Ben even notices when she grabs a handful of Goldfish now. The scale though, is she weighing herself often now? I don't know why she would since she's been pregnant for the last couple of years.

It makes sense that anyone older than Joy would be dealing with an off relationship with food.

[Marigold]

13 hours ago, ariel said:

That would be strange if Bin is the food police since Jessa is the one who is bringing home the bacon from the show.  I'm sure feisty Jessa doesn't let him forget that.

I didn't word that correctly.  I don't think at all that Ben is policing how much food Jessa is eating but he has been filmed talking about the shitty ingredients in food that the Duggars eat.  We know he works out etc.  Maybe Ben makes Jessa uncomfortable as a  "health food police"

I can see Ben saying "that's a lot of carbs in those gold fish"

Or maybe not.  ;)  At the reunion, Ben did say that Jessa is very hard on herself about her weight. 

Whatever the case may be with Ben, Jessa has food issues. Probably from her food restricted childhood and the Gothard appearance obsession. 

Edited November 21, 2017 by Marigold

[floridamom]

I'm sure Ben is/was trying to improve the quality of the food Jessa was used to eating in the TTH. He obviously would find tater tot casserole to be deplorable. Jessa's complexion, I believe has improved as she discovered real, fresh, healthy ingredients in the recipes Ben has exposed her to. We all know what Jessa's diet consisted of prior to marrying Ben....sadly, he found out too and is focused on a better way in the kitchen. 

[Marigold]

@floridamom

Absolutely. Ben has been a positive influence in this area.  I give him credit for speaking up about crap Duggar food and trying to teach them that ingredients with 26 letters are not the best choice for daily consumption! 

[SMama]

I think there was an episode where Ben's sister *taught Jessa how to make Ben's favorite dinner dish and a pie. The poor girl's head must have been reeling when she realized they didn't defrost and serve. Anything that helps the Duggars learn about healthy eating is progress. Stouffers lasagna is for rare days, parents ill, or too many activities in one day. It is not meant to be someneone's favorite food (ex. JD).

 

*Because there is no way Jessa actually learned to make the pasta dish and pie. It was good to see Ben's mom actually cooked for and taught her children.

[Sew Sumi]

Henry/Spurge 9 month comparison.

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

Henry is getting to be quite the cutie.

Spurgie has always been quite a cutie.

[ChiCricket]

3 minutes ago, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

Henry is getting to be quite the cutie.

Spurgie has always been quite a cutie.

I love plump little dimpled baby arms and legs like Henry has. 

Edited November 21, 2017 by ChiCricket

[SMama]

I wonder if the boys see a pediatrician. Both are cute chubs.