Josiah and Lauren: He Has To Marry Somebody

[rue721]

I doubt it's a lie, but it wouldn't surprise me if the pregnancy were wishful thinking or a misunderstanding of what was going on with her body. 

The thing that makes me wonder is that they couldn't say how far along she was. The stuff Josiah was saying about miscarriages being common in the first trimester made me think that Lauren did see a doctor at some point, but probably after she already knew she wasn't pregnant. They never heard a heartbeat and didn't seem to know what month/week she had been in, so I doubt Lauren saw a professional before that.

At nineteen and very newly sexually active, I doubt she knows her body well. And because of their culture, I think there's some magical thinking and desperation for a wedding night baby going on, too.

I'm very surprised that they would decorate their second bedroom for adult guests and talk about losing their "first and only" child, and it makes me wonder if Lauren believes she has fertility problems. I mean maybe some illness or disorder that makes childbearing difficult? That also would explain why she was so eager to get married and start trying as soon as possible, and why she would pick her husband from the most famously fertile family in the country.

I feel bad for this couple, but they are so strange. I find Lauren especially off-putting. And as devastating as a miscarriage is, I can't say that I'm unhappy that they aren't bringing a child into their family just yet.

[Christina87]

5 minutes ago, rue721 said:

I doubt it's a lie, but it wouldn't surprise me if the pregnancy were wishful thinking or a misunderstanding of what was going on with her body. 

The thing that makes me wonder is that they couldn't say how far along she was. The stuff Josiah was saying about miscarriages being common in the first trimester made me think that Lauren did see a doctor at some point, but probably after she already knew she wasn't pregnant. They never heard a heartbeat and didn't seem to know what month/week she had been in, so I doubt Lauren saw a professional before that.

At nineteen and very newly sexually active, I doubt she knows her body well. And because of their culture, I think there's some magical thinking and desperation for a wedding night baby going on, too.

I'm very surprised that they would decorate their second bedroom for adult guests and talk about losing their "first and only" child, and it makes me wonder if Lauren believes she has fertility problems. I mean maybe some illness or disorder that makes childbearing difficult? That also would explain why she was so eager to get married and start trying as soon as possible, and why she would pick her husband from the most famously fertile family in the country.

I feel bad for this couple, but they are so strange. I find Lauren especially off-putting. And as devastating as a miscarriage is, I can't say that I'm unhappy that they aren't bringing a child into their family just yet.

I agree completely with this. I think they will be much more ready for a child when they have a little more life experience (as sheltered as their "experience" is) and maturity. I also think Josiah will be a good dad when he is truly ready, which probably isn't now. Lauren needs to mature (which isn't a problem with her; she's just so young) before she tackles motherhood IMO. Joy had a baby super young, but she doesn't seem to have the slightest bit of agency or care over her life. Lauren has a spark somewhere in there, and I'd love to see her expand her world and at least get a hobby or volunteer before she had a baby. 

[sugarplum]

On 2/23/2019 at 1:13 PM, 3 is enough said:

That being said, I still think the most likely scenario is that she took a test as early as possible and her period arrived a couple of days later.  Lots of pregnancies fail in the very early days and women never even realize that they were pregnant at all, because they wouldn't think to test until they were a couple of weeks late.

Exactly. It’s called a chemical pregnancy and it’s very real and happens very frequently. Most of the time, it happens and women didn’t even know they were pregnant.

I don’t think they are lying. For anyone who has been desperately trying to conceive, she would know roughly how long her cycles usually are. She may not know at 19 how her body works, when she ovulates, and how long after to start testing, but I can guarantee she was testing around 10 days before her period was due because she just couldn’t help herself and couldn’t wait. I’ve been part of TTC groups for years. These women are more informative than my doctors - they know their stuff. And even they just can’t resist the urge. Haha. I’m sure Lauren was just 4 weeks along when she got her positive. And I’d guess, lost it shortly after, between 5-6 weeks, with just a heavier than normal period. I’ve had 2 chemicals that I’m aware of. If I wasn’t tracking my cycles so closely, I doubt I would even have known I had them. 

No matter what, I wish them the best. I hope they have a happy, healthy pregnancy...when they are ready for one. 

[LolaGeek]

On 2/23/2019 at 1:23 AM, cmr2014 said:

It occurred to me that Lauren may never have been pregnant at all.

1. I doubt she ever went to a doctor, just pee'ed on a stick.

2. The Duggars are huge liars, and have no issue with lying about anything and everything all the time

3. Lauren and Josiah are under enormous pressure to start a family -- not just because of Jesus/Gothard, but also to prove that Josiah isn't gay, or better yet that Lauren managed to make him straight with her good lovin'. A miscarriage takes the pressure off of them for a while -- or they may think it will.

I'm probably completely wrong, but I'm tossing it out here because it's one of the first things that I thought when I heard about the miscarriage -- "They're lying. Why are they lying about this?'

This was my first thought as well - saying they were pregnant but had a miscarriage buys them some time. It does seem like they went to an awful lot of effort to fake it though, with the family announcement via t-shirt, and all the publicity now over the miscarriage. Of course, they may have thought it would be more low-key, but got swept up in the need to publicly announce... sort of like a couple getting caught up in planning a wedding and going through with the marriage, even though they would have rather called it off... 🤔

[PikaScrewChu]

I don't think they faked it either. I agree that Lauren was probably doing pregnancy tests constantly though and caught it as soon as the line was faint.

What doesn't make sense is if Jessa and Lauren shared the same due date. Duggar Data updated with information since Jessa claimed she was 25 weeks along. That puts Jessa's due date at anywhere between June 1st and June 6th (if we're believing Guinn's post about Seewald #3 being due in June).

The earliest a pregnancy tests would have shown up positive was the week of September 21st if Lauren shared the same due date as Jessa. Yet Lauren announced she was pregnant on Michelle's birthday which was September 13th.

Ugh. Jessa's post is making me even more stabby now. Regina George indeed.

Edited February 25, 2019 by PikaScrewChu

[Saylii]

I think it’s more that female cycles tend to sync in groups, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Lauren and Jessa had very similar start dates to their cycles.  Lauren could have also been calculating off a conception calendar which will give slightly different dates from LMP.

I do think Lauren was really pregnant, really had a positive pregnancy test, and really had a miscarriage.  I also think she could be exaggerating a lot of details which is why they aren’t lining up perfectly.

[PikaScrewChu]

Menstrual synchrony has been found to be a myth though.

I'm more inclined to believe Jessa and co are fudging timelines for publicity sake. Otherwise that "heartfelt letter" wouldn't have been published in People.

If they're not fudging timelines and truly believe they had the same due date then they need to attend one of Ben's math lessons.

[Picture It. Sicily]

Were they even married yet when jessa would have conceived?

[Saylii]

24 minutes ago, Picture It. Sicily said:

Were they even married yet when jessa would have conceived?

Yes.  Jessa would have conceived in mid-to-late August.  They had been married about a month and a half.

[ginger90]

[floridamom]

Why are they dressed like that? Those girls look like they dressed out the rag bag too. No excuse for this.

[Sew Sumi]

I thought Lauren's family had some money. 

[madpsych78]

Damn, I initially thought Lauren's brother was one of the younger Bates boys (Jackson, Isaiah, or Warden).

[Tdoc72]

Is her sister Lily trying to catch Duggar boy? During the pregnancy announcement, she had such weird posture on the ottoman. Like she was displaying herself. I get a fame whore vibe to her, although it makes me sad that I think that about a kid. 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Tdoc72

[Vaysh]

Why is literally no one wearing a helmet?

[jcbrown]

1 hour ago, Vaysh said:

Why is literally no one wearing a helmet?

People wear helmets for ice skating? Hockey, sure, but regular skating?

[3 is enough]

6 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

People wear helmets for ice skating? Hockey, sure, but regular skating?

Little kids in learn to skate classes wear helmets.  My nieces took figure skating lessons and wore helmets until they passed a certain level of proficiency.  But once you can skate without falling every two minutes it is not required.

Though I am guessing that ginormous red bow on Lauren's little sister would help protect her head if she fell 😛

[Vaysh]

1 hour ago, jcbrown said:

People wear helmets for ice skating? Hockey, sure, but regular skating?

Well, yes. Kid's always wear them at least, and most adults who care about their brains and about setting a good example for their kids. But then I live in Sweden. We are pretty... safety-conscious, lol. I guess the idea of zooming around on a slippery, rock-hard surface without any kind of head protection goes against our instincts. Most of us has had at least one bad fall while ice skating growing up so I guess it just makes sense to protect the old noggin as best as we can.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Vaysh

[dargosmydaddy]

This is a family (well, the Duggars, anyway, I don't know about Lauren's family) that goes barefoot around horses and construction areas, wears flip-flops while hiking and working with power tools, doesn't wear helmets while biking, allows toddlers to climb on all sorts of high/ unstable surfaces... no helmets while skating is hardly the worst/ most surprising of their safety faux pas...

Besides, God will protect them, don't ya know!

[Barb23]

On 3/5/2019 at 5:52 PM, Tdoc72 said:

Is her sister Lily trying to catch Duggar boy? During the pregnancy announcement, she had such weird posture on the ottoman. Like she was displaying herself. I get a fame whore vibe to her, although it makes me sad that I think that about a kid. 

I noticed Lily too & posted about it in the episode thread.  She was definitely looking out for the cameras & that was a weird pose during the pregnancy announcement. 

[satrunrose]

On 3/5/2019 at 9:56 PM, Vaysh said:

Well, yes. Kid's always wear them at least, and most adults who care about their brains and about setting a good example for their kids. But then I live in Sweden. We are pretty... safety-conscious, lol. I guess the idea of zooming around on a slippery, rock-hard surface without any kind of head protection goes against our instincts. Most of us has had at least one bad fall while ice skating growing up so I guess it just makes sense to protect the old noggin as best as we can.

It's similar in skate-loving Canada. Kids have to wear helmets up to a certain age (usually 12, I think) and it's recommended, but not a rule for adults. Seeing Josiah and Lauren helmet-less isn't a surprise, but the kids being bare-headed and not seeing anyone in the background wearing one either is weird to me. 

[Churchhoney]

4 hours ago, satrunrose said:

It's similar in skate-loving Canada. Kids have to wear helmets up to a certain age (usually 12, I think) and it's recommended, but not a rule for adults. Seeing Josiah and Lauren helmet-less isn't a surprise, but the kids being bare-headed and not seeing anyone in the background wearing one either is weird to me. 

Maybe Arkansas uses soft ice. 

[MsJamieDornan]

2 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Maybe Arkansas uses soft ice. 

With Jill's famous recipe.

[ginger90]

[DangerousMinds]

“Mama’s” - SMDH!

[heckkitty]

To be fair, that’s not entirely the fault of the dining room table education. It seems like everyone under he age of 20 does that nonsense now (apologies to any of you under 20)

[babyhouseman]

3 hours ago, ginger90 said:

And special thanks to my bitch sister in law Jessa for "supporting" us while showing off her pregnancy. When Josiah and Lauren were talking last night, I expected to see Jessa in the background rubbing her belly.

[JoanArc]

11 hours ago, babyhouseman said:

And special thanks to my bitch sister in law Jessa for "supporting" us while showing off her pregnancy. When Josiah and Lauren were talking last night, I expected to see Jessa in the background rubbing her belly.

She'll probably name the new baby whatever Lauren was going to name hers. Accidentally of course!

[Heathen]

23 hours ago, heckkitty said:

To be fair, that’s not entirely the fault of the dining room table education. It seems like everyone under he age of 20 does that nonsense now (apologies to any of you under 20)

Hell, people of all ages do it! It drive's me nut's -- it's a second-grade error, people. (It hurt me to write that sentence.) I know someone in her sixties who does it, and she allegedly has a college education. 

[fonfereksglen]

51 minutes ago, Heathen said:

Hell, people of all ages do it! It drive's me nut's -- it's a second-grade error, people. (It hurt me to write that sentence.) I know someone in her sixties who does it, and she allegedly has a college education. 

Posting on phones or tablets can also be the reason? 

Lots of mistakes including the post I quote.  I view forum posts as conversation and simply read for content.

[DangerousMinds]

48 minutes ago, fonfereksglen said:

Posting on phones or tablets can also be the reason? 

Lots of mistakes including the post I quote.  I view forum posts as conversation and simply read for content.

That’s why I edit before posting. (Usually!)

Edited March 28, 2019 by DangerousMinds

[CalicoKitty]

2 hours ago, Heathen said:

Hell, people of all ages do it! It drive's me nut's -- it's a second-grade error, people. (It hurt me to write that sentence.) I know someone in her sixties who does it, and she allegedly has a college education. 

I actually went to customer service at Kohl's to point out that the sign in the PETITES department should  not be spelled PETITES' (in foot-high letters, I might add).  They dropped the apostrophe when they remodeled.

[MMEButterfly]

On 2/13/2019 at 12:44 AM, louannems said:

Lauren said when she miscarried, she saw her baby in the toilet.  At 6 weeks, wouldn't she have just seen mentrual blood in the toilet?  And do even Christians believe that these very early miscarriages go to heaven?

I lost 2 babies at 6 weeks (ended up with four though), and all I saw was menstrual blood. I'm a Methodist. No one suggested I do anything except flush.  There's no burial, nor reporting. I never considered those cells to be a person bound for heaven. 

[heckkitty]

3 hours ago, Heathen said:

Hell, people of all ages do it! It drive's me nut's -- it's a second-grade error, people. (It hurt me to write that sentence.) I know someone in her sixties who does it, and she allegedly has a college education. 

True, but still quite sad. 

[fonfereksglen]

2 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

That’s why I edit before posting. (Usually!)

Nothing I do helps!  Especially random capital letters that show up....randomly😎.

[Heathen]

7 hours ago, fonfereksglen said:

Posting on phones or tablets can also be the reason? 

Lots of mistakes including the post I quote.  I view forum posts as conversation and simply read for content.

You do realize that I made those error's errors intentionally? 

People need to stop blaming autocorrect or their device's devices for their mistake's mistakes. 

Back on topic: you really think Jessa is that catty? I don't see it in her. I think she's tone-deaf, but not malicious. 

[fonfereksglen]

6 hours ago, Heathen said:

You do realize that I made those error's errors intentionally? 

People need to stop blaming autocorrect or their device's devices for their mistake's mistakes. 

Back on topic: you really think Jessa is that catty? I don't see it in her. I think she's tone-deaf, but not malicious. 

Yes, I did.  It was funny. I guess I gloss over spelling and grammar stuff because of all the problems I have posting since I switched from my laptop to a tablet.🙄

[galaxychaser]

I have 2 college degrees and I'm terrible speller online. I blame auto correct and tiny phone screen LOL.

[galaxychaser]

Now I don't have kids, but at 6 weeks pregnant she did not see a baby.  She is full of tater tot casserole.  She is young so she will wind up with a dozen kids by the time she is 40.

[jcbrown]

20 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

I actually went to customer service at Kohl's to point out that the sign in the PETITES department should  not be spelled PETITES' (in foot-high letters, I might add).  They dropped the apostrophe when they remodeled.

Please come sit next to me. This is the sort of thing I would do.

[Heathen]

5 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

Please come sit next to me. This is the sort of thing I would do.

I was in traffic behind a work truck advertising XXX and Son's, Painter's. I emailed to point out the error, but got no response. 

[Westiepeach]

16 minutes ago, Heathen said:

I was in traffic behind a work truck advertising XXX and Son's, Painter's. I emailed to point out the error, but got no response. 

OMG. I would have fainted. 

[Zella]

I've vandalized multiple signs at work to fix the apostrophes. Guerrilla grammar. . . . 

[queenanne]

This is well worth the sidebar into OT-ness, I promise:  back in college in the 90's, I once passed a young black girl on the street in NYC.  On her young frame, she was proudly sporting a Janet Jackson tour tee shirt, with the legend:

"That's the Way Love Go's" (sic).  

I had to fight back the urge with all the willpower I possessed, not to tap her on the shoulder and say "Uh, girlfriend, anyone who can spell is going to know you never went to that concert, and thus ruin the cred you are trying to maintain by buying this bootleg shirt." 

A colleague was also bragging at their skill at picking knockoff purses on Canal Street that look "just like" the real thing; and thrust that then-ubiquitous LVMH purse at me. 

Unfortunately for her claim, the brown leather square that was facing me, quite plainly read "Louis Vitton" (sic) and not "Vuitton"; so I'd say there are some flaws inherent in her chooser.

Edited March 29, 2019 by queenanne

[ChaChaSlide]

19 minutes ago, queenanne said:

This is well worth the sidebar into OT-ness, I promise:  back in college in the 90's, I once passed a young black girl on the street in NYC.  On her young frame, she was proudly sporting a Janet Jackson tour tee shirt, with the legend:

"That's the Way Love Go's" (sic).  

I had to fight back the urge with all the willpower I possessed, not to tap her on the shoulder and say "Uh, girlfriend, anyone who can spell is going to know you never went to that concert, and thus ruin the cred you are trying to maintain by buying this bootleg shirt." 

A colleague was also bragging at their skill at picking knockoff purses on Canal Street that look "just like" the real thing; and thrust that then-ubiquitous LVMH purse at me. 

Unfortunately for her claim, the brown leather square that was facing me, quite plainly read "Louis Vitton" (sic) and not "Vuitton"; so I'd say there are some flaws inherent in her chooser.

The bolded reminds me of when Bruhman from the Fif’ Flo’ (Martin) was hawking the “Whitty Huton Wuld Toor” t-shirts 😂

[awaken]

5 hours ago, Heathen said:

I was in traffic behind a work truck advertising XXX and Son's, Painter's. I emailed to point out the error, but got no response. 

LOL. Good for you!  Someone has to uphold grammar standards!

[marypat57]

It's nice to have so many fellow grammar nerds on this website!  Here are my contributions about public correction of grammar:

I was attending the national teachers union convention in Seattle.  One night a delegation of us attended the Mariners vs Yankees game.  It was a poster/sign competion night.  I , along with some of the teachers I was with pointed out to a Mariners fan that he had used the apostrophe incorrectly.  I dug a marker from the bottom of my purse, and corrected the sign.

I was participating in a labor union march in NYC and my friend and I pointed out to a member of another union that there were errors on their sign.  They thanked us and we went on our way.

For anyone who may be interested  there is a daily grammar tip email.  You can go to "grammar tip of the day by thoughtco" to sign up.

I think that the Duggars would greatly benefit from this..

[jcbrown]

On 3/28/2019 at 6:07 PM, Zella said:

I've vandalized multiple signs at work to fix the apostrophes. Guerrilla grammar. . . . 

That reminds me that I have been known to copyedit signs in work break rooms and copy rooms to correct punctuation. I also occupied my time while my mom was having surgery more than 20 years ago by copyediting the hospital's brochures (though most of that was stylistic disagreements, as I recall).

Sorry for the OT.

On 3/28/2019 at 2:08 PM, Heathen said:

I was in traffic behind a work truck advertising XXX and Son's, Painter's. I emailed to point out the error, but got no response. 

You're my hero.

[Zella]

43 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

That reminds me that I have been known to copyedit signs in work break rooms and copy rooms to correct punctuation. I also occupied my time while my mom was having surgery more than 20 years ago by copyediting the hospital's brochures (though most of that was stylistic disagreements, as I recall).

Sometimes I did it guerrilla-style to avoid hurting someone's feelings while still ensuring grammatical correctness reigned. Usually the victim never even noticed. 

My RA in college, however, did notice that her whiteboard had been changed and really lost her shit over it. I could hear her hollering all the way down the hall about it. 

[tabloidlover]

On 3/27/2019 at 7:17 PM, fonfereksglen said:

Nothing I do helps!  Especially random capital letters that show up....randomly😎.

JillR?  Is that you?