Josiah and Lauren: He Has To Marry Somebody

[GeeGolly]

9 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

I've noticed that many of the Duggars kids lost their "spark" after getting married and starting a family, Josiah is no exception.  Jinger a bit, you can see it in her mannerisms, so fake and no spontaneity like she had as a child.  Joy is also going that way slowly.  Josh turned smug, then totally deflated after the scandals.  John David seems to be the only one who seems happier after marriage.

Going from the emotional age of 12 or 13 to full adult responsibilities can do that to a person. It seems the Duggar 19 get 3 life lessons: stay debt free, remain Gothard and you get to have sex.

For me there are plenty of days celibacy seems like a better option than adulting. 

[Rabbittron]

 sorry but I'm on a phone that hates me if you go to soapdirt.com there is an article about these 2. They are just like Blob and Clown Car. They named the miscarriage Asa.

[Nysha]

6 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

For me there are plenty of days celibacy seems like a better option than adulting. 

If only we got a choice! Actually, adulting while celibate is better than living under Jim Bob's "umbrella" any day. Even his married adult children seem to cater to him way more than I would cater to any of my parents.

[MonicaM]

11 minutes ago, Nysha said:

If only we got a choice! Actually, adulting while celibate is better than living under Jim Bob's "umbrella" any day. Even his married adult children seem to cater to him way more than I would cater to any of my parents.

My guess is that you weren't married with young children, yet still financially dependent on your parents.  Even though it's the 19 children that made the financial empire possible, JB apparently holds the purse strings, which gives him enormous power over his brainwashed adult children.  They cater to the king because their livelihood depends on it.

[Marigold]

17 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

I've noticed that many of the Duggars kids lost their "spark" after getting married and starting a family, Josiah is no exception.  Jinger a bit, you can see it in her mannerisms, so fake and no spontaneity like she had as a child.  Joy is also going that way slowly.  Josh turned smug, then totally deflated after the scandals.  John David seems to be the only one who seems happier after marriage.

I wonder if it's just such a shock going from being a "kidult" to an "adult".  And then married. And  TV camera in your face. And a social media account in order to generate fans for the show. 

I personally don't think Josiah is unhappy with Lauren. I do think he would like to move away with Lauren and pursue another path of life. 

WTF does Josiah do for a living anyway? Working with Derick? 😀

[Churchhoney]

16 hours ago, yogi2014L said:

Exactly. 

I cannot imagine having children so young and with someone I barely know/tolerate. I don't see the stress of marriage and children bringing these two together, lol.

Random question- does anyone know of any third generation adult gothardites/ATI/IBLP people? I'd be curious to see if the grown Israel/Mackynzie/Spurgies/ ect equivalents have stayed with the cult. Is the cult still too young? 

If you're not familiar with Recovering Grace, it's worth at least a brief look -- to see what various people, male and female, whose families brought them into the Gothard world but who later left unhappy have to say. 

http://www.recoveringgrace.org/

There are certainly older adults who joined up in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and so on who are still there. Most of the current leadership, for example.

And some members of that crowd are old enough to have not just grown grandchildren but grown great-grandchildren by this point., especially since Gothardism tends toward very early marriage and childbearing. But I've never seen any estimates of how many of the children and grandchildren of first-generation members actively participate after they become adults.

Of course, we know they lose a ton of people.

Some of the old members had a bazillion children. And virtually all had some children -- because the main thing Gothard has always promised was that he'd show you how to control your children. Meanwhile, they've continued to get at least a small number of new members, mostly due -- according to reports  -- to people's infatuation with and desire to emulate the TeeVee-star Duggars (who really really control their children, I might add....perfect Gothardites)

Yet, despite all those inheritors of the cult tradition, plus a small but continuing inflowing trickle of new members, their numbers and the money they've been bringing in have been dropping way way down for years now.

So that math says there have been many many dropouts and only a tiny fringe of remainers among those who inherited the cult....

Edited May 23, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Marigold]

On 5/20/2019 at 9:25 PM, Sew Sumi said:

I think so. It must have been a very busy Valentine's Day.

Do they know it's a Catholic holiday? 

[Temperance]

Lauren seems to be registered at Amazon. I say seems, because you never know on the internet. It lists her due date as November 17th. 

[Hannah316]

Someone didn’t get the memo that you don’t wear white to a wedding if you’re not the bride... 

[truebluesmoky]

I actually think she looks adorable. I’m not convinced the white thing is really a “rule” anymore, but even if it is, that’s white with a floral pattern. It’s also not super formal. They still look like an awkward couple, but I think she looks perfect for a spring wedding.

[awaken]

OMG with the holding of the baby bump!!!  It compulsory with these people!

And josiah maintains his jazz hands and greasy look!

[BitterApple]

Josiah looks like he's pushing 40.

[dargosmydaddy]

It;s kind of cute that his tie matches her dress. And at least he wore a tie (Austin and Jim Boob did not).

[Marshmallow Mollie]

On 5/21/2019 at 12:39 PM, Puffin said:

I know for some people Josiah getting Lauren pregnant proves he’s not gay but I’ve read too many stories about married men struggling with their sexuality 10-20 years down the line realise they’re gay and leave their wife and kids because they can’t live that lie anymore. If Josiah is gay then I feel for him and I HATE his parents. 

That’s how my husband has a Stepmom Steve 😉

[Lunera]

Where was the baby bump when she was modeling the blue dress from the Bates shop? 

Anna also wore a white floral dress. 

[Christina87]

Lauren usually looks cute IMO. To me, this is kind of a shapeless miss. That's okay though, because we all have our hits and misses. It's not like she's Jill and misses 90% of the time. 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Christina87

[cmr2014]

2 hours ago, Hannah316 said:

Someone didn’t get the memo that you don’t wear white to a wedding if you’re not the bride... 

All of Josiah's clothes are too small. I don't know if he gained a lot of weight and hasn't bothered to get new clothes, or if he thinks tight clothes are a thing.

[Temperance]

The wearing of white to a wedding is still a thing especially among fundies. Fundie friends of mine were pissed off someone (a woman) wore white to their friend's wedding. 

[Snow Fairy]

4 hours ago, awaken said:

OMG with the holding of the baby bump!!!  It compulsory with these people!

And josiah maintains his jazz hands and greasy look!

Yes, I just wrote that on Joy's thread. Come on girls

[Churchhoney]

5 hours ago, Snow Fairy said:

Yes, I just wrote that on Joy's thread. Come on girls

It's all they've got. 

They'll never graduate from college or bring home a paycheck or even play in a softball league or lead the book-club discussion at the local library. And, at least as far as they envision right now, neither will their daughters (or their sons, given the way Duggarland operates -- the sons will just work for an unspecified Jim Bob (age 110) enterprise and people will say, What the hell does he even do?) 

There are limited opportunities to feel a sense of accomplishment. 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[ginger90]

Josiah looks as if he’s checking if a gun holster is still in place.

[heckkitty]

I can understand holding the bump that way once you really have one. It’s instinctive, and somehow feels better. But she’s barely showing so makes no sense at all. 

[3 is enough]

18 minutes ago, heckkitty said:

I can understand holding the bump that way once you really have one. It’s instinctive, and somehow feels better. But she’s barely showing so makes no sense at all. 

It’s going to be a LONG six months. 🙄

[Ohiopirate02]

12 hours ago, awaken said:

OMG with the holding of the baby bump!!!  It compulsory with these people!

And josiah maintains his jazz hands and greasy look!

I feel like the Lonely Island's "I just had sex" should be playing during a slide show of the baby bump pics.

[Jeeves]

29 minutes ago, heckkitty said:

I can understand holding the bump that way once you really have one. It’s instinctive, and somehow feels better. But she’s barely showing so makes no sense at all. 

^^This. As noted, it's all she has going for her, she's young and although she's annoying with all the drama about it, I'm sure she was devastated by the miscarriage. So she's going to be hugging that bump like mad every time there's a camera in range of her.

I'm blessed to be part of a large extended family - literally, cousins by the dozens. As generations grow up we have a lot of pregnant women in the family. Thinking back, including the current 20-somethings who grew up on social media, I can't remember a single. pregnant. woman. holding her bump when she posed for a group photo. And almost all of these women are Southern Baptists (though not fundies, thank goodness)! I vaguely recall one of the younger cousins doing a few "pregnancy progress" selfies on Facebook and I get it that you'd hug the bump for those. But for group photos, it's just a bit much.

10 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

It’s going to be a LONG six months. 🙄

From your keyboard to God's ear.

Edited to add: Especially when she doesn't yet have much of a bump and a woman hugs it, it's all too easy for the photo to look almost skeevy at first glance because her hands are down by her crotch. Oh, well, to each her own . . .

Edited May 26, 2019 by Jeeves

[Absolom]

Way back in the dark ages when I was first pregnant, my mother had two requests for me: 1) don't duck waddle with an exaggerated swayback and 2) keep my hands off my abdomen.  She said it will be obvious you're pregnant soon enough and you don't need to dramatize the situation.  Have some dignity. 

Due to that it makes the pregnant women doing that to seem immature and twee and drama queens. 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Absolom

[Scarlett45]

39 minutes ago, heckkitty said:

I can understand holding the bump that way once you really have one. It’s instinctive, and somehow feels better. But she’s barely showing so makes no sense at all. 

I’m not going to criticize someone for touching their own body (outside of ways that violate obscenity laws). If a woman wants to touch her own stomach pregnant or not it’s got no effect on me what so ever. I have never been pregnant and will never be (lord willing!!) but I can imagine it’s odd having your stomach grow like that. I can see how it would be natural to touch it just because you know something is in there and growing. 

[Jeeves]

6 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I’m not going to criticize someone for touching their own body (outside of ways that violate obscenity laws). If a woman wants to touch her own stomach pregnant or not it’s got no effect on me what so ever. I have never been pregnant and will never be (lord willing!!) but I can imagine it’s odd having your stomach grow like that. I can see how it would be natural to touch it just because you know something is in there and growing. 

I'm not criticizing anyone for touching her baby bump; it's a familiar gesture if you're around a pregnant woman for any length of time. 

But, I am not a fan of posing for a group photo and grasping or holding (not just touching) the bump from below. I don't think it looks natural at all - especially in early stage pregnancy. I've been around a lot of pregnant women, in the family and the workplace and I just don't recall that position as something at all usual. (Unless it's getting near full term, and the photos we're talking about aren't of nearly full term pregnant women.) IMO the pose is all for attention, just in case anyone might not already know they are pregnant. 

[bigskygirl]

She is just showing what the women in the family have been taught. It is her duty to get pregnant and let the world know she is special and blessed because she is pregnant. The Duggar women act like they are the first and only women on the planet who ever got pregnant and had a baby.

[GeeGolly]

I think in addition to advertising the Fundy Gold Prize, vanity is also a reason. They don't want anyone thinking they're gaining weight.

I work with a few women who wore loose fitting tops that hid their non-pregnant tummies. Then the minute they found out they were pregnant they started wearing more form fitting tops - because pregnant, not fat.

[Rabbittron]

25 minutes ago, bigskygirl said:

The Duggar women act like they are the first and only women on the planet who ever got pregnant and had a baby.

They are. My mom and I found our kids at Babies R Us😂

[Churchhoney]

58 minutes ago, bigskygirl said:

She is just showing what the women in the family have been taught. It is her duty to get pregnant and let the world know she is special and blessed because she is pregnant. The Duggar women act like they are the first and only women on the planet who ever got pregnant and had a baby.

Well, you know, they're very perceptive and thoughtful.  I'm sure they look around and see no evidence that others have had babies....  ;  )

[xwordfanatik]

14 hours ago, awaken said:

OMG with the holding of the baby bump!!!  It compulsory with these people!

And josiah maintains his jazz hands and greasy look!

If I may be so bold, what are jazz hands?  

Lauren's dress looks comfortable at least.  Josiah looks very uncomfortable.  It's his regular look, now.  Poor balding guy that looks doughy.

[bigskygirl]

Josiah looks like a younger version of Smugs. Poor kid.

[Snow Fairy]

https://instagram.com/laurduggar_rp?igshid=5yjqhhn04kuh

Is this real?

[dargosmydaddy]

24 minutes ago, Snow Fairy said:

Is this real?

No. "Rp" stands for "role-play." Why anyone would want to role play as Lauren I don't know, but their official Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/siandlaurenduggar/?hl=en

[Churchhoney]

38 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

If I may be so bold, what are jazz hands?  

If only. 

(h/t Bob Fosse)

Edited May 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Oldernowiser]

It looks like she has to pee...urgently.

[madpsych78]

2 hours ago, heckkitty said:

I can understand holding the bump that way once you really have one. It’s instinctive, and somehow feels better. But she’s barely showing so makes no sense at all. 

I was checking out pictures of Jill when she was pregnant with Izzy and Sam. Jill sometimes held her bump, but mostly later along in the pregnancy. And when she took those chalkboard pictures while pregnant with Izzy she nearly always held her back, rather than her bump, other than one picture that was taken when she was 19 weeks. 

Joy holds her bump regularly, but she also tended to show really early with Giddy and it looks to be a similar story with Baby Forsyth #2. 

Lauren, in contrast, is barely showing, and given the nature of that dress, probably would hide an early-stage pregnancy if she just had her hands at her sides. I've never been pregnant, but it would seem to me that someone who is in the early stages of pregnancy wouldn't be big enough where holding the stomach would make a substantial difference in terms of bringing comfort. 

[McManda]

1 hour ago, madpsych78 said:

but it would seem to me that someone who is in the early stages of pregnancy wouldn't be big enough where holding the stomach would make a substantial difference in terms of bringing comfort. 

It would bring comfort, I imagine, if one's comfort is derived from being lauded as a pregnant woman. It's not a physical comfort she's after (via lifting or shifting the weight of her stomach), it's the emotional comfort of being one of the tribe, of knowing she's fulfilling her godly purpose, and bring congratulated for being pregnant. 

I'd imagine it's the partly the same reason she grieved her early miscarriage so publicly. She's looking for validation and comfort from others - look, she's trying, it's not her fault she's been married a year with no baby yet, 

That's not to say that I think Lauren is consciously acting that way. I think that is just been so deeply ingrained that she's supposed to do that that it's just second nature for her. And for that I'm sad for her.

[awaken]

17 hours ago, cmr2014 said:

All of Josiah's clothes are too small. I don't know if he gained a lot of weight and hasn't bothered to get new clothes, or if he thinks tight clothes are a thing.

He always looks uncomfortably stuffed into his clothes. 

[galaxychaser]

36 minutes ago, awaken said:

He always looks uncomfortably stuffed into his clothes. 

Maybe he wants to be a nudist?

[Lisa418722]

I think at this point Lauren just wants to make sure everyone knows that she is finally pregnant and if that means cradling a tummy that looks like she just ate lunch, then she's going to do it.

[JoanArc]

20 hours ago, Hannah316 said:

Someone didn’t get the memo that you don’t wear white to a wedding if you’re not the bride... 

They've aged 15-20 years.

[emma675]

8 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

They've aged 15-20 years.

Agreed. If I didn't know them I would guess Lauren is in her early 30s and Josiah is early 40s.

[3 is enough]

I had 3 pregnancies.  My kids are now 30, 28, and 26. I can honestly say that there are NO photos of me cradling my bump, or my husband cradling my bump, or either of us making "heart hands". 

I'm thinking this was not "a thing" in the late 80's-early 90's.

I will admit to a couple of late 3rd trimester side view photos, but that's it.

[awaken]

4 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

Maybe he wants to be a nudist?

Ahhh, the relief if he was ever allowed to be free!  Instead we get resting jazz hands and tight pants. 

[Abstract]

2 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

I had 3 pregnancies.  My kids are now 30, 28, and 26. I can honestly say that there are NO photos of me cradling my bump, or my husband cradling my bump, or either of us making "heart hands". 

I'm thinking this was not "a thing" in the late 80's-early 90's.

I will admit to a couple of late 3rd trimester side view photos, but that's it.

I had 3 babies in the 2000s (pre-2010), and this wasn't a thing then either.

I heard about gender reveal parties (on Facebook, where else) for the first time when my youngest was a toddler, and realized I had dodged a bullet.

I blame Susan.

[Snow Fairy]

My kids are 5 and 1 and I have no photo holding my belly. I do have bump pictures I made every month, but they are not for public. Even my husband didn't see all of them, they're just mine

My hands were on my stomach only when the baby kicked/stretched in the way it made me uncomfortable, so I put my hand to calm it. And that was way later in the pregnancy

And I had a misscariage when I was 8-9 weeks pregnant, and I do not count that as my child, I didn't name it. It hurt,because it was a spontaneus pregnancy (my two are ivf babies), but I will not grieve for all my life.  

[Nysha]

On 5/26/2019 at 10:06 AM, Rabbittron said:

On 5/26/2019 at 9:38 AM, bigskygirl said:

The Duggar women act like they are the first and only women on the planet who ever got pregnant and had a baby.

They are. My mom and I found our kids at Babies R Us😂

I found mine through Oregon's Department of Children & Families adoption program. Which is fine because after watching my daughter give birth twice, I no longer regret not giving birth to mine.