S01.E04: MAFS: Happily Ever After?

[humbleopinion]

Change For the Better: The couples dig deep into their marriages to find bad habits to jettison... is the 1 hour episode long enough to cover all their problems or just the top 3 for each?

Shawniece goes into labor and it is not all rainbows and unicorns..... get ready to watch between your fingers...alternating plugging your ears with the same fingers.

Jephte looks like wished he could be any other place in the world and time dimension than in that delivery room...until the clouds part... and Laura Denise Jackson Pierre makes her debut....

Edited November 17, 2018 by humbleopinion

[Crazy Bird Lady]

I'm not *shocked* that "a month before baby was supposed to be due", with Shawniece still working in spite of exhaustion and very painful pregnancy complications, Jephte didn't bother to find a newborn car seat for their baby so she could be taken home from the hospital. --Much less purchase any of the other things that new babies need as soon as they're born!

Jephte put all that stuff out of his mind because "they had plenty of time". 

I've changed my mind about Jephte having good potential as a father. 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Crazy Bird Lady

[Ilovepie]

1 hour ago, Crazy Bird Lady said:

Jephte put all that stuff out of his mind because "they had plenty of time". 

Do you think they ever finished putting the crib together?!? Good grief those two seemed unprepared for that moment! Meanwhile Danielle will have a new house with Baby Girl Dodd’s room completely decked out by the end of her second trimester. I guess it’s easier when you have a houseboy/yes-man that hops to every time you say so. 

Speaking of Danielle, I seriously hope this show paid her enough because she is coming off verrrry badly this time around......

Poor Bobby could barely contain his disappointment that he was not going to be getting a son - he better hope this kid doesn’t turn out to be an only child. Better luck next time Bobby!

Gotta agree with Ashley: just because you say you’re going to change and run an index card indicating that through the shredder doesn’t mean it’s going to magically happen....

[humbleopinion]

Bobby’s girl swimmer was faster than his boy swimmer....it’s all on you, Bobby ...

Better hide your disappointment better or it will come back to bite you.....

[JAndy]

1 hour ago, humbleopinion said:

Bobby’s girl swimmer was faster than his boy swimmer....it’s all on you, Bobby ...

Better hide your disappointment better or it will come back to bite you.....

I know. It made me sad when he said they needed to try again. Girls are so much fun! With my pregnancy hormones I probably would have cried if my husband acted like that. 

[Guest]

People being disappointed by girls is gross, no matter how much they soften their attitude to save face. It's on tape! A rare moment where Bobby let me down. And Bobby made a joke "Well, we can't name her Bobbie," but I have multiple uncles who named their first born girls feminine versions of their names lol.

Not sure if the couch disagreement was producer driven, but good god, Bobby can't have anything. He has to throw away what's probably his most expensive piece of furniture because Queen Danielle doesn't like it sticking to her legs? Wear pants! At least he put his foot down on her eyelash budget...which will immediately be used for Henry's $1K smile.

As a disclaimer I've never been pregnant, but how did Shawniece not realize it was pee? Did she really get rushed to the emergency room for wetting her pants? Couldn't she tell that she probably wasn't in labor by the lack of pain or contractions or the fact that she suddenly didn't have to pee anymore? and I know that being able to be silly with one another is a good thing, especially when your relationship is struggling, but lounging around in bed talking about your ass full of hemorrhoids and your total lack of bladder control (while wearing your husband's brand-new boxers! Just…why?) doesn't exactly scream peak romance when you're already reluctantly trying to convince yourself to stay in the relationship. 

Shawniece's antics in the car...I can't. She's lucky she didn't cause a car crash since she was practically climbing on top of Jephte. That was the definition of overdramatic. The kids on Unexpected are half her age and didn't make half as much noise.

I have nothing to say about Ashley and Anthony because Ashley is always a consistent kind of terrible. I have my own control issues mostly with organization, but I couldn't imagine treating my spouse that way. It's like he's perpetually in detention, and it's only going to get worse the further along in the pregnancy she gets and especially when the baby comes.

[JAndy]

12 minutes ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

People being disappointed by girls is gross, no matter how much they soften their attitude to save face. It's on tape! A rare moment where Bobby let me down. And Bobby made a joke "Well, we can't name her Bobbie," but I have multiple uncles who named their first born girls feminine versions of their names lol.

Not sure if the couch disagreement was producer driven, but good god, Bobby can't have anything. He has to throw away what's probably his most expensive piece of furniture because Queen Danielle doesn't like it sticking to her legs? Wear pants! At least he put his foot down on her eyelash budget...which will immediately be used for Henry's $1K smile.

As a disclaimer I've never been pregnant, but how did Shawniece not realize it was pee? Did she really get rushed to the emergency room for wetting her pants? Couldn't she tell that she probably wasn't in labor by the lack of pain or contractions or the fact that she suddenly didn't have to pee anymore? and I know that being able to be silly with one another is a good thing, especially when your relationship is struggling, but lounging around in bed talking about your ass full of hemorrhoids and your total lack of bladder control (while wearing your husband's brand-new boxers! Just…why?) doesn't exactly scream peak romance when you're already reluctantly trying to convince yourself to stay in the relationship. 

Shawniece's antics in the car...I can't. She's lucky she didn't cause a car crash since she was practically climbing on top of Jephte. That was the definition of overdramatic. The kids on Unexpected are half her age and didn't make half as much noise.

I have nothing to say about Ashley and Anthony because Ashley is always a consistent kind of terrible. I have my own control issues mostly with organization, but I couldn't imagine treating my spouse that way. It's like he's perpetually in detention, and it's only going to get worse the further along in the pregnancy she gets and especially when the baby comes.

For me,  i got to a point in my pregnancy where I just didn’t give a shit. So yea, I felt like crap and I didn’t give a fuck if I was telling my husband all of my ailments. Women suffer the most in the whole pregnancy thing, at least physically. It didn’t happen to me, but I know a bunch of women who mistook pee for their fluids leaking. It’s common. She could have also had Braxton hick contractions, so she could have mistook them for the real ones. 

[OnTime]

Shawniece had a completely different hair style in the hospital than she did during over "overdramatic" car ride to get there.

The production on this show has always been bad!!

[LakeGal]

Danielle wants everything her way.  It is like she forgets Bobby is part of her marriage. Danielle never seems to notice that Bobby has a sad look on his face.  They have such an uneven marriage.  

Jephte is not ready to be a father.  I guess I expected a school teacher to have a little more idea about children.  Shawniece had to do everything while Jephte just seemed to stand around getting in the way.

I did think Ashley and Anthony seemed a bit happier together this week.  The dance lessons were a great way for Anthony to lead.  At least Ashley admits her problems.  Something I do not see Danielle doing.   

[Crazy Bird Lady]

8 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Danielle will have a new house with Baby Girl Dodd’s room completely decked out by the end of her second trimester. I guess it’s easier when you have a houseboy/yes-man that hops to every time you say so. 

Speaking of Danielle, I seriously hope this show paid her enough because she is coming off verrrry badly this time around......

Poor Bobby could barely contain his disappointment that he was not going to be getting a son - he better hope this kid doesn’t turn out to be an only child. Better luck next time Bobby!

I think this girl is likely to be an only child. Unfortunately, I can't imagine Danielle sacrificing any more of her career to have another baby.

6 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Bobby’s girl swimmer was faster than his boy swimmer....it’s all on you, Bobby ...

Scientifically, that's a fact. 

4 hours ago, JAndy said:

I know. It made me sad when he said they needed to try again. Girls are so much fun! With my pregnancy hormones I probably would have cried if my husband acted like that. 

"Trying again" isn't guaranteed to produce a different result. Fortunately, I'm 100% convinced that Bobby is already falling in love with his baby girl and will be an awesome father.

1 hour ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

People being disappointed by girls is gross, no matter how much they soften their attitude to save face. It's on tape! A rare moment where Bobby let me down.

Not sure if the couch disagreement was producer driven, but good god, Bobby can't have anything. He has to throw away what's probably his most expensive piece of furniture because Queen Danielle doesn't like it sticking to her legs? Wear pants! At least he put his foot down on her eyelash budget...which will immediately be used for Henry's $1K smile.

I wouldn't call it "gross". I think Danielle would have been almost equally disappointed if the baby had been a boy, and people probably wouldn't have been as offended by that.

[Ilovepie]

2 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

how did Shawniece not realize it was pee?

Honestly, I did the same thing two days before giving birth to my first child. You just aren’t used to wetting your pants so it doesn’t compute that it’s urine; also, for me, it was so close to my due date and also a slow trickle so you think maybe it’s my water breaking. Well this is gross. Moving on.....

 I don’t think it’s bad that Bobby hoped it was a boy, lots of people have wishes on the sex of their baby before they know what it is. I have no doubt Bobby will come around and be excited for his daughter. Dads and daughters can have a special bond and I think Bobby will get there.

[LilaFowler]

I don't think Ashley really admitted to any of her faults. The pinched look on her face was telling. I thought she seemed down during this episode, actually. She's controlling and selfish and that's just who she has been for 30+ years. She's not going to change. You're stuck with that, Anthony.

I don't see why Danielle and Bobby are getting rid of furniture if they are indeed moving into a bigger house. Surely there will be somewhere they can put his beloved couch. A lot of it I feel is producer-driven. His couch probably lives somewhere in their new place.

[seacliffsal]

Danielle really enjoys spending money-some of the clothes that she bought are not for a newborn, and the sandals won't be worn for a while.  Also, why get rid of furniture when moving into a new home?  I get that she wants to decorate her new home her way, but they are going to have so many expenses with a daughter on the way and purchasing a new home.  I was thinking that this is how she is getting back at Bobby not wanting pointless spending and to not have her drive to Austin for her hair stylist.  She appears to be passive-aggressive in getting what she wants.  I think Bobby will be a great dad and will adore his daughter.

Jephte and Shawniece are both just so unprepared to be parents.  Good thing Kiki is there, as she will probably have to take on the responsibility of watching the baby.

[princelina]

As Pepper waltzes up to Ashley and Anthony's place announcing why she's there, all I could think was, "I'm here to needle at their relationship until I can get them fighting about something".  It turned out I was wrong - she was really there to try to give Ashley body-image insecurity!  Oh experts, never change :D

[Kiss my mutt]

I hope baby girl Bobby doesn’t ever see this. But otherwise, Danielle won’t settle for anything than exactly what she wants. When it comes down to it, she just wants a nicer more updated house and has very little to do with her “reasons”. 

Ashley and Jepthe are both very selfish smug people. 

[Dittohead]

In the intro to the show each week, "Pastor" Cal mentions that they matched 21 couples since the grand experiment began, and only five couples have remained married.  Well, what does that tell you "experts?" That's a whopping success rate of 23.8%.  I'm kind of surprised he would admit that.  They ought to be embarrassed.

If Shawniece and Jephte don't manage to stay together, that will bring it to four.  And things don't look too promising for Bobby/Danielle or Anthony/Ashley, for that matter. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by Dittohead

[gonecrackers]

6 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

I don't see why Danielle and Bobby are getting rid of furniture if they are indeed moving into a bigger house. Surely there will be somewhere they can put his beloved couch. A lot of it I feel is producer-driven. His couch probably lives somewhere in their new place.

I was dumbfounded; what a waste really. He wants to save money & she's just throwing the cash around. I have to hope it was producer involvement. Danielle is coming off very selfish & spoiled.

Jephte/Shawniece & Danielle/Bobby - opposite ends of the spectrum with one buying clothes barely out of the 1st trimester & the other no baby seat at 8m pregnant. Maybe Ashley & Anthony will be somewhere mid-range for prep time.

12 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Shawniece's antics in the car...I can't. She's lucky she didn't cause a car crash since she was practically climbing on top of Jephte. That was the definition of overdramatic. The kids on Unexpected are half her age and didn't make half as much noise.

I get that Shawniece was uncomfortable, but geesh, girl is all drama, all the time as usual. Props to Jephte (this once) for getting them to the hospital in one piece.

12 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

doesn't exactly scream peak romance when you're already reluctantly trying to convince yourself to stay in the relationship. 

Well she was 8m pregnant & a lot going on in there; not exactly feeling romantic & I can give her that one.  Tough if it bugs Jephte; he didn't have to experience it physically.

12 hours ago, OnTime said:

Shawniece had a completely different hair style in the hospital than she did during over "overdramatic" car ride to get there.

When they showed her in the hospital she was already pushing & her mom was there. She had time to check in, have her hair braided (maybe her mom did it for her), & I'm guessing, get an epidural since she was much calmer.  It would be interesting to know how long her labor was & the time lapse between arrival & birth.

Okay Anthony wants Ashley to not be so stubborn, but as she said shredding a card isn't the magic bullet.  I do hope it helps with Shawniece's admitted reckless driving though.

[answerphone]

Remember at the beginning of their marriage, Jephte was too private to even kiss Shawniece, because he was a teacher?

And now everyone knows he had affairs shortly after he married 🤔

[ShowFan]

On 11/17/2018 at 9:59 AM, humbleopinion said:

get ready to watch between your fingers...alternating plugging your ears with the same fingers.

Lol this is exactly how we watched Shawnice...on mute and including fast forwarding through the whole contractions and hospital thing 

[princelina]

3 hours ago, Dittohead said:

In the intro to the show each week, "Pastor" Cal mentions that they matched 21 couples since the grand experiment began, and only five couples have remained married.  Well, what does that tell you "experts?" That's a whopping success rate of 23.8%.  I'm kind of surprised he would admit that.  They ought to be embarrassed.

If Shawniece and Jephte don't manage to stay together, that will bring it to four.  And things don't look too promising for Bobby/Danielle or Anthony/Ashley, for that matter. 

I'm sure he would explain if asked that their percentages would be much higher if these folks would just follow the advice of the "experts" :D. Not their fault!!!

[humbleopinion]

Shawniece whooping and hollering like she was bronco busting at a rodeo.

Danielle will probably blink and grunt once quietly before delivering Bobette.

Ashley seems the type to have the 60 hours of dry heaving, teeth chattering, back breaking labor and delivery.

Anthony better get her a good birthing gift.

[Kiss my mutt]

Poor Shawniece, hemorrhoids too? Bless her heart. 

[Palomar]

TMI and too much footage for the Shawniece scenes!  Just because they signed up for this show doesn't mean everything needs to be documented. Give her SOME privacy and dignity. 

It's funny how these couples feel they are going to have less stress when the baby arrives!  I thought that too during my first pregnancy and knew better during my second. 

Wow, Danielle expects a new house with new furnishings and possibly upgrades with all the baby's things in place by the time the baby is born and with only 1 income.  The parents actually had a good point about whether it was a good time to sell their current house.  Sometimes things take time to all come together.  Too much change at once might not be wise.  They have only been married for 6 months!  You do have the rest of your lives.

[gonecrackers]

3 hours ago, Palomar said:

TMI and too much footage for the Shawniece scenes!  Just because they signed up for this show doesn't mean everything needs to be documented. Give her SOME privacy and dignity. 

Shawniece could've just said she was very uncomfortable without details but she is an over-sharer.

Edited November 23, 2018 by gonecrackers

[endure]

Oh no sofa drama is pouring over from 90 Day Fiance!  

[endure]

On 2018-11-20 at 10:57 PM, Ilovepie said:

Do you think they ever finished putting the crib together?!? Good grief those two seemed unprepared for that moment! Meanwhile Danielle will have a new house with Baby Girl Dodd’s room completely decked out by the end of her second trimester. I guess it’s easier when you have a houseboy/yes-man that hops to every time you say so. 

Speaking of Danielle, I seriously hope this show paid her enough because she is coming off verrrry badly this time around......

Poor Bobby could barely contain his disappointment that he was not going to be getting a son - he better hope this kid doesn’t turn out to be an only child. Better luck next time Bobby!

Gotta agree with Ashley: just because you say you’re going to change and run an index card indicating that through the shredder doesn’t mean it’s going to magically happen....

I think that Bobby was more shocked that the baby was a girl than disappointed.  All along he was convinced it was a boy, he never considered it could be a she lol.  He will absolutely adore her, and Danielle, well, she will spend way too much money on outfits for her because that is just how she is.

Edited November 23, 2018 by endure

[bichonblitz]

I wonder how long it's going to take for Bobby's parents to turn on Danielle. Surely they can see how she treats him. 

I always thought Ashley was cold and bitchy. I still think that. 

[Yeah No]

On 11/21/2018 at 9:35 PM, gonecrackers said:

I was dumbfounded; what a waste really. He wants to save money & she's just throwing the cash around. I have to hope it was producer involvement. Danielle is coming off very selfish & spoiled.

I agree.  The way Danielle was talking about the furniture seemed so selfish and without any regard for Bobby's feelings on the subject (similar to what she has done before in other situations).  Heck, I've been in that situation before and we found space for his old furniture in the basement man cave, which my husband loved.  If they're moving to a bigger house what's the rush to get rid of stuff when you have a lot of house to furnish?  Bobby looked so shut down and sullen in that scene, like he's afraid of her.  NOT a sign of a "perfect 10" marriage in my opinion!  And yet he couldn't contain his more than obvious disappointment at not having a boy.  Now I understand that a lot of fathers would prefer to have a son, but geesh, use your freaking HEAD if you know you're being filmed for TV and your future child might be able to see your reaction one day!  I'm an only child and my own Dad never let on if he would have preferred a boy, probably because he cared about my feelings!

P.S. - Slightly OT but my parents knew they were having a girl in 1958 because they had a ground breaking obstetrician that predicted a baby's sex by the speed of the heartbeat.  Unfortunately at that time the medical community and society weren't ready to know the sex of a baby before it was born because they thought it was somehow "playing God" or whatever.  So when my mother had her baby shower she told everyone beforehand to buy pink because she was having a girl, which was unheard of at that time.  She told me that my father never let on that he would have preferred a boy even in front of her or relatives, but she always suspected he did anyway.  Of course, he loved me just as much as a girl as I'm sure Bobby will with his daughter!

9 hours ago, Palomar said:

Wow, Danielle expects a new house with new furnishings and possibly upgrades with all the baby's things in place by the time the baby is born and with only 1 income.  The parents actually had a good point about whether it was a good time to sell their current house.  Sometimes things take time to all come together.  Too much change at once might not be wise.  They have only been married for 6 months!  You do have the rest of your lives.

Methinks the show money is burning a hole in Danielle's pocket and she can't WAIT to spend it.  That seems to be her problem, that she doesn't think about saving, which is how she got herself into all that debt at such a young age.  I agree that it's too much change in too short a time especially with a baby on the way, plus Bobby stuffing all his negative emotions about the way she treats him and gets her way all the time.  If he doesn't exert some push back on her spending, she's going to lead them down the path of financial hardship, plus he will resent it.  The stress level is going to be through the ROOF with them in the future if present trends continue, and I fear for the consequences!

Edited November 23, 2018 by Yeah No

[Maximadc]

Now it is very clear to me that Danielle’s pregnancy was a big surprise for Bobby only.

Danielle owns Bobby now.

[endure]

I recall when Danielle was out viewing a house, walking into one and saying how they will need a lot more furniture.  Yet now she’s making damn sure it’s to her taste and liking. Bobby stop her now!

[ramble]

I finally got a chance to watch this!  I hope Danielle and Bobby are playing into the theme the show tells them to because otherwise I can only imagine Bobby is going to be miserable within a few years. Part of me thinks they are in on the game and just play along for the cash and part of me thinks Danielle is being who she is and that makes me sad for Ricky Bobby.

Anthony and Ashley are the same in each situation presented. She’s controlling, they both know it, he’d like her to let go of some control, she pays that idea lip service but doesn’t. Wash, rinse, repeat. I wonder how long his easy goingness will last before he checks out of the marriage, either mentally or all the way. 

Shawniece and Jepthe... ugh. They are miserable together. He does not want to be with her. If he had it tattooed on his forehead it couldn’t be more obvious. A baby is not going to change that. And I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll be less present in little Laura’s life to avoid Shawniece. Well that, and because no matter what Mama Jepthe says, a man who screws around on his pregnant wife is not some perfect loving smoking hot specimen. He had to “get  back to himself”? What the frack ever! You signed up for the show. You participated in the baby making. Keep your damn pants on! 

[Stinamaia]

On 11/21/2018 at 7:35 PM, gonecrackers said:

 

Okay Anthony wants Ashley to not be so stubborn, but as she said shredding a card isn't the magic bullet.  I do hope it helps with Shawniece's admitted reckless driving though.

I had a friend who was an aggressive driver who scared me many times.  She completely changed when she has a baby. Now her girls roll their eyes at her old lady driving. 

Sidenote: Her husband very much wanted a boy.  He got two girls instead. He loves them so much. Fixed their school lunches every morning. Brought them hot cocoa on Saturday mornings while they watched cartoons etc etc.  Now his oldest daughter has a boy and is expecting another.  I think he will enjoy grandsons more than he would have a son.  I am sure Bobby will be delighted by his baby girl, and maybe Danielle won’t get pampered so much because Bobby will be doting on the baby. 

Edited November 23, 2018 by Stinamaia

[SabineElisabeth]

So regarding buying a new house asap.... If Danielle decides to be a stay-at-home-mom after the baby is born, then she should just pipe down, IMHO.  However, if she plans on going back to work at the same job she has now, let's not forget she has what, an hour and a half commute each way, IIRC?  A lot of her crap, such as the furniture scene, seems ridiculous, but wanting a commute that falls somewhere within the realm of reasonable doesn't make her as immature, spoiled, and self-centered as she otherwise comes off.  Personally, there is nothing a husband could do for me that would make it worth spending 3 hours a day driving.  A 3 hour commute is just a hard "no" for me.  As in, No. Way. In. Hell. 

Edited November 23, 2018 by SabineElisabeth

[gonecrackers]

12 hours ago, Yeah No said:

The way Danielle was talking about the furniture seemed so selfish and without any regard for Bobby's feelings on the subject (similar to what she has done before in other situations).  Heck, I've been in that situation before and we found space for his old furniture in the basement man cave, which my husband loved.  If they're moving to a bigger house what's the rush to get rid of stuff when you have a lot of house to furnish?

Even if she doesn't like what they have now, as you said it could be used somewhere else in the house, or, just wait until the time is better for buying furniture. I think it's all crap though, because from what we've seen they hadn't even chosen a house yet. If they had, I would think one would wait until there's access to measure & plan.

12 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Bobby looked so shut down and sullen in that scene, like he's afraid of her.

He did & I really hope that's not the case, or, eesh.

12 hours ago, Yeah No said:

 And yet he couldn't contain his more than obvious disappointment at not having a boy.

I don't think he was disappointed, just surprised. I'm also not sure the emphasis on the boy wasn't just more crap for the show. Either way, I do find it distasteful for their child's sake seeing this in future.

7 hours ago, Maximadc said:

Now it is very clear to me that Danielle’s pregnancy was a big surprise for Bobby only.

Danielle owns Bobby now.

Really? I figured it was a surprise for both, but who knows!

2 hours ago, SabineElisabeth said:

So regarding buying a new house asap.... If Danielle decides to be a stay-at-home-mom after the baby is born, then she should just pipe down, IMHO.  However, if she plans on going back to work at the same job she has now, let's not forget she has what, an hour and a half commute each way, IIRC?  A lot of her crap, such as the furniture scene, seems ridiculous, but wanting a commute that falls somewhere within the realm of reasonable doesn't make her as immature, spoiled, and self-centered as she otherwise comes off.  Personally, there is nothing a husband could do for me that would make it worth spending 3 hours a day driving.  A 3 hour commute is just a hard "no" for me.  As in, No. Way. In. Hell. 

Yeah, agree, & I do wonder why they've dropped that narrative all of a sudden. The commute was a big deal in MAFS as to why Bobby was doing so much. I understand neighborhood etc. being factors, but no mention of commute at all now - weird. 

My hunch is we're just not hearing about it for some reason. But I doubt very much they'd go to the expense of moving without it (also) being for a shorter commute, because IF she's going back to work why would she want to be away from home so much with a baby at home... Bobby may be there to do all the work, but if he's busy with a newborn who will pack her lunch? ;-/

[SabineElisabeth]

45 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

Yeah, agree, & I do wonder why they've dropped that narrative all of a sudden. The commute was a big deal in MAFS as to why Bobby was doing so much. I understand neighborhood etc. being factors, but no mention of commute at all now - weird. 

My hunch is we're just not hearing about it for some reason. But I doubt very much they'd go to the expense of moving without it (also) being for a shorter commute, because IF she's going back to work why would she want to be away from home so much with a baby at home... Bobby may be there to do all the work, but if he's busy with a newborn who will pack her lunch? ;-/

I agree it's odd that all of a sudden you hear no mention of her commute.  I can only guess it doesn't play into their story line now, which is what a spoiled brat Danielle is and how selfless Bobby is.

45 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

I don't think he was disappointed, just surprised. I'm also not sure the emphasis on the boy wasn't just more crap for the show. Either way, I do find it distasteful for their child's sake seeing this in future.

I hear this said a lot when a parent on a "reality" tv show expresses a preference for a boy or girl.  In my family, a favorite, oft-told story is that my daddy didn't like kids, didn't want kids, and told my mother that if she wanted to have kids, he was fine with it, as long as she was okay with him not really being that involved with them.  (My mother now fully admits this is an issue that should have been resolved before she went ahead and got pregnant, for the record!).   I was born in the late 70s, and my daddy wasn't isn't the delivery room as was common, I think, so had to go up to the nursery to see me.  Mother said he came back down and told her, "So, I am NOT biased, and I very carefully looked at all the babies in the nursery, and ours is the most beautiful.  She is absolutely perfect."  And.... as an example of how much my daddy adored his new baby that he wasn't going to like or interact with lol, he and mother ended up arguing so much over whose night it was to rock to me to sleep that they kept a calendar on the wall to keep track of it (we still have them - stacks of them, lol).  All of that to say that while I didn't have to watch him say that on a tv show and while I certainly can't speak for how all children would feel upon hearing either a parent wanted a child of another sex, or just didn't want a child at all, I personally have never for a minute felt unwanted, or had any negative feelings about it at all.  In fact, every time I hear that story (or re-tell it), it makes me smile and feel special and treasured.  And I am 100% sure Bobby is going feel about his little girl just like my daddy felt about me.  So, I have no worries for little baby girl Dodd on this score.  :-)

[gonecrackers]

I still don't like the whole "I don't want (blank)" crap, though judging by the way Ricky Bobby takes care of Danielle & the dogs, Bobbina will most likely have a feeling treasured story of her own someday. 

And if he says no to her the way he says no to Danielle, he may have another spoiled brat on his hands besides his wife.

(Again, very much hoping it's just all show-narrative).

[Kiss my mutt]

I think Danielle isn’t using the excuse of wanting a shorter commute anymore if she gets her “dream” house. I very much doubt she minds the commute because it gets her out of her responsibilities at home and maybe even less baby care in the future.  

I don’t dislike her as much as Ashley but she’s definitely a lot of regard I had for her. 

[Crazy Bird Lady]

3 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I think Danielle isn’t using the excuse of wanting a shorter commute anymore if she gets her “dream” house. I very much doubt she minds the commute because it gets her out of her responsibilities at home and maybe even less baby care in the future.  

I don’t dislike her as much as Ashley but she’s definitely a [lost?] lot of regard I had for her. 

I agree. Like you and several others commenting here, my opinion of Danielle has lowered during "Happily Ever After".  She is, in a word, acting really bossy toward Bobby (even making him get rid of his favorite leather couch!). She seems to be taking advantage of the pregnancy to get whatever she wants. (Meanwhile, it looks like she's doing all her normal activities, but may be complaining of "morning sickness" whenever Bobby wants sex.) 

I guess we'll see what happens.

[Yeah No]

10 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Even if she doesn't like what they have now, as you said it could be used somewhere else in the house, or, just wait until the time is better for buying furniture. I think it's all crap though, because from what we've seen they hadn't even chosen a house yet. If they had, I would think one would wait until there's access to measure & plan.

I know, my husband and I never made decisions like that until we were actually moving and knew what the new house would look like.  It's making me wonder if that whole scene with the tape was staged by the show to make Danielle look even bossier and more selfish than she is because this is the narrative that the show wants to push right now.  I'm even wondering if there will be a follow up where Bobby suddenly decides to stand up for his couch or Danielle has a "change of heart" to show she wants to make him happy, and they end up keeping it.  Anything to create drama!

10 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Yeah, agree, & I do wonder why they've dropped that narrative all of a sudden. The commute was a big deal in MAFS as to why Bobby was doing so much. I understand neighborhood etc. being factors, but no mention of commute at all now - weird. 

If the narrative the show is pushing now is Danielle as the bossy selfish spouse that bulldozes over her husband, the show is going to play down something understandable, like not wanting a 3 hour commute, as a reason she wants to move.  So any mention of that will end up on the cutting room floor.  Unless she's secretly decided not to work after the baby is born.  But given the way she acted about not wanting to give up her job I kind of doubt that.

[ezzy4]

Ug.  Danielle's the worst.  I would say her personality must be contrived for the show and ratings... except I once knew a girl who acted EXACTLY like this.  

In all Bobby and Danielle's interactions, Danielle is more interested in getting an upper hand or something; like it's more about power than actual opinions.  She has a telling smirk just as she goes into "expressing her opinions/perferences".  I added quotes because I haven't really seen her express any REAL opinions.  Defaulting to automactically DISLIKING things others LIKE, is not the same as having an opinion...it just isn't.  It's actually the opposite of having an opinion.

And she has the same telling smirk when she talks with great satisfaction about how Bobby LOVES her...but... she's still "working on her feelings" toward him.  Yep a power play.

Now next week's previews show her pushing against Bobby's request to be more thoughtful with spending money 'cause the dog needs his teeth cleaned for $1,000.  It was that same damn smirk when she was saying "I'm good with spending $1,000".  It's just the same damn thing over and over with her.

He would like to stay put.  She wants a different house (any house). He likes leather furniture.  She likes any furniture that isn't leather.  He always pictured having a stay at home wife.  She never pictured being a stay at home wife.  He would like to be more careful with money.  She wants to spend money without constraint.  The pattern here is that Danielle gets him to commit to an opinion and then declares her "opinion" is the opposite.

In reality, I just don't see Danielle having any strong opinons.  She is as boring as drying paint...beige paint.  

Btw...the women I use to know who Danielle reminds me of...married for six months before her husband walked out.  Six months after that the divorce was final.  This woman claimed (even long after their divorce) their marriage had been PERFECT.  She had no idea why her husband insisted on the divorce.  It was a complete mystery to her since everything had always been PERFECT.  True story

[SabineElisabeth]

3 hours ago, ezzy4 said:

In all Bobby and Danielle's interactions, Danielle is more interested in getting an upper hand or something; like it's more about power than actual opinions.  She has a telling smirk just as she goes into "expressing her opinions/perferences".  I added quotes because I haven't really seen her express any REAL opinions.  Defaulting to automactically DISLIKING things others LIKE, is not the same as having an opinion...it just isn't.  It's actually the opposite of having an opinion.

Funny you say that, because when Bobby asked Danielle why she doesn't like his favorite leather sofa, I swear that she really had no idea what to say.  I imagined the producers saying, "Okay, guys....we're going to need the pink 'It's Out of Here' sticker of Bobby's favorite (and best) piece of furniture.  And...GO."  Danielle kind of hesitated, then her voice trailed off as she a bit uncertainly as she answered Bobby with, "it's cold," with "my legs stick to it," both said with an inflection that made me think she had right that second pulled both of those reasons ("opinions") out of her ass.  She does a great head tilt/chin thrust, however, that I must admit adds just enough hint of defiance when she talks to Bobby that while I suspect most of this is just for the show.... definitely am not 100% sure.  

However, even taking as truth that a lot of what we're seeing is manufactured for a story line, they nonetheless seem to have quite an imbalance in their relationship.  I can't decide if Bobby just really, really likes to make people happy, if he really, really enjoys the martyrdom, or what.... but even if he is happy enough, I have to think that he'd be even happier, more content, and not have that look quite as often like he's clenching his jaw just a bit, not in anger, but to hold in what he really wants to say to Danielle, if they had a more reciprocal relationship.  A marriage where the consideration, thoughtfulness, and selflessness go both ways in at least roughly equal amounts.

3 hours ago, ezzy4 said:

In reality, I just don't see Danielle having any strong opinons.  She is as boring as drying paint...beige paint.  

I often wonder what exactly it is about Danielle that Bobby loves soooooo much, because I totally agree....that girl is B.O.R.I.N.G.  As beige paint LOL.  In fact, I'd rather watch beige paint dry than watch Danielle.  She is not the highlight of the show for me, to say the least.  ;-)  Not so much because I don't like her or think she's awful, but because she is just as bland and boring as it gets.  Heck, I'd rather hear Shawniece going on about peeing herself and hemorrhoids because really, she talks about those topics with way more life and animation than Danielle has ever talked about anything, ever. 

[Neurochick]

I haven’t thought too much of Jephte, but my opinion changed somewhat on that drive to the hospital.  Shawnice was losing her shit, screaming, standing up in the car.  She is very emotional.  And Jephte was cool as a cucumber, driving, getting them there safely.  He didn’t lose his shit, he didn’t curse at her, he let her go totally batshit.  Not a lot of men would have been that calm.  

I wonder if Jephte is like me and a lot of my friends, we all have bad pickers, guys we’re attracted to, turn out not to be the healthiest.  Maybe that’s why he went on the show.

[gonecrackers]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I haven’t thought too much of Jephte, but my opinion changed somewhat on that drive to the hospital.  Shawnice was losing her shit, screaming, standing up in the car.  She is very emotional.  And Jephte was cool as a cucumber, driving, getting them there safely.  He didn’t lose his shit, he didn’t curse at her, he let her go totally batshit.  Not a lot of men would have been that calm.  

I wonder if Jephte is like me and a lot of my friends, we all have bad pickers, guys we’re attracted to, turn out not to be the healthiest.  Maybe that’s why he went on the show.

I totally agree with you on the first part. She was out of control & he was quiet - I was definitely impressed with the way he handled himself there.

On the other, Jephte didn't seem ready for marriage, but definitely not ready for a TV show to pick his partner (never a good idea). He thought he'd get an "Instagram model", & Shawniece's personality is overwhelming; neither was a good fit.

Still doesn't excuse him cheating; that's always a cowardly, cruel thing to do.

[Crazy Bird Lady]

Staying calm under pressure is a good characteristic for a person to have.

But I disagree with everyone who's criticizing Shawniece for being 'overdramatic' and 'out of control' and 'whooping and hollering like she was bronco busting at a rodeo'!

...In fact, I'm rather inclined to ask if people have ever had a baby in an emergency situation like that, with no anesthesia. Because when I had my first baby, I did get to the point where her head was crowning without any anesthesia at all --and I'm not what you'd call an 'over-emotional' person or a 'drama queen'. (I have opinions and emotions, sure, however I react more like Jephte in a crisis.)

But the pain and worry of childbirth in crisis had me bucking and cussing and even yelling at my (very loyal and sweet) husband, "This is all your fault!!"

I really cannot imagine what it would have been like to have a camera filming me while I was going through that embarassing pain!

Edited November 25, 2018 by Crazy Bird Lady

[humbleopinion]

If Shawniece was authentic in her reaction to her contractions then certainly her actions were appropriate, however it could also be an over dramatization for the sake of cameras, producers and audience hence, the ridiculous description of whooping.

Snark not allowed on this forum? 

[Crazy Bird Lady]

lol Obviously, snark is allowed. It's just that I feel for Shawniece, because I know what that is like!

[gonecrackers]

I know what it's like too but sat right with a seat belt on (with back labor).  Also, with that kind of pain deep breathing & relaxing is best, but she seemed so horribly unprepared maybe she didn't read coping strategies.

I'm not undermining her suffering, but that was quite a show she put on, either on purpose or not, & she's being paid to 'perform' on reality TV, so the snark is fair game.

It was also just dangerous to do that in a moving car in the front seat. I can see how she's probably a reckless driver  (she admitted), as there was no attention to safety for herself or the child. If she couldn't control herself at all an ambulance should've been called & let them drive her (probably under sedation).

I also don't think she was that far along to be an emergency, because the scene in the hospital where she's pushing shows her mom & they obviously had time to braid her hair, & presumably, get an epidural because she was much calmer. It wasn't like she dropped the kid in the entryway.

I'm no fan of Jephte, but Shawniece's behavior consistently (not even counting when in pain) demonstrates a lack of self-control which is kind of immature, & makes me wonder how she'll handle kid illnesses, injuries, etc, without losing her shit constantly.

[Starlight925]

I don't think the Danielle & Bobby stuff is producer-driven.  She came into this with thousands of dollars of debt.  She's a spendaholic.

I think she duped him.  She giggled, made sure they had lots of sex, moved into his house without a complaint or a peep, embraced his home, his furniture, everything.  She portrayed herself to him as the Perfect 10 wife.

Then, boom....pregnant, within months of meeting/marrying, and she's demanding they change everything.

She never complained or even let on that she didn't like his home or any of his furnishings, but suddenly, she needs a new beautiful home, and puts "donate" stickers on everything he owns, but insists they keep all of hers.  But darn it, sweetie pie that she is, she puts a "keep" sticker on him.  Barf.

I was calculating how much money she spent on Bobberina's clothes that won't be worn for well over a year.  Hundreds of dollars.

She seems absolutely fine to go to work, do her normal activities, but suddenly has too much morning sickness/nighttime nausea for sex.  But she bound him to her with oxytocin/loads of orgasms early on.

So now, she's starving him of sex while systematically making changes in every part of his life.  

Dominance and control.  Bobby, strap yourself in.  Your family sees it.  We see it.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Sterling

[Lusterleaf]

Is it the editing or is Bobby really that much of a pushover? He really lets Danielle get away with everything. Why throw out a perfectly good couch and spend more money? Bobby needs to learn how to stand up for himself, he claims they make "compromises" but so far it seems all he does is give in to Danielle to keep her happy and avoid conflict.

12 hours ago, Sterling said:

I was calculating how much money she spent on Bobberina's clothes that won't be worn for well over a year.  Hundreds of dollars.

 

Yes she was buying clothes for a toddler! What is wrong with her?

[Starlight925]

27 minutes ago, Lusterleaf said:

Is it the editing or is Bobby really that much of a pushover? He really lets Danielle get away with everything. Why throw out a perfectly good couch and spend more money? Bobby needs to learn how to stand up for himself, he claims they make "compromises" but so far it seems all he does is give in to Danielle to keep her happy and avoid conflict.

Yes she was buying clothes for a toddler! What is wrong with her?

Re:  Throwing out a perfectly good couch.....it's about control.  She enjoys watching just how far she can go.

Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with the Bobby/Danielle dynamic, as it exists with my own parents.  Dad is the greatest guy, with the most generous heart and warmest spirit.  Mom, for 60+ years, has been "Danielle-ing" him.  

And yes, she was buying 2T's.  So, is she really going to want to put clothes on her little girl that will, by then, be almost 3 years old?  Hardly.  But Bobby will bob his head, and say for the 12,000th time, that they really need to watch their spending, as she spends thousands more on lashes, eyebrows, and teenage-sized clothes.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Sterling