Counting On "Sleepless in Laredo"
- Jana and Duggar family friend Laura, who are in charge of wedding preparations for John and Abbie, show the couple the arbor that Jedidiah and Jeremiah built. "Laure DeMaise is a good friend of ours," says Jana. "We include her as one of our sisters." The boys assemble the altar in the living room, and the girls add flowers and decor. They also set up a few church pews, so John and Abbie can visualize the setup. Lauren has offered to do the wedding flowers, which are fake but look real.
- The wedding theme is "love is in the air," and the reception will be held in an airplane hanger near Abbie's home in Oklahoma. Speaking of Oklahoma, John, Abbie, Jana, Laura, and one of Abbie's sisters also scout out the airplane hanger. They need to decide where the getaway airplane will sit, and they have to figure out bathrooms for their 1,000 guests.
- In Laredo, Jinger and Jeremy are trying to put newborn Felicity to sleep. "I've had so many siblings, you would think I have it all down, but that's just not the case," admits Jinger. "I mean, it is 24/7 responsibility on you." The Vuolos say that Felicity is a pretty chill baby and that she smiles and laughs a lot.
- "I stopped drinking coffee not for breastfeeding or being pregnant but because it was affecting my health," says Jinger. "But who knows what mom life will end up doing to me. I think I might end up slipping some in here and there." New father Jeremy, on the other hand, is very fond of coffee.
- "Coffee is definitely a very dear friend," says Jeremy. "We've been close for quite some time, but I think this has bonded us on a level because you just don't realize how much you appreciate one another."
- Lauren is pregnant! She took a pregnancy test at 1:30am, and it was positive, so she and Josiah drove to the store to pick up more tests just to be sure. About a day later, they are ready to announce the news to the Duggars, Swansons, and Caldwells. Lauren takes a plain shirt and irons on cursive letters that say "Mama in the Making."
- While Ben takes online classes, he has a part-time job helping Michelle homeschool the younger children. He discusses recipe fractions with Jackson and all the kids under him, and then they head to the store to pick up ingredients to make a North African dish called tagine-style chicken. The kids have to multiply the fractions so they can make 40 servings instead of 4. "Ben is really patient, and he stays calm, and it's been great," says Michelle, who sits beside the kids as Ben tutors them.
- "I like school," says Jordyn. "I don't know why, but I like it." When asked what her favorite subject is, Josie says, "Nothing."
- "My mom was the primary teacher, but there were also occasions when she would bring a friend in to do a science project project with us, or something like that," says Jessa.
- "It did get pretty hectic sometimes," says Jedidiah of homeschooling. "We did get on each other's nerves every now and then, but...it taught us patience, as well."
- "I love being homeschooled," says Jackson. "I think it's way better than any other schooling you could ever do."
- When the group returns from the store, they are ready to prepare the chicken. They are running on Duggar time, so they have to scramble to finish cooking before everyone arrives.
- "It is really hard to surprise the family members," says Josiah. "Josie and all them will say, 'Are you pregnant?' I mean, they ask all the time. I guess it's a Duggar thing."
- After everyone arrives, Lauren removes her cardigan to reveal her shirt. Lauren's sister notices the writing, and it's not long before everyone in the house has heard the news. They are all thrilled for the young couple. "This is our first grandchild, and I'm on cloud nine right now," says Lana, Lauren's mom, who is nursing her youngest child when she hears the news. "I won't be able to sleep tonight."
- Everyone loves the food.
what will you cover in the show now that the last baby has been born? and the last wedding is being planned?
ReplyDeleteWe’ll probably see more day-to-day life with all the families, plus probably lots about Jessa’s pregnancy, how they’re getting ready for life with three kids, the camera people being nosy and asking if any of the other couples are expecting, etc.
DeleteThey are far from the last baby and wedding!
DeleteBen is so patient and caring which makes him a great tutor! He's so good with kids.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to learn that Ben has a JOB. Working for Michelle.
DeleteI agree that Ben is really great with children. He seems to be doing a great job teaching the kids.
DeleteBen has great potential in whatever he ends up doing in life....just an all around great personality, and seems to be a great. husband and father too!
DeleteI was afraid Felicity will have a shaken baby syndrome -- the way they were rocking were was almost like shaking a baby! Ginger should have known better!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, exhausted first time parents and their bouncing skills; or lack thereof lol Felicity is obviously fine as we’ve seen lots of pictures of her since then, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.
DeleteAgreed! I was getting dizzy.
DeleteI suggest you Google Shaken Baby Syndrome so that you can put your fears to rest.
DeleteMy mom and I noticed the same thing. Jinger appeared nervous and baby's pick up on that. She's shaking poor Lissy to death and teaching Jeremy to do the same thing.
DeleteBouncing and shaking are very different. I’ve seen the effects of shaken baby syndrome and trust me, she had to be immediately taken to the ER (and placed with a new family when released) Now, she suffers from permanent brain damage. If only she had parents who gently bounced her to sleep...
DeleteI felt the same...she was really bouncing that little girl!
DeleteI thought this was a nice episode!
ReplyDeleteIt was nifty to hear Jackson talk so much about school. I think Johannah bears a resemblance to Jedidiah these days.
It looks fun to have the Duggars, Caldwells, and Swansons all together for dinner. It reminds me of some smaller get-togethers of families when I was a kid.
I also appreciated Michelle's astute praise of Ben's particular teaching strengths.
ReplyDeleteDoes Ben have to stick to the set curriculum or is he allowed to bring up some ideas that are not in the book?
DeleteWhat kind of ideas? Ideas like...adapting a North African dish to feed 40 people?
DeleteHe teaches them math. What do you imagine is in the curriculum that he would want to stray from?
i thought i was seeing an extra girl when ben was teaching and when they went shopping. johanna has changed so much but i was sure i saw her, jennifer, jordyn, josie, jackson, & tyler plus someone else.
ReplyDeletewas one of ben's sisters there or was it one of the swanson or caldwell girls?
I also counted an extra girl, but I have no idea who she was.
DeleteYeah there was a new girl. She was either one of Ben’s sisters or someone random. Maybe Tyler has a sister who has moved in with the Duggars now as well?
DeleteThere was another girl there. Seemed Johanna’s age
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ReplyDeleteWhat secret? The "big announcements" and "secrets" are teasers. There's never anything that's new on the show.
DeleteI find it a little odd that instead of seeing a doctor first they announce their pregnancy in front of entire family and tv crew, in my country no one announces to anyone but husband before seeing a medical professional
ReplyDeleteGenerally you have a positive pregnancy tests a few months before your first ob appointment.
DeleteYou can’t generalize what everyone in a country does. Just because people don’t tell you that they’re expecting doesn’t mean that no one there has told their family first.
DeleteI've always announced my pregnancies before seeing a doctor, at least to immediate family. I always find out early and doctors don't want to see you until like 8 or 9 weeks where I live. I have had a miscarriage in the past but I only share pregnancies with family and those are the people you want around when going through a hard time.
DeleteSame here. We wait till we see a doctor before announcing a pregnancy. Home pregnancy tests can be wrong. And, we also wait till announcing the pregnancy until after the first trimester since miscarriages are common in the first few weeks.
DeleteWonder why they’d didn’t see a dr first before announcing, very unusual
ReplyDeleteNot really unusual. Home pregnancy tests are highly accurate and it could be several weeks or months after testing before you see your doctor. I can see waiting until after the first trimester to tell people because most miscarriages happen in the first trimester. But seeing a doctor before telling people doesn't seem necessary if you've already tested positive.
DeleteIf they had seen a doctor right after learning Lauren was pregnant there might have been something the doctor could have done to keep her from miscarrying. I never understood why the Duggars do the stuff they do.
DeleteNo it’s not, Jill and Derrick did the same thing with Israel, as do many other couples. It was their first baby and they were very excited to share the news. Plus Lauren was probably going to ask her sister-in-laws for their opinions on what midwives/doctors to use.
DeleteI think it's because they were under so much pressure from the family. They'd been married almost three months (if her due date as stated in another blog post was correct) and that's an eternity in the Duggar mind for a first pregnancy.
DeleteTo 4:53 pm, I am a doctor and there is nothing a doctor can do to prevent a healthy young woman who does not smoke or drink from having a miscarriage. The only thing a doctor can do is counsel to stop using cocaine and to not drink excessive coffee but even people who do those can carry a baby to term. 20% of reported pregnancies end in miscarriage. It is very sad and usually just means that particular baby was not healthy enough to be born and has nothing to do with the mom.
Delete4:53, what are you thinking the doctors could have done? Even if you go to an appointment early on and they detect something wrong with the baby there’s nothing the docto would have been able to do. I know this from personal experience, please keep rude, uneducated comments to yourself.
DeleteWhy would you wait weeks or months after knowing you were pregnant before you saw a doctor? I was on the phone making an appointment before the home test was even dry.
DeleteDoctors detecting something wrong with the baby...nothing the doctor would have been able to do... This is the very thing that sometimes makes a pregnancy end in a CHOICE. I thought most here were against a doctor giving the family a CHOICE when things are going wrong and there's nothing a doctor can do, or the family taking that CHOICE. Now it sounds like CHOICE may be the option when something is wrong and nothing can be done? Well then it's good there is a CHOICE.
DeleteI'm not 4:53 but their comment reminds me of the Bates family. Kelly Jo had low progesterone in the later part of her child bearing years and had a number of miscarriages. Her Dr. prescribed progesterone and she was able to carry to term. Tori Bates Smith also took progesterone early in her pregnancy because her levels were low. The Dr. tested her levels because of family history. Erin Bates Paine suffered a multiple miscarriages and it was determined she had a clotting disorder. She now has to administer medication through her pregnancy but has has three successful pregnancies. This comment isn't to say that Lauren could have prevented the miscarriage by seeing her doctor. I'm so sorry she has to go through this painful loss. However, there are ways to test for some causes of miscarriage if there is a family or personal history. I wish all the best for Lauren and Josiah.
Delete9:40, I went to a large medical practice and they did not set up initial ob appointments immediately after a positive pregnancy test, hence the weeks or months.
Delete5:15- I understand what you mean but unfortunately a woman usually has to have a miscarriage or two before those issues can be pinpointed and the treatment is usually started before the woman gets pregnant again, not after. Multiple miscarriages are usually the sign that something is wrong. 1 in 4 women miscarriage so it’s extremely common and the first one using usually a concern...medically speaking. Obviously it’s headtbreaking for the couple.
DeleteI can't believe they showed Lauren and Josiah announcing the pregnancy to the family since she had the miscarriage long before this was aired. That is just AWFUL. They could have filled in with something else.
ReplyDeleteMiscarriage is unfortunately a common part of life. I would absolutely understand if Lauren & Josiah didn't want the related footage aired, or to talk about it on camera. But I also think it's brave and helpful that they chose to do so (assuming they were given a choice).
DeleteOne part of what makes miscarriage so painful is that too few people talk about it. So people feel alone, ashamed, and awkward. And others aren't familiar enough with it to sympathize effectively. So sharing their experience helps change that culture.
Julia. They weren't TALKING about a miscarriage, they were announcing a pregnancy. It seems weird to see them announcing a pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage. I think that they should talk about the miscarriage if it helps them, but to show this segment seems rather off IMO.
DeleteLots in this episode to like. Ben has matured and I could see teaching as a career for him. Why did they build the arbor in the living room?? Lauren is like a “ sister”?? Also, I was getting nauseated with Jinger constantly bouncing and jiggling Felicity. Hope that was more for the cameras. Finally, I believe poor Lauren is having a tough time with the miscarriage and will wait longer to announce another pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Lauren is in a tough spot with Jessa flaunting her baby bump. I think Ben likes kids which is a good thing as they're having another one. However, working for Michelle doesn't seem like a good career choice. I have a feeling she's pretty demanding.
DeleteCan't we feel bad for Lauren without tearing Jessa down? It wasn't her fault Lauren had a miscarriage, and i'm sure she feels awful about it, and is trying to be sensitive. But at the same time, she IS pregnant, and she can't really hide the fact - nor should she! There is no "flaunting" going on.
DeleteBen stated he’s still in school so, like any adult college student, he’s having to work while in school. Tutoring is one of his jobs. You get the feeling Michelle is demanding? From what? And when it comes to your child’s education should you be laid back? Also, I’ve worked as a school teacher...you don’t know demanding until you’ve worked for an administrator feeling the pressure from the state to perform at certain levels. I knew I had to find a new profession when I was given the words “drill and kill” as a legitimate teaching strategy for 4th graders.
DeleteAnd Jessa has posted 1 bump pic so far and she’s 25 weeks. She also talked at length about Lauren’s heartbreak...trust me, she’s well aware this is hard for Lauren. But she’s hardly flaunting it.
Showing Lauren and Josiah happily announcing their pregnancy seems totally bizarre as we already know it ended tragically. Why on Earth would they allow that to be aired?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Lauren and Josiah WANTED it to be aired. They lost a baby and probably wanted it’s short time they had with it to be acknowledged.
DeleteIt was very sad. Felt like we were privy to a tragedy that hadn’t yet played
DeleteI guess Lauren thinks she's helping other women who went thru the same. But every woman reacts differently.
DeleteI know; it was so inconsiderate.
DeleteSomeone needs to explain to some of the Duggars that it is rude and inconsiderate to ask someone if they're pregnant. That is inexcusable. I feel so sorry for Lauren and her circumstances. She's surrounded by baby mania 24/7. It's like the only thing any of them think about.
ReplyDeleteThat's how the Duggars roll. Remember when they kept asking Jinger if she was pregnant when she didn't get pregnant for almost a year.
DeleteMost of the adult Duggar’s now used to ask the same questions to others and now only realised how rude the question is after a miscarriage.
DeleteJosiah and Lauren losing their baby will probably gone down the Duggars constantly asking if their family members are expecting.
DeleteYes. Then it's said that Jessa's baby is due at the same time her baby was due. That's a real downer.
DeleteGreat episode!
ReplyDeleteMichelle should explain to her younger children that it is not acceptable to ask someone if they are pregnant.., how will they know, if she doesn't tell them.
ReplyDeleteSince the WHOLE family asks newly wed couples if they're pregnant I don't think the Duggars believe it's rude. Remember what happened when Jinger didn't get pregnant right away.
DeleteI was confused as to why Jackson (14) was taking the same math class as Josie (9). At Jackson’s age he should be doing wayyy more advanced stuff. I hope it was only for the cameras
ReplyDeleteThey do a lot of stuff for the cameras. Jackson should be doing Algebra not learning how to multiply.
DeleteI’m thinking it was just to show that Ben is teaching them now.
DeleteI don't think the Duggars push the kids with math. Look what their "careers" end up being and how much they need anything more than basic math skills (maybe geometry for flying). I'd be very surprised if a Duggar ever made it up to the calculus or differential equations level while still being schooled. Which kid was still working on multiplication flash cars after Jill got married? At 14 in the college track at public school, I was taking the second year of algebra, followed by geometry, trig, and calculus/intro diffeq. I had more than mastered multiplying a recipe by 10.
DeleteIt was a practical math lesson appropriate to any young adult.
Delete@6:59. I agree. I was also wondering why did the other children not answer the questions. They seemed lost. If some of them are working on decimals, then multiply by 10 should be covered by now.
DeleteThey didn’t show the entire lesson...relax. We can’t know what happened from little snippets. It was a practical lesson for all age groups. Their usual math lessons are done on computer which is a perfectly legitimate way to learn math. And Jackson was doing more complicated math than the others. He was cross multiplying and converting fractions to decimals. It is possible to scaffold a lesson for different levels but you’d be surprised at how many teachers can’t do it. It’s impressive that Ben can
DeleteBen seems to have a talent for teaching. He should consider getting his proper credentials. Good teachers are always in demand
ReplyDeleteI'd like the full recipe for the Tangine Style Chicken.
ReplyDeleteThe recipe is available on line
DeleteWhere?
DeleteI can't imagine why Lauren and Josiah allowed the pregnancy announcement segment to be shown. That being said, I didn't understand their actions. It's common for women to do a home pregnancy test but when they get a positive result most go to the doctor to be examined and have the test confirmed before announcing it to their family.
ReplyDeleteI have had four babies. One of them in the last year. The doctors office told me that unless you are bleeding your first appointment should be scheduled for 12 weeks.
DeleteAnon 5:53. Glad I don't have your doctor. Most doctors like to see a patient that says she's pregnant to examine her and confirm the pregnancy.
DeleteHaving been around babies her whole life you'd think Jinger would have known better than to bounce Felicity around like that. It came across more like "Clueless in Laredo". Bouncing doesn't calm a fussy baby.
ReplyDeleteJackson thinks homeschooling is the best kind of schooling but he is still being lumped in with his little (Jordyn and Josie) sisters. His learning curve should be years ahead of theirs. Is it always one group session, as we have always seen in the past, or is there grade specific sessions? Jackson is almost 15 and should be educated appropriately for his age group expectations
ReplyDeleteIt was probably for the show that they were all together. I think the older ones do their schooling online. I think starting after grade 3 or 4.
DeleteI was thinking that too as well. The math level is too low for your average 14 year old. (I use to tutor pre-teens and young teens in math, both remedial and enrichment. By 14, students are doing algebra here.) Multiplying by 10? The younger children should know that by now.
DeleteThe 'I hate math, cannot do it' comments by Jinger, Jessa and John David is nothing to be proud of. A person of average intelligence can learn basic math. Unfortunately, it is common when students are "taught" by a non-math person, someone who treats math like following a recipe.
Maybe, I thought, that this scene was staged for the cameras and that the older children have gone way beyond multiplication by 10 and simple factions. I would hope so.
I think this was just a "for the cameras" thing. I can't imagine that Jackson would be that far behind other children his age in his education. Maybe he was helping Ben tutor the younger ones.
DeleteAnon 9:07 You make some good points. I'm not particularly good at math but I can do basic math and simple Algebra. However, teaching a subject you're not very good at is problematic and is one of the issues I have with home schooling. I really struggled with Geometry but did pass the class. I never felt like I knew what we were supposed to be doing or even why. On the other hand my daughter was a whiz at math and tutored her classmates in high school who were having trouble. I'm not sure what's going on with the Duggars but their stated dislike of math is troubling.
Delete@4:29 I agree and congrats on your daughter's success. Math is fun if it is approached with the right attitude.
DeleteI love this episode, it was better than the last one. I love seeing the younger Duggars and Michelle. In the other hand, it was difficult to Watch Josiah and Lauren announcing their pregnancy knowing that they suffered from a miscarriage… I feel sad for them but I know that they are loved by their family.
ReplyDeleteGéraldine