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19 Kids And Counting: Jill’s Gender Reveal And New Chores For Everyone
Moving on to the next episode, which was hilarious, but not nearly as eventful. Michelle talks about how life in their house is different now without Jill and Jessa living with them. I mean, yeah, of course it is. They just lost two employees that took on a lot of the household and child-rearing responsibility. I’m sure Michelle is feeling the pinch of all those chores going unclaimed. To that end, Joy Anna is taking over with assigning new “jurisdictions”. More on that in a bit.
Right now, we need to focus on the ridiculousness of the Duggars taking their dog to a do-it-yourself dog bathing place. Michelle took five of the younger kids and the dog. Because what could be easier than bathing your terrified dog in public with five kids freaking out all around you? Jackson is apparently in charge of Bubba the dog and he seems quite proud of this fact, which is cute.
Bubba is totally not having it and puts on his breaks the moment they reach the door of the grooming place. They have to pick him up and carry him in — the poor thing looks so overwhelmed. The kids are swarming all around trying to “help” and I’m breaking out in hives just watching. I mean it when I say — if Michelle is on something, I want some too. She is eerily calm where I would be having a real, live stroke. In the end, they have a clean doggie and Josie happily states that he’s “not stinky anymore”.
Meanwhile, the Dillards are at Bradley birthing classes learning about labor positions and father-led birth coaching. Jill is 25 weeks along and says her morning sickness is finally gone and she feels great. She talks about how this was how far Michelle was when Josie was born and they flash to some scary footage of her in the incubator. It really is amazing she’s doing so well now, I can’t imagine that.
In interview, Jim Bob talks about how important it is for the father to be compassionate, kind and helpful during childbirth. He says the husband got the wife pregnant and he needs to help get the baby out. Huh. I actually kind of love that. I hate when Jim Bob says something smart or weirdly lovable. It’s in those moments that I understand a bit why people love this family despite what we all know about them. He is strangely charming and charismatic when he isn’t being a total creep.
Anna is making a curtain for the front door of Ben and Jessa’s house, which used to be Anna and Josh’s house. She says her and Josh used an old robe to hang over the big window on the front door for privacy and they never got around to putting up a curtain instead, so this is a house-warming gift. She makes the curtain with the kids and lets them sit in her lap while she uses the sewing machine. I immediately flash to a trip to the ER but she seems pretty chill. That is, until little Michael nearly gets his hand caught in the needle. Had it been me, I would have thrown him off my lap and shrieked but not our girl. Anna took a breath and WHISPERED that he cannot do that again. She stayed so calm. This girl has mad respect from me as a fellow parent, there is no way I would have reacted that way.
In the last scene, we see Joy Anna in her new role directing the other kids in their chores. She talks in interview about how much has changed since Jill and Jessa moved out. Jill did a lot of the cooking and Jessa was their family organizer so there are some big holes to fill in the schedule. Joy says Jana and Jinger have been doing most of the cooking but that the cleaning has “gone off the end” a little. Flash to scenes of Duggar disaster. Just, shit everywhere. I can’t even imagine because with my two kids, things get out of control quickly. The kids conclude that the bathrooms are the worst jurisdiction to have as there are NINE of them. Guys, they’re kids, not paid hotel maids. This is so ridiculous. I know they’re teaching them responsibility but one kid cleaning nine bathrooms? Good Lord. We see little Josie going around the house picking up all the dirty clothes, which is weird, because why can’t they all just put their dirty stuff in the hamper themselves? Oh well, whatever. That’s all for this time. End scene.
Join me next week as we get further into Jill’s pregnancy and whatever other nonsense TLC has on the production schedule for them to do so we don’t get bored!
(Related: 19 Kids And Counting: Michelle’s Wild High School Years And Ben And Jessa’s Wedding Registry Of Horrors)
(Image: DefyMedia)
