Woman gives birth to her 18th child... all their names begin with 'J'

Daily Mail ^ | 19th December 2008

[Lorianne]

Santa Claus will be busy trying to supply presents for this family. An American woman has given birth to her eighteenth child - and her husband says the couple want still more children. The fact that they are only giving their children names beginning with the letter 'J' has not slowed them up one bit.

Last night Michelle delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section at a hospital in Arkansas. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces (3.26 kilograms) and was 20 inches (51 centimetres) long. "The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters." The Duggars, who are evangelical Christians living in Bible-belt America, now have 10 sons and eight daughters. Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions Wednesday night.

She needed the Caesarean section, her third, because the baby was lying sideways. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well last night.

"We both would love to have more," he said.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

The taxpayers.

Wrong. Jim Bob Duggar is a real estate broker by trade, built their house, and makes enough to keep them in clothes, with food on the table, and with the bills all paid. I'd say he's more competent than pretty much any of the people here on FR who assume that the Duggar's just "have" to be on welfare.

[org.whodat]

Vasectomy is a surgical procedure in which the vasa deferentia of a man are cut for the purpose of sterilization and would be this guy’s friend.

The sad thing is that extremism comes in all shapes sizes and pursuits. And other people always wind up paying for it.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

For one thing, he has a cell tower on his property - that alone could bring in several thousand dollars each month.

I believe they also have some rental property and he's a realtor.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

And...they have a lucrative TV contract (that’s a BIG budget stretcher).

[shezza]

Nope. He’s a successful businessman, they don’t take taxpayer money. They even worked together to build their own house. They are providing for their own, and are obviously doing great. No doubt corporate sponsorship from their tv programs helps pay the bills, too (just like the Roloffs, the Osbornes, the Hogans, the Kardashians, Bear Grylls, and a hundred other tv personalities).

[familyop]

"Id seriously be scared to look in there, probably looks like a mac truck went through there"

"Sideways"

You're confusing a real mother with one of the more common creatures, who regard their birth canals as semi-public adult playpens to be disease-ridden until hysterectomies must be done (often when they're still young).

[unkus]

I agree.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

I doubt that 95% of those who mock the Duggars, could measure up to the character or personal responsibility that the Duggars exhibit.

Exactly. The Duggars are living proof that the godly, Biblical formula for raising a family through love, discipline, and responsibility work, when you actually apply it.

Here's a hint to all the people who wonder how the Duggar's do it - kids don't really need iPods, their own individual cell phones, $150 basketball shoes, and whatever else their little easily-swayed hearts might desire as a result of slick advertising campaigns.

Frugality. It's something a lot more Americans are going to have to start living by, now that their credit-bubble driven, outside-their-means lifestyles are in the process of imploding.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Yes I would assume so - but the tower will still be there long after the tv show is gone.. ;^) We used to own some towers and wish we still had them.

[mplsconservative]

Do a tiny bit of research before you claim the taxpayers are feeding their children. You would find out you’re wrong on that point, my FRiend. Also, calculate how much money taxpayers SAVE by them homeschooling their children. Here in the Twin Cities area it’s about 12,000 per year per child. A shame, I know. Once again, I say bless these people.

These AMERICAN, Christian, loving kids from a BIG family are our future.

[devane617]

Is it fair to the older kids to be forced to take care of the younger ones? There is a lot to think about in this situation. I know these people are Christians, and seem like caring parents, but this is a situation I would ask: WWJD?

[mountn man]

Jim Bob and the two oldest boys, mainly, built their 7,000 sq. ft house. Jim Bob had no real construction experience, but he had a lot of ambition and can do attitude. He figured he and his boys could figure it out and do it. He used the house building as a great teaching tool for his boys. Teaching them that you can do anything you put your mind to. It also taught them personal responsibility. This was their job, their house, their responsibility. Yeah, it would be easier to hire someone to do it, but you don't learn anything having someone else do it. They also learned pesonal satisfaction of a job well done, especially from no experience.

These boys are the types that when others around them are whinning that things are TOO TOUGH (WAAAHHH), they'll be trudging onward, saying 'come on, this ain't nothing."

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Is it fair to the older kids to be forced to take care of the younger ones? There is a lot to think about in this situation. I know these people are Christians, and seem like caring parents, but this is a situation I would ask: WWJD?

What are you, some kind of pencil-necked social worker? Mind your own business, it's not yours to decide if their family organises itself "fairly".

[devane617]

They will all need medical care — imagine the deductible — and an education — higher education. The real problems will begin when they become teens going off to college.

[This_far]

“That’s beautiful.

Thank you for posting this article Lorianne.”

(my thanks also)

[DaveyB]

Is it fair to the older kids to be forced to take care of the younger ones?

It used to be called chores. There is no better training for life as either a mother or a father that to learn the art of nurture, gentleness and responsibility. It is far better than forcing kids into government education camps 5 days a week!

[mountn man]

This family is the antithesis of Barack Obama. Where he thinks a child is a punishment, they think they are blessings.

While he looks to kill them, they look to bring more into the world.

[Ezekiel]

Everyone needs a hobby ping.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

When you watch the show, you will see that many of the kids have braces on their teeth, so obviously they are paying their bills and taking care of the needs of their kids.

Many homeschooled kids are so advanced in school that they qualify for scholarships or they can take out Stafford loans to pay for college just like any other kid from a "typical" American family.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Well, I don’t know if they’re “forced” it’s just something they do. The whole emphasis of the Christian’s life is to leave selfishness behind, to love and serve Christ by loving and serving others. And these children have a head start on that training.