Could you imagine? 17 KIDS!!!

[smatyas 0]

By JILL ZEMAN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 12 minutes ago

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - It's a girl — again — for the Duggars. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar welcomed their 17th child, and seventh daughter, into the world Thursday. if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();window.yzq_d['VyN2NNGDJHY-']='&U=13beu7vif%2fN%3dVyN2NNGDJHY-%2fC%3d588795.11098932.11669927.1442997%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4608707';

Jennifer Danielle was born at 10:01 a.m. at Saint Mary's Hospital in Rogers, Ark., the Duggars said in an interview. Jennifer weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and arrived five days after Michelle's due date.

Less than 30 minutes after giving birth, the Duggars already were talking of having more.:faint::faint::faint::faint:

"We'd love to have more," Michelle said, adding that the girls are outnumbered seven to 10 in the family. "We love the ruffles and lace."

Jennifer joins the fast-growing Duggar brood, who live in Tontitown in a 7,000-square-foot home. All the children — whose names start with the letter J — are home-schooled.

The oldest is 19 and the youngest, before Jennifer, is almost 2 years old.

"We are just so grateful to God for another gift from him," said Jim Bob Duggar, 42, a former state representative. "We are just so thankful to him that everything went just very well."

Jennifer joins siblings Joshua, 19; John David, 17; Janna, 17; Jill, 16; Jessa, 14; Jinger, 13; Joseph, 12; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 9; Jedidiah, 8; Jeremiah, 8; Jason 7; James 6; Justin, 4; Jackson, 3; Johannah, almost 2.

The family includes two sets of twins.

Michelle Duggar said that Joshua, Janna, Jill and Jessa were at the hospital, but that the rest of the family planned to visit their new sister later Thursday.

Michelle Duggar said she started feeling contractions Wednesday night and went to the hospital at about 5 a.m. Thursday.

"It actually went fast," she said. "I guess once I started progressing, it went within 30 minutes."

Jennifer was born via a VBAC — or vaginal birth after Caesarean, Jim Bob Duggar said.

The Duggars have been featured on several programs on cable's Discovery Health Network. The next special, the Duggar Family Album, is scheduled to air next month, Jim Bob Duggar said.

Among the "fun facts" listed on Discovery Health's Web page devoted to the Duggars: A baby has been born in every month except June; the Duggars have gone through an estimated 90,000 diapers, and Michelle, 40, has been pregnant for 126 months — or 10.5 years — of her life.

[faithmd 14]

I cannot imagine, but I think they seem like a fantastic family. There are very few folks who could handle four kids, let alone seventeen, but the Duggars do it well. I love the idea of big families if the parents are involved and actually raise their kids aand teach them values and right from wrong.

So many people say the Duggars are awful because the older kids raise the younger ones and that the kids aren't allowed to be kids. I think nothing could be further from the truth. Of course the older ones pitch in and help raise the younger ones, that's how it's done. Of course the parents could not and should not have to do it all on their own, what would that teach the kids about work and responsibility? Too many of our young folks have no responsibilities and no limitations placed on them.

Good for the Duggars. Though the J name thing makes me quite ill.

[Sunta 5]

I wonder what this family is doing to reduce their massive carbon footprint.

And their 17 kid's kids...

Well at least their kid's kids can swim in the polar ice caps when they grow up...

[smatyas 0]

I don't know if I could handle being 62 years old when my current newborn graduated high school.

I wonder what the monthly food bill is...

[NanaRenan 0]

I admire and respect the Duggars. I know that I could not do what they do. But God saw fit to give me four and no more. As long as they are willing and He keeps blessing them, more power to them.

At least those are 17 children who won't grow up believing they are entitled to have everything they can want or imagine handed to them. (I recently watched the show about them building their dream home -- they ALL had a hand in doing the work.) It seems they are being taught a form of unselfishness and self-sufficiency that hasn't been seen on a grand scale since the kids who grew up in the Depression Era.

Those of us who followed them have a lot to learn about work-ethic and caring for others. Myself included.

My husband and I had four -- with almost everyone against me having more than two. "You've got a boy and a girl, why would you want more? That's the perfect family!"

Perfect for WHO?

They had to do with less and learn to share more than most of their friends -- and still there is a measure of selfishness and jealousy. Some children frighten me with their insatiability.

Sorry -- guess I'm just in a rambling mood.

I'll hush now.

[smatyas 0]

Both my mother and father had 10 siblings, so I know about big families and how they can function. I thought 11 kids were alot. I have to say that I am flabbergasted(sp?) by the thought of 17.

I agree that in a world where most people are used to getting what they want, and now; growing up in a huge family such as theirs could provide them with a great lesson in sharing and cooperation. Selflessness would be another quality they could obtain from this type of environment.

The certainly must have more patience than I do.

[jillrn 0]

I think it is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!! I hope they are blessed with more. What a wonderful family!

[susannah 2]

I wish them lots of happiness and good health and joy. Good for them. Susannah

[Jachut 487]

Even whilst my mind was reeling at the thought of 17 children, my first though was still "are people ACTUALLY called Jim Bob for real?". Lol, I thought names like that were only in movies and satires.

Um, not my choice. But good luck to them. I'm afraid I'm too materialistic. I would worry that I coudlnt provide well enough for that many, I value private educations and buying my kids a car and helping them out in that way so that they can get a good start in adulthood.

Which probably jsut means taht I have not helped my kids that much, simply raised young people who expect a lot of material things in the world. There's a balance to be had I think and whislt I think that some of the advantages I can offer 3 children are superior to what a family of 17 could offer, there's probably also a lot of things we could all learn from them. You'd need to be cooperative and resourceful to live in a family of that many people.

Still, if you gave me the choice of another child or a leather modular sofa, I'd take the sofa at this point in my life. It doesnt talk back, make mess or cost you any money after the initial purchase.

[Alexandra 55]

I can't help thinking that a child isn't always a blessing. Good for the Duggar family that they can make being Quiverfull work for them, but heaven knows not everyone is equipped to accept as many children as an active sex life will throw at them. I can't imagine the emotional, mental, financial, and physical demands such a large family makes on parents--and siblings, for that matter.

Heck, with two kids and a spouse I love more than life itself, sometimes I feel like my house is overcrowded.

[anonemouse 1]

I think most of you know how I feel about massive families. I personally think that people shouldn't have more kids than they themselves can care for. There are many ways to teach your children humility, responsibility, and work without having them raise their 16 siblings. Yes, I think that parents should be doing it on their own, for the most part. Why? Because they are the parents. I'm sure their other children didn't get a vote on the issue of having another child in the family. IMO, if you take on the responsibility of bringing a child into the world, you should take on the responsibility of caring for it. There isn't anything wrong with having your other children or other family members babysit every so often, but to permanently depend on them for the basic care and feeding of your other children is simply disturbing, IMO.

[Marimaru 7]

What Lauren said is basically my thoughts. I only had 2 younger siblings, but I had a large hand in taking care of them (and there's a bitterness behind that statement you can't get by just reading it). I can't imagine that is not happening with that many kids. I don't have a whole lot of experience with HUGE families, but one family in particular I know had 11 kids, because she liked babies. The older kids take care of the younger kids, and the babies get taken care of by the parents, until they aren't babies anymore. This is one of my husband's siblings. He's the youngest of 10, and his parents didn't do that, so this isn't something that his brother learned, it was something they decided to do. DH actually has very few stories of being taken care of by his siblings, his mom stayed at home, and his dad retired while he was a teenager.

That's not to say this family doesn't have everything they need as far as emotions go. If the parents are having more kids because they want a bigger loving family (not because they just want another little baby), then they are likely to do quite well, and I say good for them. It's really all a matter of the dynamic behind it. As for me, I'm thinking 2.

[Kat817 19]

The show I saw on TV about them, they seemed loving and happy, and on camera. It seemed like a behaving episode of the Waltons to me. I was one of only 2 kids, then went on to give birth to 1 child, but raised 3, as well as owning/running a day care. There did not seem to be any give and take of a usual family---but they are not usual in many ways!

If they can afford that many children without assistance, and they feel that they can give proper attention to each of them, then good enough. Affording that many seems an impossibility to me! The amount of food, and medical costs have to be outrageous! But as pointed out, when this little girl graduates, Mom will be 62 (hope your math is right, I didn't read Moms current age!) While that is not ancient by any means, it is going to feel a lot more like 62 I would guess to someone who has raised that many kids, and given birth that many times! My own Mom was about that age (she was 65) when my DD graduated...her granddaughter!

I saw them constructing their own home, and buying trailer loads of food---as a group, they worked like a well oiled machine, but in the end it was a little too machine like for me. I would have missed the down in the floor tickle fests, and the giggling and arguing at the dinner table---where I was able to look easily around at each of the kids faces---making eye contact. I remember braiding my daughters hair, and taking such careful attention to buying the perfect school supplies. Not the most expensive, not to a spoiling point, but a bonding point.

In the end, my biggest feeling on it is...better them than me!!! I am very glad the baby is here and healthy---they are extremely lucky to have all healthy children.

Kat

[smatyas 0]

When I read the story they said the husband and wife were in their early forties.. so I guesstamated the 62. But still..

I don't have any kids yet. 1 even seems like a lot to me right now.

[Lucy 0]

If that's what makes them happy, then good for them.

I can't imagine being one of 17 kids -- talk about starving for attention. Let's see what happens when their kids end up in rehab.