Michigan Couple with 13 Boys in a Row!
In a rather extraordinary report from Grand Rapids, a Michigan couple, who were already parents to 12 boys, welcomed boy No. 13!
Jay Schwandt and Kateri Schwandt, residents of Rockford, north of Grand Rapids, welcomed their 13th baby boy on Wednesday, May 13, as reported by Associated Press. Kateri, 40, gave birth to the baby a few days later than the due date of May 9. The baby weighed about 9 pounds and was 22 inches long.
Kateri, who appeared on ABC-TV's ‘Good Morning America’ earlier in the month, had hoped that she would give birth to a boy, keeping the male streak alive. However, her husband had wanted a girl this time. The father once again wished to reveal the details of their newly born on Thursday’s episode of ‘Good Morning America’. The couple has yet to name their 13th boy.
What is admirable about the couple is that they had never gone in for sex determination of their babies. Kateri told in an interview that she found motherhood ‘very rewarding’ and she had a lot of experience of large families, as she herself had 13 siblings.
Kateri referred to her kids as pieces of her and went on saying, “Every day is Mother's Day. They will bring me flowers that they pick in the yard. Even if it's a dandelion, it's special because they were thinking of Mom". Her other children range from 1 ½ to 22 years of age.
In the US, where the average family size stands at 3.14 (according to 2010 census), having 13 children is quite an achievement. According to CNN, Schwandt’s is a unique case as having 13 sons in a row happens once in 8,000 times - roughly the same chances as those of having natural triplets.
