Arkansas Family Welcomes 18th Child

It's my worst nightmare!

'ROGERS, Ark. – An Arkansas woman has given birth to her 18th child. Michelle Duggar delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches 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 now have 10 sons and eight daughters.

Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions Wednesday night. She needed the C-section, her third, because the baby was lying sideways. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well Thursday night. "We both would love to have more," he said.

The cable network TLC broadcasts a weekly show about the Duggars, called "17 Kids and Counting." Chris Finnegan of TLC — which handles public relations for the Duggar family — said the show's name would be updated to account for the latest addition to the family. He said TLC also will air a show Monday on the baby's delivery.

Jim Bob Duggar is 43, a year older than his wife. Their oldest child, Joshua, is 20. The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jordyn-Grace, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 17; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 12; Joy-Anna, 11; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 8; James, 7; Justin, 6; Jackson, 4; Johannah, 3; and Jennifer, 1. "Our whole family is excited about Jordyn's addition to our family," Jim Bob Duggar said. "She's just perfect in every way."'

I am curious if this guy is a CEO or something, or if they are some new family with way too many kids and not enough money. This has the same smell as John and Kate Plus Eight, another great way to afford that which most cannot. John and Kate had two daughters and just had to have another child (I'm amazed at this [having nothing to do with my total lack of desire to have them] because they have children; but no, while some more unfortunate couple has no kids this couple got to do invitro to add to the brood). She was implanted with six embryos (at least) and had sextuplets. They became famous, fortunately for them, as this was unaffordable - and people donated to them! Good gods. In a society where poor people live on the street, we give money and goods to some stupid couple gods-know-where couldn't bare to terminate the other five embryos and ended up with six squalling kids on top of the two they'd had.

Paying for other's choice to be irresponsible and have too many kids when they patently cannot afford it makes me crazy. I made the decision not to have them and while I don't have the other horrors, I'm still paying for other's kids! And the government is more than happy to develop programs which I am paying for (helllloooo!), rather than curbing this overdone need to fill up a world already overcrowded.

And now there is this couple in Arkansas (where better to not know about or understand birth control?) with 18 kids! Good gods. And you expect me to believe that this couple can easily afford this? That the whole of the state isn't paying for this neanderthal couple is not paying for this? What kind of life do these kids have? No privacy, you know that. I suppose there is some tiny chance that they are rich beyond avarice and have a 40-room mansion, but what are the odds? Wealthy couples are smart enough to say this many and no more - you don't hold onto your money having a boatload of kids.

So let's see what else there is... Oh, look - they DO live in a mansion. But see how...

Wikipedia - "Family life - Michelle was named Young Mother of the Year in Arkansas in 2004. The Duggars are conservative Baptists[14] who endorse the Quiverfull movement and the teachings of Bill Gothard.

The Duggars state that their children are blessings from God. When they initially married Michelle miscarried while on birth control. After no longer using it she was able to conceive many more times.

Mr. Duggar is a former state legislator who served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. The Duggars now say their income is derived from the commercial properties they own. The Duggars claim they live debt-free which Jim Bob has said is 'the fruit of Jim Sammons' Financial Freedom Seminar' he attended years ago. The mansion they live in was completed on January 20 2006 with aid from Discovery Networks and corporate sponsors.

The Duggars raise their children using the buddy system, in which an older sibling assists the younger sibling in daily tasks. The older buddy 'will get the younger ones' meals'. According to Michelle, 'They help them with their little phonics lessons and games during the day and help them practice their music lessons. They will play with them or help them pick out the color of their outfit that they want to wear that day, and just all of those types of things.'"

Uh-huh. They managed that with the help of Discovery Networks and corporate sponsors. Well. Guess that answers that! How awful. This could not have happened without that aid. And I cannot believe that they live debt-free.

Once again religion, which should be a good thing, has proven that it has its flaws. Go forth and multiply is so antiquated. And this woman has no doubt ruined her body and health. Yikes. What is the world coming to?