What's it like to have a large family?

[MooCowSteph]

Rob’s Wife - 9 people in a 1,000 SF house! I nominate you for sainthood! That’s hardly 100sf a person

But seriously, we have a 1,200 SF townhouse, and I said I didn’t think we could have 2 kids in here! I’m always stepping over dog toys, trying to find a place to store something, or just wishing I had a little more space. I want to designate a spot for a kneeler, candles, and other devotionals and I can’t even find that…but anyway…I’m rambling.

You guys are making me a little nervous. I am really excited to become a mom, and I used to think I wanted 5…now I’m not so sure. I imagine, as everyone has said, that the rewards are worth the sacrafice.

What several moms said about being sick occured to me too. I was sick this winter a few times, and I also suffer from migraines, and I thought each time “if I had a baby right not, I wouldn’t be able to relax like this”. I guess that’s just one of the many sacrafices we make when we decide to become moms. Oh, and wonderful sleep! I’ve never understood why moms get no sleep for months while newborn babies do nothing but sleep…hopefully I’ll find out in 9 or 10 months!!

 

[Rob_s_Wife]

What I did get tired of was hearing, “Haven’t you guys figured out what causes that?”
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Oh! I know just what you mean and now I’ll have to share my favorite story with everyone. When I was hugely prego with our 5th baby - I started to develop a real phobia about walmart because of this exact repeated situation. (What is it about grocery stores that bring this tendency out in people?!) We’d come in to do the shopping thing. And these complete strangers would just come up to me and say that among many other “cute” comments.

Well, normally I’m pretty casual about it and it doesn’t even put a hitch in my stride. But you know there’s not much crankier than a 9 months pregnant woman grocery shopping on a Sunday with 4 sons and a husband in tow. Anyhow, on this particuliar trip my hubby could tell that if one more person asked me in front of my kids one of those particuliar questions (I find it in very poor taste to refer to those issues in the presence of a 5 year old! ) his sweet wife was gonna blow and decides it’s time to start hurding everyone to checkout done or not.

So we’re loading everything onto the counter and get ganged up on. Heaven help 'em!

Cashier: “Oe, two, three, four … all boys?!” Looks at me and eyes widen at the site of my tummy, “And ANOTHER on the way!?”

I nod to the affirmative. Hubby starts moving things to the counter faster.

3rd son: “Yep! Weer allll boys alright!”
2nd son: “Mom said if she doesn’t get to the bathroom soon, we’re all gonna float outta here! That sounds FUN!”

Lady behind us: “Good Lord! I can’t handle my 2! Your nuts!”

Oldest son sagely: “Your should try only picking up 1 at a time. Two is real heavy.”

Lady paying in front of us: “I always figured there was reason some animals eat their own young! My one was enough for me!”

Hubby has emptied the cart and is doing all he can to get things moving, but it’s just not happening.

And then the cashier does it. She says: “Haven’t you heard of the pill?!” with a big smile like that’s some original comment.

I’m a half second from opening my mouth and giving her what-for and then my hubby reaches over with a huge grin, rubs my big fat tummy, and says:

“Yes, we have. Viagra is the best thing that ever happened to us!”

The cashier’s smirk turns into a gapped mouth. It seems like every customer goes into shock that he should say that (guess s*x and ABC was okay though )

I was mortified and thankful for the rescue all at the same time. I wouldn’t recommend this, but sometimes you just gotta find a way to laugh.

I made him promise to never do that again though!

 

[princz23]

Bejonama,

What a wonderful family! I would covet, but alas it is a sin! God Bless you all. My father came from a family of 12, four girls and 8 boys. I am only 33, so there is still more time for me.

As for the original question, don’t ask because the answer might scare you, but…just know… IT’S WORTH IT!!!

Just trust God and if you have good reason to postpone or space, learn NFP…it’s the best thing that ever happened to our marriage.

 

[geezerbob]

My paternal grandmother gave birth 24 times and miscarried 9 times. All this in a two bedroom shanty with no medical care, electricity or running water. Fifteen of the children lived past the first year and were named. Plus she raised four other children of unknown or questionable origin. On top of all that, she wasn’t even Catholic. For me, three was enough.

 

[Rob_s_Wife]

I think it’s awesme to hear these stories of grandparents or greatgrandparents and the lives they had raising children under some pretty harsh conditions. What I find so interesting is the amazing capasity for generousity when they had so little. Would that the world could say the same about this generation that has so much to offer.

 

[gardenswithkids]

Rob's Wife:

She says: “Haven’t you heard of the pill?!” with a big smile…and then my hubby reaches over with a huge grin, rubs my big fat tummy, and says:“Yes, we have. Viagra is the best thing that ever happened to us!”

Your husband is a funny man!

 

[kamz]

Rob's Wife:

I think it’s awesme to hear these stories of grandparents or greatgrandparents and the lives they had raising children under some pretty harsh conditions. What I find so interesting is the amazing capasity for generousity when they had so little. Would that the world could say the same about this generation that has so much to offer.

Sometimes I actually wish I could go back and live when my grandparents did, yes they had some real hardships but people were also so different, caring, feeling, looking out for others, what has happened that the world we live in has changed so much?
Its sad, we could use some of those values in this day and age

 

[2plus2plus]

I am currently under contract for 4 with another in development and an option on additional units For the past few years my wife has worked in London while I stayed home in France and took responsibility for the brood.

I personally, didn’t think I was ‘cut out’ for parenting as I found it extremely hard work with the constant noise, mess, money worries and the mental and physical stress that goes with it.

Now, I realise that this is the way it’s supposed to be. I realise that I still have loads to learn and will probably never know it all but what I have learned has been through trial and error as neither my wife or I have relatives near by to help out.

In my humble opinion, there are as many pros as there are cons to having a large family but this is the same for everything and so it’s down to personal choice.

As long as you can get used to the ice-cream van stopping outside your house all Summer or you don’t mind getting your commercial driver’s license in order to get your kids to school, you’ll be fine.