14 DAY TRIAL // A couple from Michigan welcomed their 12th child last week, and it turned out to be a boy. They were hoping for a girl, as they now only have boys.
Kateri and Jay Schwandt of Rockford had son number 12, Tucker Ray Schwandt on Sunday, August 4, at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
“I never imagined I’d be sitting here with my 12th child,” Jay recalls.
As they did with their other children, they refused to know the gender before the delivery.
“We didn’t know what he would be when he was first born. We don’t find out. It’s always a boy, but it’s always a surprise,” Kateri Schwandt tells Fox 17 Online.
The couple are Catholic and describe themselves as very religious. Keeping up with 11 boys has proven difficult, so they have their days all planned out.
“I`m sure a little girl probably would be fun but we know what we’re doing,” said Teri. “Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a locker room.”
They use flow charts to let the kids know about their chores. The children play sports and they have a well-organized schedule.
“Don’t turn your back on them for too long,” the family's oldest son, Ty, says. He is 21 years old and he is often asked with looking after the younger children.
“I know how to manage time and manage a schedule and make sure kids get where they need to be and get picked up when Mom forgets every now and then,” Ty explains.
The family was hoping for a girl this time around, but it didn't turn out that way. They enlisted the other kids' help to name the newborn.
“Maybe you wouldn't be surprised what some of the boys came up with,” Jay says.
“We almost had an Elmo,” Teri adds.