The McCaughey Septuplets – Bing video
This article was originally published on ParentMood by John Travis
The McCaughey septuplets born November 19, 1997, are the septuplets
of Bobbi (mother) and Kenny McCaughey from Des Moines, Iowa.
They are the world’s first known set of surviving septuplets.
Adding another family member and becoming a parent is one of the most life-changing experiences – so imagine welcoming seven newborns all at once. That’s what Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey did many years ago now. Fortunately, their sons and daughters lived healthy lives and ultimately became the first-ever septuplets to all survive.
From babies to young adults, here is their story.
Meet The Incredible Parents
Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey felt super blessed at the arrival of a healthy baby girl in 1996. Given that Bobbi had to battle complications with her pituitary gland, which can cause problems with fertility, the couple believed their newborn daughter to be a miracle baby.
They decided to name her Mikayla Marie. They weren’t planning on having just one child,
so they started to consider having their next.
Pursuing Fertility Treatment
Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey knew about the difficulties in conceiving Mikayla,
and that’s why they decided to seek fertility treatment for their next child.
Upon seeking medical advice, the doctor prescribed Metrodin, a medication that
helps with ovulation and is required to be taken by a woman to conceive a child.
With plans for their second baby, Bobbi started taking the medication.
When Bobbi and her husband went for a scan to their doctor,
Planned For One, Got Seven
they were hoping that everything would turn out fine, and they wouldn’t be getting
any surprises. However, the scan turned out to be life changing as it revealed that
Bobbi was pregnant with not one but seven babies.
It was big news for them as they were not only looking at a big family of 10 but also
because the pregnancy posed a great danger to the health of Bobbi and the babies.
A Tough Decision
As multiple births can pose a danger to the health of both the mother and the babies, Bobbi’s body was under immense strain from carrying not one but seven fetuses. Due to the risk to Bobbi and her unborn babies, the doctor recommended the couple to consider
a process called “selected reduction.”
In this process, those fetuses are protected, which are most likely to make it to full term. Hence, it is like aborting babies who have fewer survival chances.
Taking The Risk
Bobbi and Kenny fully understood the risks involved in the pregnancy that poses a lot of dangers to mother and babies’ health, but they didn’t want to choose one of their babies above another. So, they gave it a long thought and decided to proceed with the pregnancy.
It was a tough decision because only about 40-50 births in the world have resulted from
a pregnancy involving seven babies. There is a possibility that they drew some confidence from the fact that although many septuplets have not survived birth or infancy, at least one more set of septuplets had survived beyond infancy.
Getting Lots of Attention from Everyone
As Bobbi and Kenny made the big decision to keep all seven babies and not opt for selective reduction, the news spread like wildfire, and everyone across the country
wanted to know more about them.
While some found the story of septuplets fascinating, some people weren’t supportive of keeping all seven babies. However, Bobbi and Kenny had made up their minds, and they were confident that everything would work out for the best.
Getting Help
People who knew the McCaugheys, and those who didn’t know them at all, everyone was eager to offer them help. It was understandable because the birth of seven children at once was undoubtedly an extraordinary event.
More Assistance Came That Help: For instance, Kraft stepped.
forward to give the family a year’s supply of “mac n cheese.”
They were also given boxes of diapers, and some offered help as babysitters or nannies.
Amazingly, a 5,000 square foot house was also donated to the family.
Another Gift
As if getting a 5,000 square foot house wasn’t showing the people’s generosity,
someone stepped forward to donate a brand-new van to the family.
The van was big enough to fit all of the babies comfortably.
More Gifts
Moreover, someone donated a year’s supply of groceries to the family.
As weeks and months were leading up to the birth of seven babies,
Exciting and Scary Times
It was scary, thrilling, and stressful times for the family. The doctors were
concerned that the stress of the deliveries could lead her to early labor.
Bobbi tried her best to keep calm, and though the couple was worried that things might not work as planned, they knew that staying positive was their best bet at that time.
They tried their best to remain as positive as possible.
Delivering The Babies: The couple received the news that they
would need to be at the hospital at just 31 weeks.
They were told that the babies would be delivered by caesarian section.
Although Bobbi and Kenny were a bit surprised, they trusted the doctors.
On November 19th, 1997, Bobby gave birth to seven babies in only the
space of just SIX minutes.
The couple was happy to welcome four boys and three girls.
A Family of TEN
Everyone was relieved to find out that the septuplets were healthy.
All now the parents needed was to name their babies.
The heaviest of the babies was named Robert, while the other boys were named Kenny Robert, Brandon James, Nathan Roy, and Joel Steven. The beautiful girls were named Alexis Mary, Natalie Sue, and Kelsey Ann. It must be a lot to remember the names of
7 babies. Here is a challenge for you: try remembering all the names by the end of this article.
A Team Effort
It wasn’t only Bobbi and Kenny’s effort in bringing seven babies into the world;
there were the dedicated efforts of the hardworking hospital staff as well.
The doctors, nurses and maternity staff were happy that they were part of making American history. A few days after the birth of septuplets, all the team gathered to
take a memorable group photo.
Waiting To Get the First Pictures of Babies.
As Bobbi and Kenny were asked by the doctors to come to the hospital
9 weeks before Bobbi’s due date, the news channels didn’t know about it.
When the news channels finally became aware that the births were taking place at the Iowa Methodist Hospital Center in Des Moines, they started camping out to get the first pictures of the newborns.
Spending Extra Time Under Observation
The doctors at the hospital wanted to ensure that the babies and the mother were healthy before discharging them. Therefore, Bobbie and her seven babies had to spend three months and ten days in the hospital after the delivery.
When the news broke out that the couple and babies were leaving the hospital,
the cameramen and journalists gathered around to get a snap of the septuplets.
As the McCaugheys headed for their home, there were a lot of smiles, cheers,
and even a few tears.
Getting Police Security outside the home of the McCaughey’s
As they wanted to ensure that the couple reached their home without facing any trouble whatsoever. The babies were first brought back to the couple’s old home, but they would be moving into their new home pretty soon.
While the couple took care of their seven babies in their old home,
Exciting Times: their new home was getting ready and once their new home was organized, a ceremony took place in which they were handed over the keys to their new home.
The ceremony involved the chairman of Clarke Companies, Lloyd Clarke. He gave the keys to the couple in the garage of the house. There was excitement in the air as the couple entered their new home.
Getting Countrywide Media Attention
In December of 1997 (just a month after the septuplets were born),
Bobbi and Kenny featured on the front cover of Time Magazine.
Initially, the couple thought that only local reporters were interested in covering their story, but they didn’t know that their incredible septuplets had caught the attention of some big magazines as well.
After the news magazine, ABC News PrimeTime was able to get.
full access to the family for a complete interview and news feature.
A Complete Interview
Given that most of the coverage involved reporters retelling what others
had already written, the interview with ABC covered other aspects as well.
While most of the news coverage was positive:
There Was Also Criticism and some negative reports, as well.
Some people called the family irresponsible for having too many children.
Some even criticized the couple because they thought that the amount of waste
generated by having so many babies could play a role in damaging the environment.
But it didn’t matter to the couple as they were happy with their babies.
They felt blessed to have seven babies.
As the excitement around the septuplets started to subside with time,
Trying to Keep Things Private it gave an excellent opportunity to the
McCaughey’s to get on with raising their eight children.
They received a useful piece of advice from the Dionne family who had
quintuplets that it is best to keep their family life as private as possible.
They acted upon the advice of the Dionne family with one exception;
they would make a public appearance yearly on the birthday 0f seven.
The Dionne quintuplets were born in Ontario, Canada,
in 1934 to Elzire Dionne.
The Advice from Quintuplets
She came under a lot of criticism for the way her babies were raised. There was a lot of press focus on the children, and the press sometimes even described them as a circus.
The quintuplets, who were grown adults, advised Kenny and Bobbi about keeping their children’s lives as private as possible.
Managing a Lot of Work
Even a single child can make a lot of mess and increase your workload; the couple
had to deal with the chaos and dirty clothes of 8 children. It was surely a lot of work.
It was reported that the McCaughey’s did an average of 17 loads of laundry a week.
Given they tried their best to keep their lives private, it means that they had to do
a lot of house chores themselves. Luckily for them, they had two washing machines
and two dryers to help them with loads of laundry.
They Needed of a Strategy,
With seven growing babies, it was apparent that there would be a lot of laundry.
But there were other expenses as well. They were using, on average, 52 diapers
a day between them and 42 bottles of milk.
As expected, the couple was spending a lot of money daily. So, Bobbi and Kenny
decided that they need to come up with a strategy to manage their large family
and control their expenses.
Not Opting for Formula Milk
It would’ve been understandable if Bobbi had decided only to give formula milk to her children, but she decided that she would feed her babies with pumped breast milk for the first three months.
For seven babies, the pumped four to five gallons of milk would get through a week.
Everything Took Time
With the septuplets, it was expected that everything from feeding them to changing diapers would take a lot of time. For instance, potty training was quite time-consuming and challenging.
They were able to potty-train their first daughter Mikayla within four days,
but it wasn’t that easy with the septuplets. It also took a lot of time to
potty train them fully.
Volunteers Were Like a Blessing
It takes a lot of effort and time to raise a child, and in the case of McCaughey’s
eight children needed to be raised. So, volunteers stepped in to help the family.
The family would have needed around seventy volunteers to help with daily tasks
around the house. Still, eight or nine people were helping with changing diapers,
feeding the babies, and taking proper care.
Everyone Was Trying to Help.
It was great to see so many helping hands.
Anyone who came in contact with the family wanted to help them in some way.
Even the construction workers that were involved in building their new house
spent time taking care of the babies.
Here is a photo of Bobbi’s sister holding one of the septuplets.
Family Stepped In As Well
It wasn’t just the volunteers who stepped forward to help the McCaughey’s;
there was also a lot of help from within the family as well.
The help Bobbi and Kenny received meant a lot to them as
they couldn’t have done it without them.
Although everyone in the family was eager to help the McCaughey’s,
There was one particular family member who wanted to help in
whatever possible way there was.
The Big Sister Being a Big Sister
Big sister Mikayla helped in feeding times and taking care of her siblings.
She knew that it was her responsibility to take care of her siblings to take
some load off her parents.
Implementing Their Strategy: As we’ve mentioned earlier,
The McCaughey’s came up with a strategy to maintain their expenses,
and they applied it quite impressively. For instance, they bought everything
in bulk to save some money on everything. They also started purchasing
products that came with some special offers. They manage to bring their
monthly expenses to $300 a month.
Futuristic Strollers: Seeing twin strollers is not uncommon,
But what the McCaughey’s required was two sets of four-seater strollers to
carry their babies around the town – something no one had ever seen before.
So, whenever they used to go for a walk around their neighborhood,
their strollers would get a lot of attention.
Going Green
The McCaugheys were doing an excellent job at reducing their monthly expenses,
but they knew that they had to do more. So, they started growing their fruits and
vegetables as it was not only an organic option but a free one as well.
They were able to reduce the cost of grocery shopping by using fresh fruits and
vegetables from their backyard. The only thing that they were missing was a cow.
Regular Check-ups
Taking care of just one baby requires a lot of attention, and when it comes to taking
care of seven babies, the amount of attention needed increases by seven times.
That’s why the couple ensured all seven babies were regularly getting checked by the doctor.
Eating Healthy Breakfast Each Day
All the babies loved their breakfast, and it is a good thing because all of them needed healthy food for their proper growth. The babies required massive quantities of whatever they were eating for breakfast on any given day.
Cryptophasia: As the babies grow into toddlers, they develop
a unique bond between them and create their own language.
This phenomenon is called cryptophasia and it is no different as
it usually happens between twins and triplets and siblings.
With each passing year, the septuplets grew older, and the family
celebrated each birthday together and created more memories.
Celebrating The Milestones Together
They considered the birthdays an excellent opportunity to thank the Lord for helping their babies and also for helping the couple make the right decision of keeping all of their babies.
The Pinnacle of Correct Shoe Sizes
As each kid grew at a different rate, some grew stronger while some were fragile.
But it didn’t matter to the parents. However, Bobbi and Kenny did decide to dress
up their four boys alike and had the same outfit for three girls. They faced issues
with finding the correct shoe sizes.
Clothing for Septuplets
Buying clothes for seven growing kids was costing the McCaugheys huge sums of money.
However, something amazing happened. A famous children’s clothing brand, Carter’s,
announced that they would be supplying clothes for all of the babies until the age of five.
It was one of many examples of how people showed their generosity towards Bobbi,
Kenny, and their cute family.
Getting Attention of Two Presidents
When the septuplets were born, the president of the United States at the time,
Bill Clinton, also called the couple and congratulated them. Years later, the next
President, George W. Bush, also had the chance to meet the children. Lucky him!
Meeting George W. Bush
The McCaugheys were invited in 2001 to meet with President George W. Bush.
As it was a big deal for the family, the parents made sure that all the kids were
properly dressed. It was a great meet up, and the kids were dressed in such a
way that it attracted everyone’s attention within seconds of their arrival.
Clinton’s Call
When the septuplets were born, the McCaugheys got a call from Bill Clinton.
The President congratulated Bobbi and Kenny and also said to Bobbi that when
the seven children finally go off to school, she will be able to get a job running a
major corporation in America. “You will be one of the best-organized managers
in the United States,” said President Clinton to Bobbi.
Everyone Wanted to Meet Them
It is no surprise that the septuplets were famous babies even before they were born. Everyone was fascinated by them, and they were a favorite topic of most people.
Learning How to Share: Here in the photo, you can see there
are just four candles for seven children.
It is because the parents wanted to teach them the lesson of learning how to share.
The McCaugheys not only tried to be economical, they were able to teach their seven
a lesson about sharing as well. It seems the children weren’t too worried about it.
Different Personalities: As the septuplets started to grow up,
they began to develop different personalities as well.
For instance, Brandon is brave and a little stubborn.
Different Personalities
Kenny junior is considered the joker among the group, whereas Natalie and Joel like to read books. Although Kenny was always a well-mannered guy, his son, Kenny Junior, is known for causing mischief from time to time.
That explains why Bobbi calls her son, “pint-sized explorer.” It is beautiful that children of the same parents grow up to have different personalities. This is something that cannot be explained, and that’s the beauty of it.
If you have a house that is full of eight growing children,
taking out time for yourself can be difficult.
Dedicated Date Night
That’s why Kenny and Bobbi decided to set aside Friday as their
date night so that they could get much needed alone time together.
Different Personality Traits
Each of the eight children has unique characteristics. As Kenny and Bobbie spent a lot of time with their kids, they were able to pick up on the different personality traits of their children. For instance, Kelsey is a “sporty fashionista,” Nathan is “determined,” and Alexis is “sweet and perceptive.”
Taking Time Out for Family
Taking care of kids and running a family is hectic, and yet you have to take out some
time to spend quality time together. With eight children, the McCaughey’s were finding it difficult. However, they still used to take some time out. Here is when the whole family went to Disney World in Orlando.
Getting Back on The Cover
As the children celebrated their eighth birthday, they did it in style this time as they appeared on the cover of Ladies’ Home Journal. There was also an article in the magazine which included Bobbi and Kenny answering different questions.
Getting Way Too Much Attention
As there was already a lot of media attention before and after the birth of the children,
the parents could have decided to allow a reality TV show about their lives, and it would
not have been something different. However, they made sure that it didn’t happen.
Although, there were occasional times when the children did a feature on TV or in the press.
This time, all the kids had their cakes with 13 candles.
As mentioned earlier, the McCaugheys didn’t want a reality TV based on their lives,
so they didn’t allow cameras in the house…except on the children’s birthday.
One Exception: Here, the couple allowed Ann Curry from
the Today Show to meet the children on their 14th birthday.
Dateline’s 20th: McCaughey septuplets (nbcnews.com)
The septuplets started high school in 2012 by enrolling in
Carlisle High School in Carlisle, Iowa.
Starting High School
As expected, they received a lot of attention from everyone.
But they handled it quite well (probably because they have
been doing it their entire lives).
Joining The School Band
As if the septuplets weren’t already receiving a lot of attention, they decided to raise the bar.
They got into the school band and started playing together at the school’s sports matches.
Siblings with Different Interests and Talents
The septuplets didn’t just captivate everyone by featuring in a school band, but they also had their talents and interests. Some of the septuplets joined the cross-country team, and some joined the wrestling team, and while the less sporty ones joined the choir and speech society.
Buffet Everyday: When it comes to feeding eight growing mouths,
It takes a lot to prepare just one meal.
That’s why Bobbi and Kenny decided to serve meals in the house as buffets.
It turned out to be the best time in the house, and the kids started to help in
preparing the meals as well.
It Wasn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows
As we know, the premature birth of a child can affect his or her development.
In the case of septuplets, there were some premature births, and it resulted in
two children being born with cerebral palsy. Nathan and Alexis both suffer from
cerebral palsy, which affects their movement and coordination.
“I taught myself how to walk because I really wanted to learn.
Strong Nathan
As both Alexis and Nathan have difficulty walking and require walking aids,
Nathan was keen to walk without support. He taught himself how to walk
without the help of his walker.
Strong Nathan stated: It’s just been getting better and better,” he said.
Alexis Making Waves as Well ~ Just like her brother,
Alexis didn’t want to get confined by her condition.
Although she still needs aid to walk, she has shown her immense talent in many other areas, proving she is an exceptional person. She won the “Teens Miss Dreams Come True” award in 2013. Also, she is excellent in academics as well; she also finished in the
top 15% of her class.
Turning Sixteen: As the septuplets turned sixteen.
they gained the attraction of the press and the world again. Everyone wanted to
know what was going on in their lives and what kind of personalities they have.
As sixteen is the age when teenagers start their driving lessons,
Turning Sixteen, the McCaughey’s knew that it could be costly.
So, they came up with a different, affordable solution.
Work to Make Your Wishes Come True
Kenny Sr. is a firm believer in working hard, and he has made sure he instills this belief in all of his children as well. In an interview with NBC, he said, “We were taught if you want something, you have to work for it.”
Work to Make Your Wishes Come True
The parents made sure to teach their children a lesson that if they
want something that is out of the ordinary, they should work for it.
Capturing The Milestone
As the septuplets turned eighteen, the press was ready to capture the milestone.
It was a special year for the teenagers as they also graduated from high school.
Capturing The Milestone: Although they are septuplets,
they were still doing regular teenager things.
Entering A New Phase of Life
As the septuplets turned 18, there was a sense of relief in everyone’s eyes, not just for the children but the parents as well. Of course, their parents are always there to guide and support them. But we can imagine how difficult it would be to give advice to each of the eight children while considering their personalities and needs.
A Proud Moment: Graduation, yay!
The septuplets made their parents and themselves proud by graduating in May 2016.
It was a fantastic achievement and a message for anyone who doubted they would achieve this much in their lives. It was the result of the endless efforts of Bobbi and Kenny.
Emotional Bobbi
It was an emotional moment for Bobbi as she saw her beautiful children grow up and graduate from high school. The best thing for her is the bond that all her children share between them. “It’s sad to see things end, but there will be lots of firsts coming,” she said.
Alexis and Kenny Jr. decided to enroll in their local college.
Staying Close to Parents
It was nice news for Kenny and Bobbi as it meant they were close to them.
Alexis hopes to become a teacher, and we are sure one day she would become
a great one (we can say it because she is known as an academic student,
and she graduated at the top of her class).
It was a proud moment for Bobbi and Kenny
When they learned that their son Brandon had enrolled in the U.S. Army.
He always dreamt of becoming a soldier, and his wish finally came true.
Proud Parents: After training, he has become an expert in pistol and also
carbon shooting, and we hope he serves his country proudly.
Brandon is now a part of the 75th Ranger Regiment,
Has made his parents proud and fulfilled his dream of joining the army.
He followed his heart and made sure that he never deviates from it.
We hope he goes on to fulfill all his desires and serves his country better.
Different Path for Kenny Jr
All of the septuplets have their own identities and personalities. That’s why they all
find their happiness in things that they love to do. For Kenny Jr., the dream was clear;
to become a carpenter. So far, he has been doing a great job at it.
When big sister Mikayla was blessed with her first child,
Gift from Little Brother
Kenny Jr. decided to create a memorable and long-lasting gift for his sister.
He created a classic kitchen table with benches for his sister, and she felt super blessed and happy to have it. Can’t all sisters have a brother like Kenny Jr.?
College Education Promise
When the septuplets were born, the state of Iowa promised to sponsor each child’s college education at any university of their choice. Natalie, Nathan, Joel, and Kelsey took up the offer and enrolled at the Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri, and they are studying there right now. Although they are far from home, they get comfort from the fact that they are together.
Meet The Future Teacher
Alexis has always dreamt of becoming a teacher,
and she is currently pursuing her dream of becoming one.
Her social media presence shows us how she is trying her best to achieve her dream,
and we are quite confident that she’ll have a significant impact on the students.
Meet The Future Scientist
Early in his childhood, Nathan took a liking to the sciences.
Although he is still deciding which area of science he would like to pursue
as a career, we are sure he will achieve success in whatever field he chooses.
Meet the Next Musician
Kelsey enrolled at Hannibal-LaGrange University and chose music as her major.
She is inarguably a bright talent, and we are excited to see her achieve success in this field.
She has been passionate about music for as long as she can remember, and it won’t be long
before we can see her performances.
Meet the Next Computer Scientist
Just like Nathan, Joel chose something technical. However, his field is different
as he is passionate about computer science. We are looking at the next computer
scientist, and we hope to see him achieve a lot of success in the upcoming years.
Meet the Next Elementary School Teacher
Natalie is pursuing her career in education, just like her sister Alexis,
but she is taking a different route. She is focusing on early-childhood
education and is interested in elementary school education.
Inseparable Siblings
The septuplets gave an interview on TV after their graduation.
As they have experienced being in front of the media their whole lives,
they didn’t feel nervous at all.
On one particular question about their closeness,
They answered that they have an unbreakable bond.
We hope they always stick together through thick and thin.
Feeling Alone
As all of Bobbi and Kenny’s children have gone to pursue their careers, the couple looks at their empty house and misses them. Feeling Alone, However, they are trying to get used to it as they know that their children are always with them no matter the distance.
Big Sister Mikayla
How can we forget big sister Mikayla?
She also started to pursue her dream and received constant encouragement and love from her younger siblings. She studied at Des Moines College and then went on to Arizona State University.
She is happily married and has a beautiful child.
Bobbi and Kenny are happy grandparents.
One of the most special days for the McCaugheys was when Mikayla got married.
Her sisters were her bridesmaids, and her younger brothers were part of the wedding party.
They all look so lovely together in this photo.
Beautiful Bridesmaids
By the way, they hardly managed to squeeze into one photo.
Dad Keeping Himself Busy:
When all your children live in different cities, you can find it depressing in your home.
However, Kenny McCaughey found an excellent opportunity to occupy his spare time.
He has become passionate about his motorcycles.
He scraps motorcycles and then carefully rebuilds them.
He also takes rides on one of his bikes around the country.
Since all the children had left for college and moved out,
Downsizing = the house seemed too big for just Kenny and Bobbi.
So, it was a good decision to sell the house and downsize to something smaller.
The McCaughey’s found a buyer of the house in February of this year.
Buyer Found
The new owners of the house are quite lucky as they own a house that was filled
with happiness and love. So, Bobbi and Kenny are settling into their new home.
Oh wait, there’s a twist.
Giving Back to the Society
Bobbi and Kenny would have sold their house for a considerable sum of money, but they decided to give it to an organization called Ruth Harbor. The organization is a non-profit, and it helps young women with unplanned pregnancies.
When the couple was asked about their generous decision, they said,
“We have been blessed to receive such a wonderful gift, and nothing would please
us more than the idea of our home being used as a place of refuge for those in need.”
Looking Back and Feeling Lucky
Whenever Bobbi and Kenny look back to when they had to decide on selective reduction, they feel lucky and blessed that they made the right decision. After all, opting for selective reduction would’ve meant a smaller family for the McCaugheys.
Creating Awareness
Having a baby comes with a lot of challenges, and Bobbi and Kenny were able to raise
not one or two but eight children. They are hoping to create more awareness about it,
and their eight kids show how successful they were.
It wasn’t long after the birth of the septuplets that McCaugheys decided
to write and release their book, which would include their experiences.
Penning Down Their Experiences
The book’s primary theme is the couple’s faith and belief in God.
You’ll find that it was the religion that played a significant role in giving
them the power to raise their children. The McCaughey’s made a decision
that they would try their best to keep their children away from the press
and the public eye.
A Deal: To chronicle the progress of their children,
They struck a deal with Gamma Press in 2001 so that they could
take a photograph of the children once a year on their birthdays.
It was a smart deal as the family can look back on the images and
cherish those fantastic days.
Lucky Photographers
There were a few lucky photographers who had the privilege of taking
photos of children each year. They were Rodney White, Holly McQueen,
and Andrea Mendez. Lucky Photographers
Documenting Each Milestone in a Special Way
These photographers were keen on taking photos of the septuplets, and they
were able to record the lives of septuplets as they became part of American history.
As there were group photos of the septuplets, each child also received an annual individual portrait. The portrait helped document the important milestones of each child. If you can’t identify who is who in this photo, let us help you.
Top row, from left to right, Kelsey, Kenny Jr, Natalie, and big sister Mikayla.
On the bottom row are Alexis, Brandon, Nathan, and Joel.
But it is not an easy task to take pictures with energetic children.
Too Much Happiness and Energy
This photo shows the calmness of Bobbi.
Bobbi was able to take a relaxing photo with seven children.
How cool is that, right?
Playing Together and Alone
As septuplets are not a regular occurrence, many people wondered if each
child got to play with his or her toys and if they had a typical childhood or not.
The truth is that they started to share at a very young age, and they were able
to play alone whenever they felt it.
Love for Video Games
As it is the case with most young kids, some of the septuplets (especially the boys)
enjoyed playing video games. They could sit for hours playing their favorite games.
Although Bobbi and Kenny hoped that one day the kids would grow of their craze,
it didn’t happen (it usually doesn’t happen).
The Craze Never Ends
The kids have grown up, and they still like to spend hours playing their favorite games.
As we mentioned earlier that Ann Curry covered the story of septuplets on the Today Show. The world was always curious to see how the kids have progressed,
and Ann showed glimpses of their progress from time to time.
Will It Happen Again?
If you’re wondering if multiple births will run in the family, then the simple answer is probably no. It is because Kenny and Bobbi were fortunate enough to have septuplets because of undergoing fertility treatment. So, it seems like it won’t happen in the family again.
Would They Have Swiped Septuplets for Twins?
One thing we have learned from the story of Bobbi and Kenny,
Is that they feel blessed to have septuplets, and they wouldn’t change anything about it.
If they would give you one important piece of advice; if you want anything in your life,
just go for it.
BONUS: The World’s First Surviving Octuplets Are All Grown up Now (wackojaco.com)