After learning the husband's name, I wasn't too surprised to learn . . .
that this was their 16th child.

Northwest Arkansas parents Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have welcomed their 16th child into the world.

Don't they have televisions or radios in Arkansas? I mean, my wife and I have four kids, but then we discovered satellite television. That took care of THAT particular problem.

The story descends further into the depths of "unspeakably weird" with this gem:

"Our oldest two daughters were there during the delivery. Janna has interest in being a midwife or a nurse and so does Jill," Jim Bob said in a telephone interview.

I'm sorry -- that's just weird. Too weird. There are things you simply shouldn't share with your children. Delivering a sibling is one of them.

My eldest daughter wants to go into medicine. She's wanted to for nearly eight years. There is no way I would allow her to witness her own mother delivering another sibling. She is free, however, to wait in the lounge with all the other relatives.

Similarly, I wouldn't go to my daughter's future medical practice and ask for an annual rectal examination. I might, however, stop by and read a magazine in the waiting room to kill time before taking her to lunch.

But involve her in physical examination of intimate areas of my or my wife's bodies? Nope. Some things just aren't done.

It gets weirder.

Jim Bob, 40, said Johanna's birth was especially exciting because it was the first time in eight years the family has had a girl. Four years after the couple married, Michelle, 39, had her first child at age 21.

Which means that she got married when she was 17 and he was eighteen. Wow. Insert your own "barefoot hillbilly" reference here.

I do applaud the longevity of their marriage, though I'm not entirely sure whether it is a product of love, commitment, and obedience to God's command or simply a realization on Jim Bob's part that 16 kids would mean a HUGE child support payment.

The money quote from this carnival of weirdness, though, has to be this:

"We both just love children and we consider each a blessing from the Lord. I have asked Michelle if she wants more and she said yes, if the Lord wants to give us some she will accept them," Jim Bob said.

Thanks Jim Bob. You just reinforced every negative stereotype about folks from Arkansas I have ever held.

UPDATE: For those wondering, their children are: John David, 15; Jessa, 12; Jinger, 11; Joseph, 10; Josiah, 9; Joy-Anna, 8; Jeremiah, 6; Jedidiah, 6; Jason, 5, James, 4; Justin, 2; and Jackson Levi, 1.

Yes, that's right. They named a child "Jinger".

I guess there are only so many "J" names one can use.
- posted by MrSpkr @ 14:24