A mom never planned to have a big family , but as soon as she had her first baby she completely fell in love with being a mum. Courtney Rogers, 36, from Santa Fe County, New Mexico, mom of 11 who has just given birth to her newest baby by ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ C-Section is already hoping to have a 12th child in the future.
Since Courtney Rogers married church pastor Chris Rogers, 32, back in October 2008 and welcomed her first child in 2010, the longest she has gone without being ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ is just nine months. In the space of ten years the stay-at-home mum has welcomed 10 children – and doesn’t plan to stop popping out kids until she has 12. Handy, then, that she’s already on her way to number 11, as Courtney is ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again and expecting her fifth daughter on 19 November.
The family, who live on a 12-acre farm in Sante Fe County, New Mexico, is currently made up of six boys, four girls, Courtney, and Chris. Interestingly, everyone in the house has a name beginning with C. Their names are – Clint, Clay, Cade, Callie, Cash, twins Colt and Case, Calena, Caydue, and Coralee.
“I always get nervous because we’ve had two first trimester ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇs, but we’re at 33 weeks now and very excited. We can’t wait to hold this little one,” Courtney said.
But is it easy going home for Courtney and Chris? Definitely not. The couple said they are busy throughout the year and hardly find any time for themselves. Their schedule for their kids is so packed that they have time for only one date night a year.
The couple, whose monthly food shops cost $1,200 home-school their huge brood and drive a 15 seater van, according to The Sun, but are still considering expanding their family. “We want to have more if we can,” said Courtney. “We want to have 12 children, a family of 14 even.”
In January, the family was forced to cut out all meals and days out, which were costing well over $1,000 a month. The kids wear hand-me-down clothes and shoes, with stay-at-home mother Courtney does some sale shopping to save some money. Courtney and Chris, who were both homeschooled, say they love teaching their children on their 12-acres of land – which also has a farm.
But for Courtney, having a big family makes all the busyness and expense worth it. And the ᴅᴇᴠᴏᴛᴅ mother said that it helps her to ensure all her children get attention and nobody feels left out.
She admits that she’s been ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄɪsᴇᴅ by strangers for having so many children, and so close together. She said: “I don’t know why I like it so much – I don’t think I ever imagined having this many children when we got married. I just knew that I wanted children and when I became a mother, I realized how much I loved it.” She added:” I do not regret having so many children – the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned. Chris and I love being parents and, as a family, we have a great time together.”