The Remarkable Story of the Very First All-Girl Sextuplets

They Wanted to Start a Family

This incredible story of family love began back in the late ‘70s. Around this time, Janet and Graham Walton were two young lovebirds who had recently tied the knot. They felt like they could take on the world and do anything.

But the truth was that this adorable couple was as humble as they come, and simply wanted to enjoy a normal life in their home in the North West of England. One of the first dreams they shared was to start a family. They wanted to have kids together. And surely enough, they were determined to make that dream come true. But it wouldn’t be easy...

Unsuccessful Attempts

To say that having children would be a challenge for Janet and Graham would be quite an understatement. At first, they assumed that the first few failed attempts to have a child could happen to anyone. But as the years went on, the couple started to think that maybe something was wrong.

They considered adopting at one point, as they had given up hope on having their own child naturally. They also tried their luck with Assisted Reproductive Technology, as well as a range of fertility medications. After five long years of trying, something amazing happened out of the blue...

13th Time’s a Charm

Depending on the culture, the number 13 can be very lucky or very unlucky. But it seems that for Janet and Graham, the number ultimately swung in their favor. After 12 attempts to have a child, they were on the verge of giving up. But they decided to give it one more go.

And on number 13, Janet had finally got the news she had been so desperate to hear: She was finally pregnant. The medical treatment had finally stimulated her ovaries to the point where she could produce eggs. Janet and Graham were over the moon to finally see a pregnancy test that came out positive.

Making Plans

That unforgettable day when they learned the news was such a joyous occasion. The couple jumped into each other's arms and couldn’t stop laughing. But it soon dawned on them. They would need to start making plenty of plans for this radical change in their lives. They couldn’t help but start to imagine what a firstborn might look like in their warm embrace.

It might have been early, but Janet and Graham began writing down everything they needed to start thinking about – doctors' appointments, the things they would need to raise a child, and so much more. But there was one thing they needed to do first...

A Strange Ultrasound

Janet and Graham knew that the first thing they needed to do was schedule an ultrasound to double-check that she was, in fact, pregnant. It was a nervous drive to the hospital. But before they knew it, Janet was sitting in the doctor’s office and was undergoing a scan. She watched the sonographer examine the images on the screen.

Graham simply sat by Janet’s side, holding her hand as they waited for the results. After a pretty long check, the sonographer’s facial expression started taking some strange turns. Janet was curious about what this could mean. But it was just a matter of seconds before they received a huge bombshell...

Something Big Happened

Janet asked the sonographer — who had called in a doctor for a second opinion — if there were any problems with the scan. But it wasn’t just the doctor who came in. Many more medical professionals entered to feast their eyes on the scan. With plenty of whispering going on, Janet needed an answer and asked what all the fuss was about.

At that point, the doctor knew he needed to give them something. So he told them the initial assessment: that this was “definitely a multiple pregnancy.” Janet and Graham couldn’t believe their luck. They never imagined having twins. But then...

Expecting Sextuplets

The medical team continued to look closely at the scan before they came to any conclusions. After about an hour of close inspection, they were finally confident in sharing what they believed was the actual number of babies that Janet was carrying. Janet and Graham then heard the most remarkable four words they have ever heard in their lives: “You’re having six babies.”

The couple looked at each other with wide eyes. They gasped, with their jaws dropping to the floor. They weren’t sure whether to feel elated or simply shocked by the news. But they tried to calm each other down quickly so they could learn more information from the doctor.

Saving All Six

Apparently, around this time, the chance of sextuplets surviving (before or after birth) was extremely low. 104 billion to one, to be precise. This was one statistic that the doctor shared with Janet and Graham, who were trying to calm themselves.

With that said though, the couple were hopeful that all six would be fine. As far as they were concerned, there was no other way of approaching the situation. Janet was determined to be the very best patient the hospital had ever seen so that she could keep all six babies safe and alive. But would she be able to?

A Long Stay at the Hospital

At this point, Janet was only eight weeks along. But she had no idea that the following day, she would be admitted to the hospital instead of going back to her job at the bank. Furthermore, she didn’t expect to have to stay there for the rest of her pregnancy. But there she was, being sent to a gynecological ward.

Around this time, Janet and Graham had just come back from vacation and by all accounts, she looked extremely healthy. But in this ward, she was sitting alongside senior women undergoing hysterectomies. She became something of a celebrity there: “The woman carrying six babies.”

Many Weeks Passed

Naturally, for the next few months, Janet was under intensely close supervision from the medical staff. Fast forward 23 weeks into the future, and Janet’s belly had grown very big. Apparently, she would often see multiple knees and elbows poking from inside it, like something out of a horror movie or a cartoon.

The doctor initially thought that maybe 23 weeks was the goal, but he judged that Janet could continue the pregnancy for longer. So before she knew it, she had reached week 25. And in the blink of an eye, she was in week 28. But still, she kept going, until...

Week 31 Changed Everything

Remarkably, Janet had made it to the 31st week of her pregnancy. Against all odds, she was still carrying six healthy babies and everyone around her wondered how long she could keep going. Here she was, in Liverpool Maternity Hospital, on the verge of creating history.

However, the doctor knew that Janet would not be able to go any further in her pregnancy while carrying this many babies. He knew that she’d need to undergo a C-section procedure. Janet and Graham were a little taken aback by this abrupt update. But they knew that this was the only way to maximize the chances of all the babies’ survival.

The Big Day

The moment of truth had finally arrived for Janet and Graham. The day of the C-section was upon them. While Janet and Graham enjoyed each other’s company in a peaceful setting, the medical team was hectically preparing for the surgery.

Apparently, a team had been designated for each baby, and the hospital had halted vacation and leave for all staff to ensure that they were prepared for the procedure as much as possible. The first step was to give Janet a general anesthetic. The next thing she knew, her eyes had slowly opened and the first thing she said was, “Are they alive?”

Six Girls!

Just like that, Janet had woken up, and the C-section had already been completed. All six babies were healthily delivered into the world. And what was truly amazing was that all six...were girls. That’s right, this made them the first all-female sextuplets who had survived the birth, as well as the fourth known set of surviving sextuplets in the world.

But they weren’t out of the woods just yet. These newborns, weighing between 2lb 1oz and 3lb 8oz, needed to be heavily monitored during those first 48 hours. But Janet and Graham were just happy welcoming their six daughters into the world: Hannah, Ruth, Sarah, Luci, Kate, and Jennifer.

Many Challenges

Thankfully, all six babies were healthy and deemed ready to be taken home. But that was just the start of Janet and Graham’s challenges. After all, they now had not one, not two, but six mouths to feed! That’s six bodies to constantly clean, change, and keep warm.

There was Janet, with zero experience of being a mother. She really hadn’t done much preparation for the role either. Being in the hospital all that time, she wasn’t able to do prenatal (aka antenatal) classes. She had really been thrown in at the deep end. And six babies only made that six times more difficult.

So Many Babies to Juggle

For the next six weeks, the girls stayed in the special care baby unit. In order to adapt to this new reality, Janet and Graham brought the babies home with them two at a time. From the very beginning, it was extremely intense. The food, diapers, and equipment were a lot to take on during those early months.

Truth be told though, they weren’t really able to appreciate every moment, as there was just so much to do all the time. Naturally, their sleeping patterns were all over the place. Mistakes were made, and they had no time to learn from them. It was relentless. But somehow, Janet and Graham’s love for each other and their newborns helped them pull through.

Adapting With Time

Many compromises needed to be made by both Janet and Graham to make their new arrangement work. Apparently, the latter decided to take a year off from his job to be a full-time father. According to him, they ended up using about 11,000 diapers each year.

But as time went on, the couple got more skilled at keeping tabs on all six girls. Janet recalled how she would keep a notebook, monitoring each baby's behavior and development. And this continued into their school years, where she would jot down the feedback the teachers would give her for each girl.

40 Years Later

In certain ways, the last 40 years have flown by for Graham and Janet. Now that the daughters are in their 40s, they have become wonderful, mature women, each with their own unique personality and having already built great lives for themselves. All of the girls, except for Jennie (who lives with her partner in Leeds) live close to Graham and Janet.

This obviously enables them to often come together at their parents’ home in Wallasey and maintain a strong bond, one that they have maintained since birth. According to Janet, their home has never felt empty. Even when the girls moved out, they were always coming back to visit.

Big News

After having the joy of bringing six girls into the world, Janet was over the moon when her daughter Sarah, came to visit one day with some fantastic news. She was just a few weeks pregnant, which was obviously a huge cause for celebration.

When her eight weeks arrived, Janet took her daughter for her first scan. Sarah’s partner Kieran also came along and was in the ultrasound room with Sarah. When the scan was complete, Kieran asked Janet to come in to see the images. She couldn’t believe her eyes – a tiny baby. She was going to be a grandmother.

The Axminster Incident

Fast-forward about 8-9 months, and the time had finally arrived for Sarah to bring Janet’s first grandchild into the world. But it wasn’t without its fair share of drama. Apparently, when Janet was on her way to the hospital, a carpet roll fell off a van that was in front of her car, which caused a huge delay as she had to deal with the traffic that had been created by the accident.

Thankfully, no one was hurt. But that’s not all. Sarah also got stuck on the way to her own C-section. Except, she was already in the hospital, but the elevator she was using stopped working. What’s more — she was stuck in there with the surgeon who would perform the surgery.

Now They Are Grandparents

Thankfully, this series of incidents was nothing more than a couple of speedbumps in a relatively smooth C-section birth. Thankfully, Janet was able to see her daughter Sarah both before and after the birth. It was love at first sight when she first laid her eyes on her first granddaughter – Jorgie.

She was 7lb 6½ oz (about three times the size of what Sarah was) and had beautiful dark hair and dark eyes. Shortly after being introduced to Jorgie, Janet sent a group text to the rest of the family, saying that it’s a girl, and commenting on how this family just doesn’t really do boys!

Instant Bond

It should come as no surprise that Janet was very excited to be a grandmother. Having just retired after many years working as a fundraiser at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, she couldn’t wait to dedicate time to helping care for just one child, not six. And it seemed like the grandmother and granddaughter struck an instant bond.

Truth be told, when she babysat Jorgie for the first time, Janet was a little bit nervous. But it seems like Jorgie was familiar with her grandma’s voice very quickly. "I chat away to Jorgie when I'm looking after her," she said. "'Auntie Kate will be coming later,' or 'I wonder what your Mummy’s doing now?' It doesn’t really matter what you say as long as you’re engaging them."

Comparing Then and Now

It’s not just Janet who is excited to do the “parenting” thing all over again, this time with just one child. Graham was quick to compare what it’s like to be by Jorgie’s side as opposed to caring for six baby girls at once. Even though it was overwhelming, he recalls how they were still able to take them all out to the park at the same time and have fun.

With that said, he has enjoyed having more time for just one grandchild. “With grandchildren, you have time,” he said. After many years of taking care of sextuplets, caring for just one has been a walk in the park, metaphorically speaking.

Loved By Her Aunts

It should come as no surprise that Sarah’s sisters are in love with their niece. When she was a newborn, the sextuplets were excited to pass her around like a parcel when they came together at Janet and Graham’s home.

The sisters commented on how they think Jorgie would develop great social skills as she will grow up around a large group of women who talk to each other all the time. As for Sarah, she was just excited to start her life as a married mother of one. Around the time of Jorgie’s birth, she started a year of maternity leave and bought a home with her partner Kieran.

None of Them Want Six

While pretty much all of the sextuplets are keen to follow in their parents’ footsteps and build their own families, none of them are that excited about the idea of having sextuplets themselves. “Honestly, I just don’t know how they did it,” Sarah said. “Everyone says: ‘It’ll be nice for Jorgie to have a brother’ but I definitely don’t want six. I couldn’t cope!”

The general consensus among the Walton girls is that even if they had one kid at a time, six would simply be way too many. Now that we have shone a light on Sarah’s life in recent times, let’s focus on the rest of the sisters...

Ruth the Receptionist

The next member of the sextuplet to bring some great news to Janet and Graham was Ruth, who works as a receptionist for a living. The young lady brought tears of joy to her family when she announced that she was tying the knot with her partner Rob, a civil servant.

It should come as no surprise then that the rest of the sextuplets were called up to be her bridesmaids. And we imagine each sister would return the favor for future weddings. In terms of giving Janet and Graham more grandchildren, Ruth was happy to have more than one kid, but maybe two would be enough.

Luci the Traveler

Arguably the funny member of the sextuplet is Luci, who the rest of the sisters would describe as bubbly, exuberant, and always looking on the bright side of life. In terms of work, she is a cabin crew member, meaning that she has probably seen more of the world than anyone else in her family.

It seems that she has since tied the knot with long-term partner Paul, who works as a bakery supervisor. But it seems that unlike some of her other sisters, she’s not exactly ready to be a mother just yet. With that said, her feelings might have changed since then, so who knows?

Hannah Stayed at Home

Most of the daughters have moved out and found homes of their own. But one of the sisters still lives at home with Graham and Janet. That’s Hannah. Arguably the most organized and relaxed of the six, Hannah works as a primary school teacher and likes the simpler things in life.

But living with her mother and father hasn’t stopped her from enjoying a romantic life. She is in a serious relationship with her partner Steve, who is the manager of a recruitment agency. Her main reason for staying at home is to save up for one of their own, and we think that’s a wise choice.

Kate, "The Serious One"

The rest of the family will often joke that Kate is the most serious sister. But truth be told, she just happens to have a very dry sense of humor and is quite quirky too. She’s just a bit shy around large crowds. When it comes to her career, Kate works as an HR manager and loves her job very much.

Unlike some of her other sisters, though, Kate is still single and isn’t really looking to settle down anytime soon. As a matter of fact, she’s not particularly interested in having kids either. But hey, all of that could change.

Jennie Moved Away

Arguably the most independent of all of the sextuplets is the wonderful Jennie. Why do we say that? Well, Jennie lives the furthest away from home out of all of the sisters, having moved to Leeds earlier on in her adulthood.

Since then, she has made quite the name for herself in this part of the world, opening up her own retro candy store. Her sisters regard her as quite a punchy, quick-witted individual. As for having a family in the future, Jennie is open to it but isn’t going to force it until the perfect man comes along.

Sharing Their Story With the World

Over the years, the Walton sextuplets have had their fair share of publicity. For a start, they have had some well-known photoshoots for numerous milestones, such as their first day at school, their 18th birthday, their 30th, and more. And their fame has extended to the world of TV, having them featured on an ITV documentary called “Moving On.”

What’s more, is that the sextuplets have been the subject of numerous adverts on TV. Not to mention the fact that Janet had a book about her story with the sextuplets published. Her 2015 book is titled “Six Little Miracles: The Heartwarming True Story of Raising the World’s First Sextuplet Girls.”

What Does the Future Hold?

Looking back on her time with the sextuplets compared to her role as grandmother, Janet knows that she has changed as a person. Back in the day, people looked at her as a calm, responsible mother. These days though, she has learned to let go a little. While she didn’t want to spell it out for her daughters, Janet did vow that she’d be more of a risk-taker during the golden years of her life.

She’s grateful that life has provided her with so many blessings, including her granddaughter, Jorgie. “I’m looking forward to her being part of my future, to noticing all the tiny changes that happen every day,” she said. “To [have] time to [savor] and enjoy every minute I spend with her.”

Six babies in one go is definitely not something to be taken lightly. But in the following story, there is a couple who has them beat.

Having a baby is probably one of the most life-changing experiences. Most new parents find the arrival of just one new baby an overwhelming experience. Can you imagine what it must be like being a parent of a multiple birth? We're not talking about twins or even triplets but septuplets. That's right, seven babies in one pregnancy.

It sounds far-fetched, and the chances of the babies even making it through the pregnancy are extremely low, but on occasion women with the help of medical professionals and close care are able to bring these babies to term and into the world. Often times, fertility treatments play a role in helping women conceive their babies so let's take a closer look at this story.

Meet The Parents

In 1996 Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey were blessed with the arrival of a healthy baby girl.

They believed their new daughter to be a miracle as Bobbi suffered from issues with her pituitary gland which can cause problems with fertility. They gave their beautiful daughter the name of Mikayla Marie and thought ahead to their next child.

Fertility Treatment

Having had difficulties conceiving Mikayla they decided for their next child they would pursue some fertility treatment.

Their doctor prescribed a medication called Metrodin which is known to help with ovulation, which is required for a woman to conceive a child. Bobbi started to take the medication, and they made plans for their second baby.

One Isn't Enough

Bobbi went in for a scan at her doctors practice but the day turned out to be totally life-changing. The scan revealed that she was, in fact, pregnant with seven babies.

This was not only massive news that they would be growing from a family of 3 to a family of 10, but this pregnancy also posed a level of danger to Bobbi.

Taking The Risk

Despite fully understanding the risks involved in such a complicated pregnancy, and having a healthy daughter in Mikayla, Bobby and Kenny decided they didn't want to choose one of their babies above another and wanted to proceed with the pregnancy as naturally as possible.

There have been only around 40-50 births in the world that have resulted from a pregnancy involving 7 babies. Although many septuplets have not survived birth or infancy, at least 3 sets of septuplets, and survived beyond infancy.

Lots Of Attention

Once their decision had been made, to keep all seven babies, news started to spread of this unusual pregnancy. People in the media and across the country found the story of this small family and their septuplets fascinating.

Not all people who heard the news were supportive of keeping all seven babies, but Bobby and Kenny were confident in their decision that everything would work out for the best.

Helping Hands

People who knew the family, and those who didn't decided to offer help to the McCaugheys. After all, the birth of seven children at once is an extraordinary event in any family.

Kraft gave the family a years supply of "man n cheese," they were given boxes and boxes of diapers, some offered themselves to help around the house as a nanny or a babysitter, and amazingly enough, a 5,000 square foot house was donated to the family. The family was amazed at the kindness and generosity of people they knew and even more so from those that were complete strangers.

Running On Nerves

The months and weeks that led up to the birth were not only thrilling but scary and unsurprisingly stressful!

Bobbi had to do her best to keep calm and relaxed as the doctors were concerned that the stress of the upcoming births might lead her to early labor. In the back of their mind, Bobbi and Kenny knew things might not work out, but they tried to stay positive and believe everything would work out.

Meet The Babies

The McCaughey's welcomed three girls and four boys, making up the septuplets. With seven healthy babies, their parents now needed to name their brood.

The heaviest baby was named Robert, the other boys were named Kenny (Kenneth), Nathan Roy, Brandon James, and Joel Steven. The girls were named Alexis May, Natalie Sue and Kelsey Ann who was the lightest baby. That's a lot of names to remember!

The Birthing Staff

Of course, the babies were delivered with the help of the hospital staff. All of the doctors, nurses and maternity staff knew that they were part of making American history by helping deliver the first healthy set of septuplets.

A few days after the births, all the team involved in their delivery gathered together for a group photo.

Camping Out

Since Bobbi and Kenny were asked to come to the hospital nine weeks before Bobbi's due date to deliver the babies, the news channels were unaware that the births were taking place a the Iowa Methodist Hospital Center in Des Moines.

Every channel wanted to get the first picture of the newborns. However, as they would find out, they would have to wait for some time for them to get a glimpse at the septuplets.

Leaving The Hospital

The babies needed a lot of care in their early days, and eventually, after three months and ten days, all seven babies were healthy enough to be allowed home.

Finally, the news crews would get that picture they had been waiting for. As Bobbi and Kenny loaded all seven babies into their new family van, the cameramen and journalists got a snap of the septuplets with their parents. There were lots of smiles, and a few tears as the McCaughey's headed for home.

Extra Safe

To ensure that the family would be able to return home safely the police set up a security post outside their house so that the McCaughey's would be able to arrive and enter their home without disturbance.

The babies were brought back to Bobbi and Kenny's old home at first, but soon enough they would be moving into their brand-new house.

 Publicity

There was much interest in the McCaughey family, and at first, Bobbi and Kenny thought it was just local reporters who were reporting on their story.

As news spread, more and more people became interested in the news of the septuplets, and in December of 1997, just a month after the babies were born, Bobbi and Kenny were featured on the front cover of Time Magazine.

ABC News

It was ABC News Prime Time who was the first to gain full access to the family in a thorough interview and news feature.

There had been a lot of coverage of the septuplets births, but much of this had been reporters retelling what others had already written on the McCaughey family. ABC was the first to get an interview with the family.

Roses Come With Thorns

While the majority of the coverage of the septuplets was positive and supportive of the family, there were inevitable some negative reports.

Some called the family irresponsible for having too many children and that the amount of waste generated by so many babies could be damaging to the environment. It didn't matter to the McCaughey's though. Nothing could detract from the happiness of having seven new babies.

The Quintuplets

In 1934 the Dionne quintuplets were born in Ontario, Canada. They were born to Elzire Dionne who came under much criticism for the way her babies were raised.

The children were the subject of much press attention which was sometimes described to be like a circus. The quintuplets who were grown adults by the time the septuplets were born warned the McCaughey's about having the press too involved in the children's lives and urged Kenny and Bobbi to try and be as private as possible.

Load After Load

As you can imagine, one newborn generates a lot of dirty clothes. Now think about how much mess seven babies can make.

The McCaughey's were reported to do an average of 17 loads of laundry a week, and since they had tried to keep their lives as private as possible, it meant many of the house chores,  had been done by themselves. Luckily they had two washing machines and two dryers to help with the mountains of laundry.

Babies In Bulk

Seven babies don't just generate a lot of laundry but were using on average 52 diapers a day between them, and guzzling through around 42 bottles as well.

This was costing the McCaughey's a lot of money, and eventually Bobbi and Kenny decided they needed to come up with a strategy for managing their large family.

Potty Training

Potty training was also going to be a lengthy challenge. With their first daughter Mikayla, they managed to potty train her within four days successfully.

With the septuplets, they knew it would take them a lot longer, perhaps even a few months to get them all properly potty trained.

Volunteers

They say it takes a village to raise a child and this was certainly the case with the septuplets. The McCaughey's would have around seventy volunteers helping with tasks around the house as well as caring for the little ones.

There would be approximately eight or nine people changing diapers, feeding, and generally making sure the babies were happy and cared for.

Sisters

It wasn't just help from volunteers and those in the community. The McCaughey's also relied on a lot of help from their families.

Here we can see a picture Bobbi's sister, Michelle having a special moment with one of the babies. The help Bobbi and Kenny received from their loved ones was of great value to them, and they couldn't have done it without them.

The Big Sister

There was one family member in particular who wanted to help out wherever possible.

Big sister Mikayla always tried to be on hand to play with the babies, help at feeding times and generally assist her parents whenever and wherever she could with her seven younger siblings.

Plan 'B'

We mentioned earlier that the McCaughey's decided they needed a good strategy to keep their expenses to a minimum. They started with a couple of simple tricks. The first was that they bought in bulk, as with so many babies they knew they would need it eventually.

They also started researching what products were on special offer at their local supermarkets. On one occasion, Bobbi went and bought 60lb's of hamburgers. They manage to bring their monthly spending down to around $300 a month, which was a good reduction from their previous bills.

Green Fingered

The McCaughey's had another idea for helping reduce their monthly expenditure. The family started to grow their own fruits and vegetables which were not only organic but free! Much cheaper than the supermarket equivalent.

These fresh fruits and vegetables were also available in their backyard it was so natural for them to pick and tend to. It helped reduce the cost of grocery shopping and was great for the environment. It's just a shame they could have a cow too.

Check-Ups

Having just one baby takes a lot of care and attention, making sure they that all seven babies are getting enough food and sleep as well as cleaning and changing the babies is a lot of work.

The babies also needed to go for regular check-ups to the doctor. Having seven babies checked at once takes a good chunk of time.

Most Important Meal

The babies all loved their breakfast, which is good to hear because as we know, it is the most important meal of the day.

They must have required massive quantities of whatever it was that they ate.

Cryptophasia

There was an unmistakable bond between all of the babies, and as they grew into toddlers, they started to create their own language.

This phenomenon is not unique to the McCaughey's and often happens between twins and triplets, or even siblings who are close in age. It is called cryptophasia, but the children also spoke English.

Celebrating Birthdays

With each year as they reached another birthday, the family used it as an opportunity to celebrate the milestones of the septuplets.

It was also an opportunity to thank god for helping their babies and helped instill in the McCaughey's that they had made the right decision with keeping all of their babies. After all, looked at their amazing family.

Dressing Up

As the children grew older, they grew at differing rates. Some were stronger, some shorter, but we should always remember- never compare one child to another.

Despite this Bobbi and Kenny decided to dress the dour boys alike and the three girls in the same outfit. However, the children did not all have the same size feet, so they all needed the correct shoe sizes.

Clothing For Septuplets

Seven babies require a lot of clothes, and paying for all of the clothes was costing the McCaughey's huge sums of money. Then something amazing happened.

Carters, the children's clothing brand said that they would supply clothes for all of the babies until the age of five. This was just another example of the amazing generosity showed to Bobbi, Kenny and their family.

Presidents

News of the babies reached the highest heights. When the septuplets were born, the President of the United States at the time, Bill Clinton called to congratulate the family.

Years later, the children would meet the next President, George W. Bush.

Clinton's Compliment

Upon the birth of the septuplets, when Bill Clinton called to congratulate Bobbi and Kenny, he said to her 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.

Different Personalities

As the septuplets began to grow up, they developed their own unique personalities that differentiated one from the next. Brandon is considered brave, and even a little bit stubborn.

Kenny Junior is the joker among the group, whereas Joel and Natalie prefer to sit quietly and read.

The Naughty One

Kenny Junior isn't just the funny one but also likes to cause mischief. So much so, that Bobbi calls him the "pint-sized explorer."

It's wonderful to see that each child is allowed to grow and develop into whatever person they want to be.

Date Night

With a house full of eight children it can be easy to take care of yourselves and your relationship.

Bobbi and Kenny thought it was imperative to keep one night free for them to spend some much needed alone time together. Friday night was set aside as their date night.

Parents' Perception

Each of the children had their own characteristics, and their parents picked up on each of their personality traits.

Nathan is "determined" whereas Kelsey is a "sporty fashionista." Joel is "quiet and reflective" which is similar to Alexis who is "sweet and perceptive." Brandon is "outgoing and athletic," Natalie is a "high achieving perfectionist," and Kenny Jr, who was mentioned as a mischief-maker is described by his parents as a "go-getter."

A Special Trip

Families are hectic, and perhaps the McCaugheys were more hectic than most. Despite that, it's still important to take time out as a family and have a break.

The whole family, including Mikayla, were taken to Disney World in Orlando.

On The Cover

For their eighth birthday, the children appeared on the cover of Ladies' Home Journal.

The magazine also featured an article on the family where Bobbi and Kenny answered questions which they hoped would help new parents like they once were.

George W. Bush

In 2001 the McCaughey's were invited to meet with President George W. Bush. This was a big deal for Bobbi and Kenny, so they ensured that they and all the children were appropriately dressed.

Such is the way with young children that some were more interested than others, though we doubt they really grasped who they were meeting with at the time.

Too Much Attention

There was a lot of media attention when the children were born, and Bobbi and Kenny could have decided to have allowed a reality TV show to be made about their lives, as is the case in other families with lots of children, or unusual sets of children.

But the McCaughey's decided against that. There were, however, times when the children were featured in the press and on TV.

The Today Show

To every rule there are exceptions, and while in general the McCaughey's did not want cameras in their home, the exception was on the children's birthday.

For their 13th birthday, Bobbi and Kenny allowed Ann Curry from the Today show to come a meet the children for a special birthday feature. Every child got their own cake with 13 candles.  As a journalist, this was a very exciting moment, Ann said at the time.

High School Days

In 2012 the septuplets started high school and were enrolled into the Carlisle High School in Carlisle Iowa.

As with most things that they do, they received a lot of attention on their first day, but as time went on and each one of them settled in, they started to be successful in their studies.

Buffet Style

Feeding seven mouths takes a lot of work, especially when it's no longer just milk. Bobbi and Kenny started to serve the meals as buffets.

The spread was pretty impressive. Even more so, was that as the children got older, they too helped prepare the meals. So perhaps you can't have too many cooks in the kitchen!

Taking Steps

Nathan, however, was determined to walk without an aid, which until this point he was forced to do. He felt that he didn't want to be restricted by his condition and taught himself how to walk without the help of his walker.

Each day he got a little bit further, and with this level of determination, he was destined to succeed. Speaking on the matter, he said, "I taught myself how to walk because I really wanted to learn. It's just been getting better and better."

Making Waves

Alexis was also not confined by her condition. She may still suffer from her walking, but she is not defined by it and is a child with many talents.

In 2013, Alexis won the "Teens Miss Dreams Come True" award proving just how gifted she was. In addition, Alexis showed her gift was also academic as she completed the year in the top 15% of her class.

Coming Full Circle

Seeing seven of her children graduate from high school simultaneously must have been highly emotional for Bobbi.

She can remember seeing them all dressed in their graduation regalia, with cap and gown and saying, "It's sad to see things end, but there will be lots of firsts coming." So what was next for the septuplets?

Keeping It Local

Two of the septuplets, Alexis and Kenny, enrolled into their local college, Des Moines which was nice for Bobbi and Kenny as it meant they were close by.

Alexis dreams of being a teacher so worked exceptionally hard during her college degree and graduated at the top of her class. The sky is the limit!

The Soldier

For Brandon, his path led him to enroll in the U.S. Army. This was something he had been dreaming about since he was a small boy, even as young as three years old.

Brandon will succeed in whatever he chooses as he is clearly gifted, having been offered a scholarship to study at his local college. Brandon decided instead to pursue a career in the army and is now an expert in pistol and carbon shooting.

Work For Family

For Kenny Jr, there was a different path. As with all of the septuplets they all have their own personalities and identities.

For Kenny he wanted to pursue a career as a carpenter and so far, has been pretty successful at it. However, his passion for carpentry went alongside his generosity.

The Students

When big sister Mikayla had her first child, Kenny Jr. took it upon himself to create a gift for her family which she would be able to keep forever.

This wasn't some little memento but was, in fact, a bespoke designed kitchen table with benches to go alongside it. Quite the gift from a little brother.

The Educator

When the septuplets first arrived one of the acts of generosity was from the State of Iowa promising each child a college education at any state university of their choice.

Four of the seven decided to take the state up on the offer and Natalie, Nathan, Kelsey, and Joel all enrolled at the Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri where they are studying right now. Even though they were far from home, Bobbi and Kenny could be comforted that they were at least together at the same school.

The Musician

Kelsey, who we said is enrolled at Hannibal-LaGrange University chose to focus on music as her major. She is a bright young talent, and we can't wait to see what she achieves.

The music felt like her calling, and if she's passionate about it, we believe that everyone will be able to see that in her performances.

Too Close To Separate

After graduation, the septuplets were interviewed for television. Quite used to the media and the questions, they were asked if they were worried about losing their closeness now they will no longer be under the same roof.

They responded by saying that as septuplets they have an unbreakable bond and will always be close, no matter the distance.

Empty Nest Syndrome

Once all the children had left the house to pursue whatever it is they had decided they wanted to do, Bobbi and Kenny looked around their empty house and felt how different things would be from now on.

They wouldn't have dreamt of holding any of their children back from pursuing their dreams, but the quiet was a new feeling they would need to get used to.

The Older Sister

Let's not forget about big sister Mikayla, who was also loved and encouraged like her seven younger siblings to pursue her dreams.

Mikayla studied at Des Moines college and then continued on to Arizona State University. Mikayla is also married and has a child of her own. We're hoping septuplets don't run in the family.

What About Dad?

With an empty house and lots of spare time, some parents find this transition depressing. Kenny McCaughey refused to and decided this was an excellent opportunity to take up a new hobby in motorcycles.

Kenny would scrap them and then meticulously rebuild them. He also took the chance to ride around the country and looks forward to exploring more in the future.

Too Big

The house which was donated to them when the septuplets were born is now far too big for just Kenny and Bobbi so it looks like they may decide to sell and downsize to something smaller.

We do wonder what will happen if they all want to come and stay for a reunion, but we are sure they will figure out a solution.

Finding A Buyer

It took until February of this year for the McCaughey's to find a buyer for their huge seven bedroom, five bathroom family home. The new lucky owners will be receiving a house that was filled with love and happiness.

Now Bobbi and Kenny can settle into their new home too. But there is a twist.

Dodging A Bullet

When Bobbi and Kenny look back at that difficult decision, they had to make regarding selective reduction they can't help but feel so blessed at having seven beautiful children who have all grown up to be amazing young adults.

After all, they sought fertility treatment for a reason, and look what they have been given as a result.

Advocates

It would be a hard decision for any parent to make and it was a minor miracle that they were all born at all, but you can't deny it was brave of Bobbi and Kenny to proceed with all seven babies.

That being said, if you ask Kenny what he thinks about it, and he'll say, "Well, come to our house and tell us which four I shouldn't have had."

Their Own Book

Shortly after the septuplets were born, the McCaughey's decided they wanted to write and release a book chronicling their experiences.

The book was entitled, "Seven from Heaven" and a major theme that is evident throughout is Bobbi and Kenny's faith and belief in God. You get the feeling that religion has played a significant role in bringing them hope and happiness when the odds were stacked against them.

A Collection

It was decided early on that the children should not be in the public eye too much. That being said, they struck a deal with Gamma Press in 2001 that they could photograph the children once a year on their birthdays as a way to chronicle their progress.

This was a smart agreement as the family can look back on each year's birthday image. The honor was then given to Polaris Images.

Playing Outside

Being a septuplet is not a normal occurrence, so many people often asked if they had a typical childhood. Well, they played and were able to be creative, had a loving family home and played together.

Sometimes they'd just want to play in the garden or take their toys outside, but that's normal for any child.

Through The Years

We bet you're wondering if multiple births will run in the family. The answer is that it is probably unlikely as Bobbi and Kenny received their miracle septuplets as a result of undergoing fertility treatment.

This, therefore, won't have an influence on the genetic makeup of each child, and they will most likely go on to have straightforward pregnancies without twins, triplets, or dare we say, septuplets.

Will They Have Twins?

There is a valuable lesson to learn in all of this. If you were to ask the McCaughey's if they would change anything about having septuplets the simple answer would be, no. They feel like they were blessed and even though at times things may have been hard they never shied away from their duties or responsibilities.

They would tell you, if you want something then you should just go for it, and you never know, you may end up getting more than you bargained for.