Jay and Kateri Schwandt welcomed their 14th child back in April. You already assume the couple was beyond happy with the newest addition to the family. Having 14 children make the days busy and and it never gets boring around. Large families are amazing, and this one is special because all of the children are boys.
The oldest son Tyler, is 25 years old, and the youngest, newborn Finley, has yet to hit his first birthday. And not only is Finley special because he is a 14th brother, but he has a very unique middle name.
Many were surprised with the parents’ decision to name their son Finley Sheboygan, but this attracted the attention of many and his story ended up in the news.
You can surely make guesses of what the meaning behind this name is, and before we reveal that to you, let us tell you more about this beautiful, large family.
They reveal how it’s like to be raising 14 children and talk about their daily routines as they open the doors to their home for the PEOPLE magazine.
“We feel like we’re unique parents. Obviously, very few people want to do this and very few people could do this and it’s just something we’re very comfortable with,” dad, Jay, says. “Everything we do, we do as a family and we just feel blessed that we’re able to do it.”
They live “in the woods” of Rockford and own several acres for the boys to grow and play. The house has 6 bedrooms and three and a half bathroom.
“If you’re the first person in the bathroom in the morning you’re in pretty good shape,” he says. “If we had all girls that would probably be a bigger issue!”
Some may assume they decided to have so many children because they were trying to have a girl, and that’s not far from the truth. They actually waited till the baby was born to learn its sex.
“We’ve got all boys, so it’s what we’re used to,” Jay says. “It would’ve been nice to have a girl, but we’re super excited to have another boy. Some of the boys were hoping for a little sister, and some were rooting for another brother. I was pulling for a girl.”
Now when it comes to the name, it was inspired by a fairy tale about a Native American chief who had many boys, just like the Schwandts. The chief believed his last child would be a girl, but when he learned they welcomed another boy, the chief named him Sheboygan for “she is a boy again.”
The family promises this is the last child, although it was exactly what they said before Finley was born.
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