This mom has had 10 babies in a decade and is expecting her 11th in November. Only planing to stop when her family reaches 12 a la Cheaper by the Dozen.
Marrying church pastor Chris Rogers in October 2008, Courtney Rogers has not been without a bump for more than nine months since. She has given birth to six healthy boys and four girls into the world and is now 33 weeks pregnant again, expecting another daughter on November 19.
Her first winter baby, she is hoping her arrival will make Christmas even more special for the family, who live on a 12 acre farm in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
Courtney and Chris are so busy they only have one “date night" a year.
“We're delighted to be expecting again. I always get nervous because we've had two first trimester miscarriages, but we're at 33 weeks now and very excited. We can't wait to hold this little one," Courtney said.
“There have been no complications and I've been feeling good throughout, although this baby has the same due date as the baby we lost four years ago at 11 weeks."
“In the early stages, I was thankful and it brought comfort, but it also felt like I was living through the same pregnancy timeline. I was so relieved to hear her heartbeat during our early scans," she explained.
“I've never had more than three boys or girls in a row and now we're expecting a little girl after our youngest, Coralee, aged one, so I've broken the record as this is my fourth girl in a row. The kids are so excited."
Chris and Courtney spend $1,200 every month on food for the family, also home school their children and launched an economy drive in January, stopping all eating out and unnecessary purchases.
Saving money by handing down the older children's clothes, their big treat is an annual week-long camping trip near their relatives in Georgia.
But the rare occasions when they do spend time alone together are particularly special, according to Courtney.
“We walked downtown and ate a little something at several restaurants," she said, recalling her last date night.
“Then we went in a few shops and ended the night at the symphony listening to Handel's Messiah. It was very nice and we both enjoyed the quiet time alone."
But family is what life is all about for the devoted parents.
“We want to have 12 children, a family of 14 even," said Courtney.
“My husband is the eldest of 10, so before we got married, he joked about having as many children as his mom had. The kids want us to be like the film Cheaper by the Dozen, where the parents compromise their careers to raise 12 children."
It's just their normal life.
“Having several kids in diapers at once and lots of strollers is normal life to us," Courtney explained.
And she does not believe that having an 11th baby will cause any additional work.
“I don't think it will make much difference to our day to day schedule. They will just fit right in and we'll carry on," she said.
“This will be our first baby around the holiday season – just a week before Thanksgiving Day and not long before Christmas, so that will be a bit different," she added.
It will definitely make things more hectic for the celebrations and more expensive!
“Hopefully, I'll be feeling well enough to enjoy the festivities, though."
“My last three babies have been born in the summer, so I had no winter newborn clothes, which meant having to wait for the winter stock to come out," she said.
Keeping two sheep, dogs and chickens on their farm, also means the children are educated in country ways alongside their more academic studies and often feed the animals between lessons.
“I love having my children with me all the time, seeing them learn and knowing what they are learning," said Courtney.
Since meeting Chris at a church camp in Georgia in 2007, before tying the knot in October 2008, Courtney says she has not looked back. Sadly, their first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
“When I got the positive test result it was a dream come true, but then we lost it in the December," she said.
But, just five months later, she fell pregnant again with their firstborn Clint.
“I love being pregnant," said Courtney.
“I love growing another person inside me, thinking about what they will be like and picking out names. I am the only mum at our church who has lots of kids. I think the most anyone else has is four."
“But I have never been comfortable going on birth control, as I don't like the idea of taking a pill and I love having a big family," Courtney said.
Running her family like clockwork, she gets up with Coralee at 7:30am, making sure the other children are up and having their breakfast of cereal and fruit by 8am.
The older children all have chores and help to clear up after breakfast before starting classes. She then has a break after a few hours to help out with the farm.
Everyone mucks in to make a simple lunch of sandwiches or leftovers, before the younger children have a nap and the others watch a film or do their chores.
Chris is usually back from work for dinner, doing jobs around town like building, landscaping or helping with renovations, to bring in extra cash.
Also conscious of the environment, Courtney uses cloth diapers and wipes during the day and bamboo ones at night.
“I've been told there is a higher risk of hemorrhaging if you have lots of babies, but I don't worry about it, as I try and give birth in hospital and they're prepared," she said.
“I had my first baby when I was 25. I didn't think they would all come so fast, but, of course, I wouldn't change that," she said.
In fact, baby number three, Cade, came so quickly that she gave birth to him on the driveway outside their house.
“From the time I woke up to the delivery was only 15 to 20 minutes," said Courtney.
“For most of my births, Chris has dropped me off at hospital, then had to go home to look after the other kids," she said.
Courtney does admit that she found bringing up seven children under the age of six “challenging."
“It stopped me from doing anything alone," she said. “It's easier now they are all older."
Still, she swiftly defends her decision to have a massive family with Chris.
“I have been criticized for having my children so close together, but I take good care of myself and my babies," she said.
“The people who ask how I can give all my kids enough attention are usually those who send their kids off to school. I do not understand their logic when I am around my kids 24 hours a day."
And they love to celebrate – especially at Christmas.
“We start celebrating right at the beginning of November, with music and decorations," she said.
“We get all the kids new pajamas, an outfit for Christmas Day and three or four presents, plus stocking fillers."
“We ask them what they want and we can usually get everything they ask for," she said.
“Chris and I love being parents and, as a family, we have a great time together."
Meanwhile, Chris cannot wait to be a dad again.
“It gives me such pleasure to see the children growing up," he said.
“Each have their own gifts, and I love to see them using them around the home and at church."
You can follow Courtney on Instagram @littlehouseinthehighdesert
@jessicachastain/Instagram
