Jay and Kateri Schwandt, Couple With 12 Sons, Welcomes 13th Boy
Jay Schwandt had hoped for a girl. He didn't get his wish.
-- Jay Schwandt and his wife, Kateri, have 12 sons and he was hoping their 13th child would be a girl. He didn’t get his wish.
Kateri Schwandt, 40, gave birth to another baby boy today, several days after her due date.
The baby weighed about 9 pounds and was 22 inches long, and after the birth his mother told ABC News that she was feeling “pretty good.”
They’re now deciding on names, with Jay Schwandt saying the baby's brothers would need to agree on the selection.
Even though Jay Schwandt had said he wanted a girl, he told ABC News that "being a dad, having 12 boys, one more boy is pretty cool."
The couple from Rockford, Michigan, has observed the tradition of keeping their children’s gender a surprise.
Father of 12 Sons Jay Schwandt: 'I'd Really Like a Girl'
Kateri Schwandt Hopes for Girl, Gives Birth to 12th Boy
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” last week ahead of Kateri Schwandt’s May 9 due date, and she said she assumed she’d have another boy.
And when their 12 sons -- Tyler, 22, Zach, 19, Drew, 18, Brandon, 16, Tommy, 13, Vinnie, 12, Calvin, 10, Gabe, 8, Wesley, 6, Charlie, 5, Luke, 3, and Tucker -- were asked to raise their hands if they wanted another brother, only three of them did.
In a prior interview with ABC News, Jay Schwandt, who does land surveying for commercial real estate properties near the family’s home, said his wife was “pulling for another boy because that’s in her comfort zone.”
The Schwandts manage their household of rough-and-tumble boys through a system of flow charts and chores.
“There’s a lot of activity, a lot of commotion, a lot of chaos, but there’s also a lot of love,” Kateri Schwandt said.
As for whether there will be a baby No. 14, Jay Schwandt said: “You never say never.”