Octomom gets a home, and nursing fleet to help with her babies

[carlyhippy]

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20264408,00.html

Octomom buys a home in La Habra, and will have a fleet of nurses to help with her brood.

[CoffeeCat]

1. I'm happy for her and for these babies...

...and also for her mom.

Now that they're in a bigger house with more room--and this round-the-clock nursing help--maybe
this family can find a way to heal and make this work.

I know it's a long shot in a nearly impossible situation. But at least there's some hope now.

[FreakinDJ]

23. This is a long way from over

All of them nurses would be "Mandated Reporters"

14 kids, a staff of nurses underfoot questioning your every move. - Nope we ain't heard the last of Octo-mom

[CoffeeCat]

30. There was a family in my high school...

...and they had 17 kids. Yes, 17.

There were no twins and no adoptions. One mother had 17 kids (and yes, it was a Catholic High Schoool).

They did just fine.

This can be done, if she has all of this help.

And yes, these nurses are mandatory reporters, but that's assuming that these children will be abused
or neglected. I don't see any evidence that octo-mom is abusive.

She made some really bizarre choices and I think she's motivated by her own desire to have a decent
childhood. It doesn't sound like she had one.

I hope for her, that she gets help raising these children--and that she finds that she can do it.

It's a sad situation all the way around, and I chose to hope for the best. Especially with these
nurses and the bigger house.

Everyone deserves some help--even if you make horrendous, colossal mistakes.

[kiva]

45. One of the things I wonder about when I read

about large families like you describe is how much different it is/was to have children spread out in age as opposed to the Suliman family. I don't agree with parents who use older children to babysit younger siblings, but at least that's an option when mom and dad don't have time for the little ones. Also teenagers can at lease understand intellectually why their parents need to spend time with the younger kids (even if they don't like it), but not so much the little ones. In this case the oldest is what--6 or 7? How well will kids that age and younger be able to understand when mom flat out doesn't have time for them? I'm sure this nursing staff will be competent, but not the same.

[WolverineDG]

68. What's wrong with having children learn responsibility?

My aunt had 6 kids & the older ones helped with the younger ones (which at times included my brother & me when we were visiting). Everyone knew that when the adults weren't around, the oldest was in charge & we had to do what he or she said. Came in handy when the house caught fire & everyone knew who was in charge & who their buddy was.

dg

[kiva]

91. I'm the youngest, so I was the lookee, not the looker.

When this came up last month, several DUers talked about their childhood in large families and their experiences went well beyond occasional babysitting--several said they had been expected to virtually raise younger brothers and sisters, and resented their own loss of childhood. That is the sort of experience I was criticizing.

Glad to hear that your family survived the house fire :hi:

[WolverineDG]

111. Well that I do have a problem with too

but occasional babysitting & helping get the younger ones ready for school in the morning is not unreasonable.

(I was one of the lookees too, being one of the tail-end Charlies in my family)

dg

[emmadoggy]

128. It is a good thing for kids to learn responsibility...

but it needs to be AGE APPROPRIATE responsibility. At the age of 7, which is the oldest one in this case, a few household chores and responsibilities is fine - but we're talking about things like cleaning up their room, clearing their dishes after meals, making their bed, taking out the trash. Not things like many, many loads of laundry, feeding infants, being in charge of the whereabouts and safety of 13 younger siblings. Even when that oldest one is, say 12 or 13, I would never consider leaving them in charge of 8 five-year-olds, plus 5 more.

I think it's fine for kids to have chores and responsibilities around the house but I don't agree with making them share in parenting responsibilities (teenagers can help out more with housework, laundry, and meals, and occasional babysitting, but I think it should be within reason. Not an everyday, heaping load of work to do, in addition to schoolwork and needing some time to be a teenager.) I don't think older siblings should be made to become secondary parents because the ACTUAL parents can't bring themselves to stop having kids even when the load becomes more than they can manage on their own. JMHO.

[Dorian Gray]

82. My friend has six kids (none twins)

and the oldest is definitely a huge help with the younger kids. But she earns an allowance from her help, as well. (She's not forced into babysitting.)

I can't imagine having 8 babies all at once with no help. I would probably have a nervous breakdown.

And she has six children on top of that.

[noamnety]

51. I think the fine folks at DU

are hoping the kids will be neglected and abused (and will resent any assistance she gets - public or private), so I imagine your post won't be too popular.

[KharmaTrain]

61. People Are Hoping Children Will Be Neglected?

A little judgemental there are we?

The criticism I've read was over both the publicity she's getting and how she's not financially able to support all those children financially (forclosure, no job) and how these children will eventually become wards of the state or require large amounts of state money. There's no resentment on the money that will have to be spent on these children...if anything, they make a case for greater spending on education and health care to ensure they have a future...but just at a woman and doctor who played around with science and put these children into what is sure to be a difficult situation and a mom who has shown she definitely is looking for ways to cash in on her noteriety.

[Pithlet]

108. Some people seem to have absolutely lost their minds over this story.

It's crazy. So sadly I don't think that criticism is that far off the mark. There was a thread here linking to TMZ of all places showing her buying a video game, and people went apeshit. She was buying a video game!!!!! How dare her children have toys. I get snarky about it because if I think too deeply on it I just might cry.

If you saw no resentment about money having to be spent on the children, then you missed more than a few posts.

[carlyhippy]

72. I hope no one wants her children to be abused or neglected, but

I think her unpopularity is stemming from the fact that she is unemployed, on assistance, financially unable to care for herself and 6 kids. She then goes and has 8 more babies, no possibility of taking care of herself and her kids. The mother is irresponsible; yes people are mad at her, working people who were able to care of their family are being laid off and needing assistance, responsible people are now broke because of the economy, they see this irresponsible woman having this many kids, she isn't going to be popular with today's situation. It's not the children's fault.

[burythehatchet]

79. NEWSFLASH: Their mother is a psycho freak. Those kids are already abused.

[Dorian Gray]

83. I hope people don't feel that way

While I hope the mother doesn't profit from her decision to have 14 children, I don't want her children to suffer, either. I am glad they are getting the help that they are.

[Lorien]

104. No, noamnety, the people of DU have ALWAYS been concerned about the

welfare of these children, which is why we've been horrified by this mother's choices. What she has done is set up a situation where it's impossible for her to give each of her children all the attention they will require on her own; it's selfish and appalling. Why in the hell would you make such a sick and deranged statement about ANYONE? Did you read what you just typed? You honestly believe that anyone here-or any human being who isn't in a mental institution or prison- WANTS children to get abused and neglected??? I think that it's time that you stepped away from the computer and spent a little time examining your own beliefs.

[noamnety]

124. Well, do you have the sense

that people are happy she's got a good home for them now?

Or do you have more of a sense that people are pissed off that they'll be living in a house that's not about to be foreclosed on?

Nevermind whether people agree with her decision to have the kids; they're here now. Just in this thread, do you sense more happiness or resentment that their living situation has improved?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

109. That's like Rush hoping Obama will fail

But I think Octomom will do very well for herself.

I just hope that when these kids get a few years older, she doesn't feel the need for another litter.

[FreakinDJ]

59. Attention seeking / Self-centered / Bizarre choices?

Sorry

It can be done as we summered with the Beardsly Family (Langendorf Bread commercials-1960s family with 21 kids) but I don't think she is the one to do it

[dannofoot]

93. CoffeeCat, if it was in central Illinois,

I was there. I can't (well, hardly) imagine another Catholic High School with a family of 17.

My mom, a retired journalist, once took a photo of the whole family lined up outside their home, it made it into Time magazine for a story on the U.S. population in the '70'2.

[CoffeeCat]

116. That's funny...

No, I'm in Iowa!

I'm sure most Catholic High Schools have at least one family with 17 kids! :)

[Tangerine LaBamba]

98. And, all those kids were different ages, right?

Sequential, one after the other, and the older ones were able to help as the younger ones were born.

The situations are simply not comparable.

Here you have six kids under the age of seven, and now eight new children, all the same age.

Try computing THAT. What you referenced doesn't apply here. Not at all.

That woman needs all kinds of help, and so do all those poor kids.

[emmadoggy]

129. Thank you.

So many people don't seem to get that. A big load of multiples, in addition to several singletons is NOT the same as several singletons. Whole other ballgame. Not to mention, this isn't a stable married couple trying to do this, but a (what seems to be) very UNstable single mother.

I feel so sad for those children.

I'm glad she is getting somewhat better living arrangements and the nursing help, but it is still a ridiculous situation all the way around.

[Lorien]

100. The Catholic family that I grew up next to had 14 kids and both parents at

home. Did the kids survive? Sure. But as soon as the girls hit puberty most were pregnant, and the majority of the boys ended up in jail at one point or another. One robbed my home three times before he got put away. The parents were nice people; mom stayed at home while dad sold real estate. But there was no possible way for them to give much in the way of individual attention to all of their kids, so the children acted out to get the attention they craved. it was a very sad situation.

[emmadoggy]

127. Yes, BUT,

multiples are a whole different ball game. Seventeen kids is a LOT, but I'm guessing they were spaced anywhere from 10 months to 2 years apart. So by the time the younger 2 or 3 came along the oldest ones were well into their teens. In the Suleman case you are talking about 14 kids with the oldest being 7! And eight of them all the same age/stage. Imagine the sort of feeding schedule it will take to feed 8 babies - by the time you finish feeding the last couple it will be time to start all over again with the first! Imagine then also having to change diapers on all those babies - multiple times a day! Imagine trying to bathe not only 8 infants, but also most of her older ones who still are probably not doing that independently (isn't the next older child barely 2?). Somewhere in there you have to find the time to do dishes, laundry, and prepare meals, to say nothing of SLEEP!! AND, at least one, and possibly two, of the older children have a disability (autism). Chances are good that one or more of the babies could have health issues as well. So add therapies and special care into the mix.

Trust me, this is a whole other ball of wax.

Yes, the nurses will help, but I wonder how long it will last. She is going to need a LOT of help for a long time.

[Kahuna]

52. I agree. The kids are all here now, and I hope for the best for her entire

family. I really do pray that somehow it will all work out. I'm not too hopeful, but still I pray.

[robinlynne]

2. wow, from welfare to a half a million dollar home... amazing.

so the moral of the story is. Be outrageous, a selfish bitch, put your kids in danger and on society's dime, and you get rewarded bigtime...

[Sal Minella]

33. Also -- "Get eroticizing plastic surgery."

[robinlynne]

49. that's erotic? eeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww

[Sal Minella]

58. Puffy-ized lips indicate sexual arousal in a woman, I was told by a person

who should know (a man) and therefore a man finds such lips sexually arousing. (Why Octomom had this done I have NO idea).

I don't get the point of having her nose all MichaelJackson-ized, but the nose in her BEFORE photos does resemble the nose in Michael Jackson's BEFORE photos -- broad and heavy.

[otohara]

112. Is There A Link

you could provide to prove this or did you make this up?

[Sal Minella]

115. Proving plastic surgery?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.theinsider.com/obsessions/Celebrity_Bodies/photos/1658097_Nadya_Suleman_Before_and_After_Plastic_Surgery&usg=__CvuvWJ6ErAE4ywZ55v8e2nZM_qI=&h=198&w=400&sz=18&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=VWtCvxlN2qXVPM:&tbnh=61&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsite:cm1.theinsider.com%2BNadya%2Bbefore%2Bsurgery%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

I'm getting "illegal image code" when trying to paste pix -- to see many pix, just google Nadya Suleman Before and After Plastic Surgery. Or Nadya before and after plastic surgery.

[otohara]

117. How Sad

she was kinda cute before she took on Michael Jackson's fucked up nose and a bad attempt at Jolie's lips.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

3. "...that kind of care would cost about $135,000 a month."

Who is paying for that?

[carlyhippy]

6. that nursing service is supposedly funded on donations

wow housing must be really high in california. I live in a house that is 200 sq ft smaller than that one, and it was only 1/10 of the price of her home, mine is newer, go figure...it may be interesting having 14 kids in the house, I had 3 and sometimes it was too small for 5 people and pets.

[shanti]

103. yes, housing is really high in california

n/t

[LisaL]

26. I wonder why is "Angels in waiting" agency doing this?

That's a lot of money to spend on all these nurses.

[Marrah_G]

66. Because they care about children- even babies with batshit crazy mothers

[LisaL]

92. O'key, so are they providing everyone who needs

with care for the babies? I am sure there are plenty of people who could use free nurses to take care of their newborns. Or do you have to have 8 at once?

[Marrah_G]

94. It is what they do- they help vulnerable children.

They have been around for a while.

Are you saying no charity should help anyone unless they can help EVERYONE?

[flvegan]

4. Where did she get $600k?

[LisaL]

21. My bet is donations and interviews.

[AlCzervik]

36. her father is listed as the buyer.

he might have sold his own home to buy that.

[LisaL]

37. What home?

Wasn't he living with them all?

[AlCzervik]

38. she lives with her mom in a house that's getting foreclosed on, i don't know if her

parents are still married or not. If the parents are divorced and that house is on the mothers name only it wouldn't affect his ability to buy another house unless his own credit is farked by his own hand.

[shanti]

105. supposedly their old home

was in foreclosure :shrug:

[Ilsa]

88. Isn't her dad buying it for her? Or did he just arrange the purchase? nt

[TorchTheWitch]

131. She has a contract with Entertainment Tonight/Inside Edition

It's probably a couple million at least.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

5. Where's the money coming from?

[connecticut yankee]

7. Where did they get the money

for the house?

I thought her mother's house was being foreclosed upon.

[carlyhippy]

8. yeah, it is being foreclosed, curious to know also

Carly

[AlCzervik]

13. the house was bought by her father or at least he's listed as the buyer, maybe her

parents are divorced so the mom's forclosure would have no bearing on her ex husband assuming her house is in her name only.

just a guess.

[Big Blue Marble]

9. The house is .....wait for it....

on Madonna Lane!

[carlyhippy]

10. LOL I caught that

Carly

[Booster]

11. That's only cause they don't have an Angelina Lane.

[hay rick]

25. No real respect here, just lip service.

[varkam]

12. The horror! The horror!

:eyes:

[Lyric]

14. Her DAD is the one buying the house.

She and the kids are going to live with him (he and her Mom are divorced.)

Nadya Suleman's father, Ed Doud, is purchasing a $564,900 house in the city of La Habra in a deal is expected to close Friday, said Prudential Realty listing agent Mike Patel.

In a related development, television talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw said Monday that Suleman will accept a volunteer group's offer of nursing care for her children.

(snip)

McGraw said in a statement that Suleman will accept childcare help from the nonprofit nursing group Angels in Waiting.

Suleman had previously said she wouldn't accept the group's offer to provide round-the-clock care because it would mean relocating to the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, but a deal has been made to provide care at home, according to the statement.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29604713/

[Pithlet]

15. Aw, now you've ruined the fun.

They'll have to put away the pitchforks, now. Of course, there are the nurses still... They can always rant about those.

[LisaL]

18. Well, aren't you a smart one?

Where do you think her father got the money? That would be the same father that was going to have to go to Iraq to make some money.
:eyes:

[Pithlet]

19. Grumpy grumpy. n/t

[Rhythm]

27. Yeah... Lyric's a spoil-sport like that

Always ruining a perfectly-good "pitchforks-and-torches" moment.
:spank:

[carlyhippy]

16. ok that makes sense then

if I had 8 newborn babies, I would be quite appreciative of the nurses helping take care of the kids, and would hope they would stick around for 18 years. :)

[AlCzervik]

43. Carly did you not read the article you posted?

:D

[carlyhippy]

62. Yeah, but I must have missed the part where her father/mother were divorced

I tend to skim over articles, slowing down is hard for me to do sometimes.

[KittyWampus]

84. Oops

I was wrong. sorry.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. It's not a big house

Four bedrooms, three baths? 2500 square feet?

Fourteen kids?

I read that she'd received almost $300,000.00 in donations, and that that money was used as the 50% down payment. Her father bought it, since he was probably the one who could get a mortgage, and, yes, her parents are divorced.

It's good she's getting child-care help, but this is hardly a big enough house for her and six kids, let alone another eight.

I still don't think CPS should allow her to take those kids home.

And I'm dying to know how much $$$$ she's gotten through that hideous website she put up to collect money via PayPal.

[LeftyMom]

32. Maybe they're planning on adding on.

Or trading up as the kids get older. Or converting another room (a den, dining room?) to another bedroom, or some combination thereof. There really aren't a ton of houses for sale with more than four bedrooms. :shrug:

Generally multiples sleep more than one to a crib for the first few months, they generally don't sleep well alone after so much time next to somebody else in utero and then the hustle and bustle of the ICU. So it's not as if she needs a room for each baby, four cribs in one room would accommodate all eight for probably the first year.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

35. It's not just room for the kids -

you need room for all the things that those kids need - imagine the diaper supply for the octuplets!!! Boxes and boxes and boxes could fill up one bedroom.

It's not bad when they're tiny, you're right, but consider all the people taking care of them - Grand Central Station at rush hour will look spacious and tranquil by comparison.

I just hope CPS holds on to those babies.

[LeftyMom]

39. Some things you wouldn't duplicate-

I mean, you're not going to have 8 baby swings (those things take up a slightly insane amount of floor space) or 8 playpens (though one of those big plastic expandable playyards would be a real wise investment as they all get older.) Cases of diapers and such would go in the garage, I assume. It's California, we put our cars outside and our stuff in the garage.

Obviously that many kids in one house isn't the optimal situation, but it isn't "zomg! Neglect! Take those babies!" material either. Especially if there's a long term plan to move or expand, which whoever's working with her undoubtedly has more information about than somebody who read about the situation on a political message board.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

41. I know.........

But, given what I've seen and read of and about her, and her protestations that she wasn't going to need any help from anyone, that she had "plans in her head," I really do fear for the well-being of those fragile little eight people.

Hell, just getting them fed is going to require the logistics of the Berlin Air Lift.

[kath]

46. Uh, 'scuse me - my parents raised 6 kids in a 1400 sq. ft, 3 BR, 1 bathroom house.

And we did just fine. Aunt and uncle raised 5 kids in a 3 bdrm 900 sq. ft. house (theirs did have a full basement, though, so the kids hung out down there a lot)- so I beg to differ that 2600 sq ft is not big enough for one adult and 6 kids.

As to how much room 14 kids and 1 adult would need .... does not compute, does not compute...
My mind absolutely boggles at the thought of 14 kids under 7 years old. The woman is batshit crazy.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

99. No comparison

We're talking about fourteen children under the age of eight in a 2500 square foot house.

Fourteen.

It's nice that your family did so well in smaller houses. I'm happy for you all. But the situations are not even remotely similar.

These new babies - all eight of them - are going to require around-the-clock nursing attention for the first months of their lives at home. How well do you think a four-bedroom house is going to accommodate that kind of crowd?

It's absurd, all of it. The woman is, indeed, batshit crazy.

[kath]

133. I was questioning your statement that 2600 sq. ft. is not big enough for 1 adult and 6 kids - agree

agree that it's going to be tight for the litter of 8 and all their nursing help, plus the previous 6 kids (poor things) and the abomination of a "mother".

[robinlynne]

47. Her Dad is broke. Unable to pay for the smaller home.

having trouble buying food according to the mother all over tv.
So no her dad does not have that kind of money. His home is in foreclosure because he cannot pay his mortgage.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

97. You've got your facts mixed up....

Her parents have been divorced for about ten years. The house in which the first six kids and Nadya and her mother currently live is in her mother's name, and that is the house that is in foreclosure. Nadya's father has nothing to do with that house.

As for food, Nadya has been getting food stamps for years.

Her father is employed, has a steady income, and was able to buy the La Habra house using almost $300,000 that Nadya received - it is alleged - via her website. Nadya, being unemployed, and having no reliable income, could never have qualified for a mortgage.

So, that's the story. Not what you posted, although it's certainly easy enough to get these confusing facts mixed up.

[robinlynne]

118. It was on the news last night: home purcahses with money she "recently received".

[Tangerine LaBamba]

121. That's the theory -

the down payment was, allegedly, made with money donated to her.

But, the reality is that no one knows for sure. It's all conjecture.

[Joe the Liberal]

20. Well this seems to be a trend here in America......

Be irresponsible, irrational, unreasonable, crazy, stupid, and greedy/selfish and guess what? You get rewarded, in this case you would get a free house, money, and nurses to take care of your kids for you while you go and do whatever.

As many here have questioned, where did all the money come from? I'm guessing from the taxpayers, we seem to pick up the tab for idiot behavior nowadays.

This makes me sick :puke:

[cboy4]

22. Dr. Phil is such a whore.

:puke:

[kskiska]

24. How long before a falling out

between Nadya and the nurses? Her second PR guy just quit after a few weeks - said she's nuts and greedy. It won't work. And is she going to be out shopping and getting her nails done while the nurses toil away with the kids?

[NYC_SKP]

28. How many will see this and model their lives after hers?

Or something similar?

The woman needs some serious counseling/psychiatric help at the very least.

The children are and will remain victims of her madness.

:shrug:

[IrishBuckeye]

29. So when does her Reality T.V. show start? /nm

nm

[emilyg]

31. Good for the babies.

[hlthe2b]

40. Yes... that has to be the focus--the kids....

I have great disdain for this woman, but the children deserve the best of care.

Boy, though, I hope those older kids get some psychological help as well. It sounds as thought they need the support to deal with their crazy mother and her choices.

[Kahuna]

54. Yes, I really do have concern for the older kids. I think a lot of us

freaked when we found out about the older kids, realizing that this probably wasn't the best thing for THEM. They are the ones I worry about the most. I hope and pray somehow that once the babies come home they will all fall in love with them the way kids often do. It's a tough situation all around. Still, I'm happy that at least the kids will be getting a new home and nursing care.

[Zhade]

44. Those poor kids have no chance of a normal life.

And the six older ones will resent their mother when they realized she had the eight just to cash in.

[robinlynne]

48. Yep, I think adoption would be the best thing for those babies.

[misanthrope]

132. Not even close. Nothing will be good for them until they are placed elsewhere**nm

**

[emilyg]

34. Good for the babies.

[emmadoggy]

42. I saw this just before coming to DU...

It's great she's getting the nurses - Lord knows, she is going to need them. But how long is that going to last? Will they still be there when the babies are one? two? three? I seriously doubt it. Yes, the labor intensity of infants is enormous, but that many toddlers is no picnic either. I just can't fathom how she is going to do this without a ton of help for a long time.

And that house is going to be way too small for that size of a brood. Yes, like someone upthread said, you can put a few cribs in one room, but at 4 bedrooms and 2500 sq. ft. I doubt any of those bedrooms is very large except for maybe the Master. And what happens when they are out of cribs and need beds? Then where do you put them all?? Ok, so they can add on, but that will cost a lot of money as well and where will that come from? I suppose they've gotten a lot of money in donations already, but in a couple of years when this is gone from people's consciousness the money won't be rolling in so quickly.

Remember the McCoughy's (sp?)? They got a huge new house with a ginormous laundry room and something like 2 or 3 washers and dryers - and they only had 8 kids! Imagine doing laundry for 16 people!!! Not to mention unless she gets a retrofitted BUS, they will never be able to travel anywhere all together.

Which reminds me, she sure has had a lot of time to flit around to be on tv shows and give interviews. Not to mention time to house hunt and flit around for photo ops.

I feel bad for her kids. I really do.

[Hekate]

50. 2 bunk beds per BR = 4 kids per BR, but still, that woman is mentally unsound...

If she were more or less normal, that size of house would be marginally okay as per size. I grew up in a 3 BR 1bath house that was less than 750 sq ft; there were 4 of us kids and the 2 parents. We kids had bunk beds. Our neighbor had 6 kids. But honestly, the mothers in my neighborhood had all their marbles.

If a woman is going to have a big family, Mother Nature doesn't send 8 at once. Even one a year gives the kids a chance to grow a bit before the next one comes along. But Nadia -- that woman is batshit crazy. Half of the kids she already had were damaged anyway -- what the hell is she thinking?

I agree with you -- this is a horrible situation for the kids.

Hekate

[emmadoggy]

89. Ok, first of all,

holy cow, I didn't know that it was possible to have 3 bedrooms in less than 750 sq. ft.! Seriously, were they like 6x6?? LOL. Wow, that's a small house. But I know what you are saying... I thought about the bunk beds too. But two sets of bunks in each bedroom, 4 kids per room, still leaves 2 left over that either have to be in Mom's room or stashed somewhere else. And if the bedrooms are small (which I'm guessing they are, at least smallish) then that is pretty crammed in and then you have to have enough closet space for clothes for 4 kids in each room too. And since Mom isn't married maybe it isn't a big deal for 2 of them to be in with Mom, but I personally believe that parents need to have their own separate space from the children, especially as the kids get older. But maybe my standards are just too high? I dunno, I just can't imagine being so packed in like sardines. If the Mom isn't already crazy, she certainly will be in short order!!!

And as you mention, we already know there is one child with special needs, and I heard that possibly one of the other children may have special needs as well. I think there is a good chance that one or more of the octuplets could end up with special needs also. That just makes the situation that much worse and would be just unimaginable to me. Just a bad and unhealthy situation for all of them.

I just can't imagine how you go about buying groceries, doing laundry for, cooking for, buying clothing for, paying doctor bills for, traveling with, keeping track of school schedules for, helping with homework for, and so on, for 14 kids!!!! Eight of whom are all the same age and all 14 within 7 years in age. At least for people like the Duggars, the oldest ones are basically grown as the younger ones come along (one recently got married). And how do you do all that as a single parent? Ok, so her Mom and Dad help her out, but that is still an enormous task even for 3 adults, who I'm assuming won't all be there at the same time (Mom and Dad are divorced). And what happens if the Mom or Dad's health becomes an issue and they are no longer able to help? Or they have a falling out - not unlikely in this kind of situation (they've already expressed doubts/issues with their daughter). And even with financial help these first few years, then what? How will they financially be able to manage this? I think I heard something about Nadia is trying to get her degree in psychology or something (which is hilarious in itself!), but how is she going to raise these kids and find time for school for herself? And even if she does, and gets a job, how will she pay for care for all her kids while she's working?

Yep, I agree - Nadia is batshit crazy.

[Hekate]

119. LOL--the house I grew up in was about standard for Hawaii in the 1950s-1980...

Really small by current Mainland standards, though. And single-wall construction.

It all depends on what you're used to and what your neighbors have, too. Mr. H and I grew up at opposite ends of the country (his family lived in the projects in the Bronx after they immigrated) and each of us were living in apartments in California when we met. When we bought our house here in 1983 we felt like we were wallowing in square footage. It's around 1500 sq ft, 4 BR, 2 BA. We're still here, but somehow now that the 2 kids have grown and gone I've managed to fill it all up -- proving my mother's maxim: Junk expands to fill the space available. LOL

Hekate

[Sal Minella]

55. The McCaughey brood is six people smaller than the Octomom brood:

I can't even imagine.

The McCaughey parents seem to be spokespersons for a vitamin supplement.
I should think any fertile people who have a thought about the planet would be exceedingly cautious about taking those vitamins.

[LisaL]

60. Why are there 8 kids on the cover?

[Sal Minella]

67. A big sister was waiting at home -- i.e. these people already had one healthy

child by normal means when they did the fertility drug thing (I don't know for sure if they've ever admitted they used fertility treatments, but how many women naturally release seven eggs at a time?)

[SoCalDem]

73. Didn't the McCaugheys lose that house because they could not afford the upkeep & taxes?

They were quite the "stars", until it was obvious that some of their little ones had disabilities.. The media attention dropped off a lot, and eventually completely..

Media likes healthy, robust, cute kids..not kids in walkers, with learning disabilities

A 2500 sq ft house is not that big, but people used to routinely raise 5-6 kids in a 1000 sq ft crackerbox house, so it is possible,. It won't be comfortable, but it's possible

[emmadoggy]

126. You made me curious about that, so I Googled them.

As of November 2007, when the kids turned 10, they were still in the house. I found the Dateline NBC article/video from that visit (they did one every year at their birthday). They were still living in the house - which BTW, Dateline said was 5500 sq. ft. They also got a large van and two years worth of diapers.

Two of the children have forms of Cerebral Palsey.

They turned 11 this past November but I couldn't find a Dateline piece for the most recent birthday. Perhaps the McCaughey's agreed to do the annual story until they were 10. :shrug:

[shanti]

106. just like the gosselins

and their new 25 acre million dollar spread in PA. cha-ching!

[Bunny]

53. I wonder if Oprah is involved in this somehow. Ed Doud was on her show a couple of weeks ago,

and he surprised Oprah with a request that she help Nadya get evaluated and treated for whatever is wrong with her. It wouldn't surprise me for Oprah to be somewhere behind the scenes with this latest news.

[acmavm]

56. Seems like her scheme is paying off. Big time.

[acmavm]

57. Seems like her scheme is paying off. Big time.

[Lilith Velkor]

90. All those taxpayers who were so eager to support her kids must be disappointed.

[LisaL]

95. Hah?

[Lilith Velkor]

102. Guh!

[Sultana]

63. Where did she get the money?

I still believe CPS should take the kids.

This kind of behavior of having a huge family w/o financial support should be a/g the law. x(

[Marrah_G]

64. I'm glad there will be someone competent to care fot the children because the mother is not.

[hiphopnation]

65. is that where the porn will be shot? eom

[bigtree]

69. good for her and her family

god bless them all

[Kahuna]

71. Hey, Bigtree! Was it you who yelled at me for saying the kids were cute??

Sorry if I've pinned it on the wrong DUer. I got yelled at and I promised to never call babies cute again. :hi:

[bigtree]

74. oh no

I've got nothing but love for the mother and family. I'm thinking it wasn't me. (Newborns are seldom physically 'cute' in my view, though. But life is beautiful. It should be celebrated and nurtured. Too much trashing of folks here.)

[Kahuna]

76. Oops! My bad..

:hug:
I actually got quite a laugh out of somebody chastising me for calling a baby cute. Inasmuch as I have no life, it made my day.

[cali]

77. uh, no. We're talking about child welfare here

and she has not demonstrated that she's a fit mother able to give these kids a stable home environment.

[Kahuna]

78. She also has not demonstrated (yet) that she is unable to give the

kids a stable home. I believe the way the law works is that she must first be considered to be possibly unfit FIRST, before the state steps in. We shall we. In the meantime, I don't see anything wrong with being hopeful that for the sake of the kids things can work out.

[bigtree]

86. go bother someone else

[Maru Kitteh]

130. Well, the hospitals around the country had better start adding some extra floors

I'd say a good 30% of babies go home to circumstances that don't meet your standard. I know what we could do! Let's take them all away and auction them off to the rich!

[SoCalDem]

70. "Buys" a home in LaHabra..with WHAT??

Well, I guess her stunt paid off:grr:

[Avalux]

87. Did payment for interviews go to her Dad?

Here's my thought. If Nadya accepts money for interviews it would be considered income and she'd lose her food stamps, any other assistance from the state. So, Dad graciously steps in; checks are made out to him, he buys the house. Bet he's buying with cash - especially on a short sale house. Close by Friday? They aren't even taking the time to have it inspected.

So yes, her stunt is paying off.

[kskiska]

75. House photos

[carlyhippy]

81. I like it, wonder if it comes furnished....

She was looking at a 1.5 million dollar home in Whittier, guess that one didn't pan out....good that she can afford a 500,000 home and have money to take care of 14 kids, I wouldn't be able to afford it myself.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

80. i want this family to have a chance. To me, this is good news. I just hope that Nadya

gets the professional help she needs and it seems that the "older" siblings need help right now too.

[carlyhippy]

85. they will all need some family counseling

this will be a very stressful situation for her and the other kids, as well as the babies when they need one on one time with the mom and she has to dole her time out between all the kids. I feel for her when they all get earaches, colds, stomach ailments etc at the same time, she is going to need alot of help.

[fed_up_mother]

96. Yesterday, I saw clips where she continued to refer to the nurses as nannies. UGH

I do think she is trying to be someone else.

[shanti]

107. yes, and we all know who n/t

[northernlights]

101. and her 2nd PR person quit

Said she was "getting greedy" and called her "totally nuts." There was an article just the other day.

That article included a little history with her 1st 6 kids, including multiple (semi-hysterical) calls to 911 over the years. Called them once when she couldn't find kid #5, who it turned out had followed grandma on a walk around the block.

Criminies, if she's going to call 911 every time she can't find a kid for 5 minutes, this is going to be just fabulous.
The article also said the hospital will be monitoring the situation before releasing any of the 8 new babies to her.

We'll never hear the end of this whackadoodle. I give this "family" about zero odds...just a matter of time before they give up and take away the kids.

[Gin]

113. was watching the TV and saw the babies...they are so cute...can't help

but feel good when you see them...even though I think this whole story is over the top bizzarre...the babies look sweet and healthy.


Per the view today...The dad told someone...maybe Oprah...he only had 100.00 and would have to go back to Iraq to work...now he buys a half million dollar home???

[kskiska]

120. Maybe it's in daddy's name

so Nadya won't have to pay back all the welfare money she's gotten or pay taxes on the house.

[kath]

134. It does sound shady - the IRS needs to check out all the crap she's pulling. If she's doing the

interviews and getting paid, it counts as income for HER. Donations would count as income too, I should think.

[WI_DEM]

110. I used to live in LaHabra when I was CA_DEM

[tjwash]

114. She must have got the up front money for...

...starring in that porno that she was offered.


Meanwhile, 2 more people were booted out to the curb by the marshals in our neighborhood last week.





Oh well, fuck them right?

[rvablue]

122. Good news for her. Bad news for those new neighbors. n/t

[uppityperson]

123. I love these quotes:

" externalizing their anger. Internalizing it. They become more withdrawn and get a little more sad," Suleman tells the show. "One of my kids for a while, I noticed, he didn't want to deal with the reality of what's going on. I noticed some tears coming down his face. I held him for ten minutes and he held me back and that's all he needed."

"As far as the babies' father, she says she paid him for the sperm donation. "A certain amount of money," she says, "not too much but just enough so he knew that there were boundaries there. I wanted those boundaries to be really firm and know that this is a business arrangement." "

[Dukkha]

125. played the donors for saps and it paid off big for her

selfish greed, gross negligence, and extremely irresponsible behavior triumphs again