Sarah Foss, 39, got pregnant at age 16 and was so traumatized by the birth, she swore off kids for another 10 years. After having her second child in 1996, Foss has gotten pregnant every year since then. Now Foss is pregnant with her 14th child and vows to keep her OB-GYN busy, until he places a set of twins in her arms.
The Derby, UK, "mum" says, "All I've ever wanted is twins or triplets. It's my biggest wish, and I'm going to keep trying until I do it. It would be fantastic. In fact, I won't stop trying until I've done it. I love having babies - it's the most wonderful thing in the world."
Foss swears that her children are not a bother at all. She and her longtime live-in partner, Stephen Smith, 40, all live in a three bedroom house. Smith works as a canal boat builder and Foss is a stay-at-home mom but insists that they make ends meet by watching every penny that comes in to the household.
Belt-tightening is not an easy feat in the Foss-Smith household. Each week the couple averages $1,000 on groceries alone--32 loaves of bread, 75 pounds of potatoes, 126 pints of milk, 36 rolls of toilet paper, three large boxes of detergent, eight boxes of cereal.
The busy mom is also very anal about keeping a spotless home. So every day Foss gets up at 4 a.m. to make sure her family is not viewed by the neighbors as "living in a pigsty and behaving as low-life scroungers who beg off the state."
The couple's children sleep in movable bunkbeds and cots, so that they can change them around at bedtime. Two of her children sleep on an airbed. Foss says, that her household is "a squash and a squeeze, but it's cozy. It's home."
Patrick – named after Sara's grandmother's surname of Patrick
Stephen -- named after his father
Malachai – named after a character in the horror film, Children of the Corn
Peppermint – named after mints she craved during pregnancy
Echo – named after a group of eco-campaigners who Stephen met during a job at work
Eli – named after another character in the film, Children of the Corn
Rogue – named after a character in the film, X-Men
Frodo – named after a hobbit in the film, The Lord of the Rings
Morpheus – named after a character in film, The Matrix
Artemis – named after a book character, Artemis Fowl
Blackbird – named after a gathering of blackbirds which flew onto Sara's lawn
Baudelaire – named after the Baudelaire orphans which featured in Lemony Snicket's film, A Series of Unfortunate Events
Voorhees – named after serial killer, Jason Voorhees in the horror movie, Friday The 13th
Comments: (373)
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By: Leticia on 11/24/2009 8:32PM
The reality is the more children you have, the less you're going to be able to provide for them. You can only stretch your time, a meal, a dollar/pound so far. Also, she needs to think about what will happen if her live-in is no longer working, or one of them passes away before those children are adults. Sadly, she can do what she wants, even if her actions are selfish and is in no ones best interest. She is no different then Octomom, someone who is obsessed with having children.
Maybe she'll get a reality show out of the deal.
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By: Andi on 11/25/2009 4:58PM
I think this one's seriously just not right in the head. I mean, naming a kid after a serial killer in a movie?
And for those who says she's normal cuz she keeps a spotless house...it's called OCD and I know a girl who's mom kept a spotless house too...a few years later they were all in foster care.
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By: pinkthenred on 11/25/2009 11:47PM
Stupid reason to be bringing a child into the world in my opinion.
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By: COG4Life7 on 11/26/2009 1:31AM
I agree with you Leticia. My question is why has she kept all her children (if all she wants is twins)? Why would she force herself to penny-pinch and put herself through this kind of emotional stress, living with a partner (Yes, I am spiritual and think they should be married)who could leave her at any time. . . especially considering it has to be hard caring for all those children. I feel so sorry for people like this and their kids, especially knowing so many families attempt to adopt every year.
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By: ADMR on 11/25/2009 1:14AM
Where My Twins At????
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By: Helen Ellerbach on 11/25/2009 4:07PM
Agree with Leticia. Not being married, the children will be taunted and teased in school.
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By: Pam on 11/25/2009 4:30PM
The poor children are probably already teased a lot about their names. Horror movie characters? Serial killers? Candy?
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By: addy692002 on 11/25/2009 6:11PM
They're going to get teased because their parents aren't *married*?! Are you freakin' serious???
I knew bible-thumping was still around but WOW. Sorry, but however shallow kids can get, that's generally not one of the things most kids tease each other about. In fact, a lot if not at least half of kids in today's schools have that problem.
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By: Marie1 on 11/25/2009 7:21PM
Addy692002, children early on learn the word "bastard" and what it means. They will use that word to taunt and bully in the 21st century just as they did in the 20th and previous centuries. Even a bastard will call a bastard a bastard if he/she knows it will "get to" the bastard. One doesn't have to be a "Bible thumper" to know that children can be mean and cruel to one another. With names like Voorhees, Baudelaire, Blackbird, Artemis, Morpheus, Frodo, Rogue, Eli, Echo, Peppermint, and Malachai, being called bastard may be the least of their worries. (Artemis and Malichai aren't that bad. Malachai is Old Testament, though.) Hope the kids are likable. Otherwise, may they have the strength that comes with their number. Their mother and father do not realize the harm they are doing to their kids - with the names, with the large number, and with the marital status and perhaps the lack of the protection said status affords in the event of a worst case scenario happening. I wish the best for them, but that mother needs to stop!
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By: ejmca728 on 11/25/2009 8:32PM
not true my son's father and I never lived together. He is almost 20 now and a very repect full young man. more then 50% of children now a days come from a home of unwed parents or a single parent.
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