Surprise!!

As an update to the original post about the woman who went into the hospital to give birth to septuplets when, surprise!, there was an eighth.

With that news, I think I would have immediately asked for an alcohol drip.

Today, however, reports are coming out with more details about the birth and the mother; all of which makes me more appreciative of my own current status even if it doesn't involve meeting political big wigs and flying stuff.

The details:

The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week already has six children, including 2-year-old twins, according to family members.

The woman, who has not been identified, received fertility treatment and was given the option of reducing the number of embryos but declined, according to her mother, Angela Suleman.

The babies were delivered over five minutes on Monday morning, with the eighth baby a surprise for the mother and the medical team. All eight babies were understood to be breathing unaided, and were expected to stay in hospital for at least two months.

The parents of the 33-year-old mother answered reporters' questions outside their home in a quiet cul-de-sac. The babies' grandfather, who is shortly to return to Iraq where he works as a contractor, said that the other six children were excited to have eight new siblings.

The single mother is understood to live with her parents and her six children, aged 7, 6, 5, 3, and 2-year-old twins.


I just don't know where to begin. If I had six children, I would be hesitant to share soap with a male let alone be seeking fertility treatment for another child. Moreover, if I was flying solo in the parent department, I would also rethink a 7th (or 8th, or 9th, etc) as I would have no one to blame for the finger paint on the walls, the wasted tampons used as missiles, and the poop on the ceiling. A parenting partner is as much about shared responsibility as it is someone to blame when things go wrong. Finally, I would really question her father's recent call to duty in Iraq as a contractor....which sounds more likely to be a convenient flight from infantile insanity.

I'm not sure if this mystery woman has a case of the crazies, or simply a calling that would cause me to cut my ears off.

In any event, it inspired my delayed poll of the week.

And special thanks to Samantha for prompting this one....after a day at Ikea where we got tangled up with a horde in search of some great deal on goose down pillows (hello $9!), I was about to hang up blogging for the day.