Family Notes: After years of trying to get pregnant, Spencer and Kellie Matherne never expected the outcome that they received.
"When the doctor said, I see more than one, I got very excited. I'd always wanted twins," says 26-year-old Kellie. "Then, she went on to say there was more than two, and I got a little nervous."
Spencer and Kellie's septuplets were conceived through Intra-Uterine Insemination, the same treatment used by Jon and Kate Gosselin to conceive their sextuplets.
Upon learning the news of this high-order multiple birth, the doctors that the couple saw all suggested selective reduction, which the couple refused.
"If God's gonna give you seven babies to take care of, then why not? He never gives you anything more than you can handle," Spencer says.
The septuplets, weighing in between two and three pounds, were born at 31 weeks gestation. There were five girls and two boys, born on July 17th, 2007, shortly before 11:30pm.
Now, the septuplets are nearly two and a half years old, and have VERY distinct personalities.
"Hayden is very laid back, and relaxed," says Kellie. "He can also be very sneaky and deceitful."
"Alexis is extremely sociable. She was the first to talk, and she loves to visit and meet new people," father Spencer adds.
"Kendra is sort of tomboy-ish, I guess. She'll wear dresses and bows and stuff, but it's her true passion to get down and dirty with the boys," Kellie laughs.
"Stephanie is pretty much the opposite of Kendra. She's the girliest one of them. She doesn't like to get dirty, and she loves to play babies and dress-up," Spencer smiles as he explains his daughter.
"Libby has a WILD imagination. She comes up with the most incredible things, and her little mind is always wandering. She is very funny, and she can be very unpredictable," Kellie explains.
"Jacob is an all-around boy. He loves trucks, sports, playing outside, dirt, and he's definitely a daddy's boy. He's always around me, and I think he looks up to me, actually,' says Spencer.
"Hailey is very keep-to-herself. She often chooses to play by herself, which is sometimes difficult in a house with nine people, but that doesn't bother her. She would rather help mommy cook supper than play babies with her sisters," says Kellie.
When asked if they could change anything, such as the number of babies, Spencer and Kellie both agree on one thing.
"We would have done it sooner," Kellie declares, sure about her decision.
"Even though it can get hard, it's still a lot of fun, and I wouldn't change anything about it," says Spencer. "I love them all to death, and looking back now, I can't imagine life without them."
"Thinking about the selective reduction option," Kellie begins, "if we had gone through with it, it's hard to think of which of these wonderful little lives I would be missing out on. Would I not get to experience Libby's quirky little remarks, or Hayden's sly plans? They're so amazing to live with, and I wouldn't want to spend a day without them."
Matherne Septuplets 2007
Septuplet Multiple Births
Matherne Septuplets
