Patty and Carlos Hernandez are the proud parents of a family with 16 kids with no plans of stopping any time soon. The couple counts their large brood as an incredible blessing from God after initially struggling to conceive. So now, they are happy to leave the size of their family completely in the Lord’s hands!
Having a family with 16 kids certainly isn’t for everyone. But while 39-year-old Patty Hernandez admits tending to such a large family can prove stressful at times, she ultimately finds joy in raising each child God gives her.
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And you can’t help but admire this family’s devotion to their faith!
A Slow Start For Family With 16 Kids
Patty and Carlos Hernandez met at church and fell in love. And while they both wanted children, the couple who lives in North Carolina certainly never envisioned the journey God had in store for them!
“We started with one and ended up with 16,” Patty said. “We never imagined it would be that many.”
The newlyweds wanted to start their family right away and immediately tried for a baby. But their timing didn’t match God’s.
“I had trouble getting pregnant with Carlos for almost two years,” Patty recalled. “I guess my body wasn’t ready yet.”
Perhaps things might have been different if things went according to Patty’s and Carlos’ plan. Maybe the couple wouldn’t have been willing to become a family with 16 kids had conception been easy in those early days. But sometimes God answers our prayers in ways we don’t expect. And when we enter a season of waiting it is intended to grow and change our hearts in some way.
Fully Relying On God
For two years, the couple who never uses any type of birth control and is regularly intimate, couldn’t conceive. Starting a family suddenly became an insurmountable challenge and Patty nearly lost hope. The idea of becoming a family with 16 kids likely seemed impossible to Patty and her husband!
“Then God did the miracle,” Patty explains. “We were asking God for a child and he just started giving us children. We started getting pregnant every three months.”
Patty and Carlos Hernandez welcomed Carlos, their first child, in 2008 and then just kept going, eventually becoming a family with 16 kids which includes three sets of twins. This means Patty has spent more than a decade pregnant!
“I’m so happy when I’m pregnant,” she said. “Around three months after I have a baby I usually get pregnant again.”
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Some couples might hit a point where they say enough is enough. But even with 16 kids, the Hernandez family is happy to leave that decision entirely up to the Lord.
“We have left everything to God so whatever God wants to give us we will be happy,” Patty explained. “We don’t use contraception.”
Patty described her latest pregnancy as the toughest yet, saying, “He just didn’t want to come out.” All of her other babies came before 38-weeks, but Clayton, her 16th, held on until 40-weeks. Even so, this mom isn’t done having babies.
“It is a bit more stressful and difficult with a newborn. The babies are always crying and I have to take care of them,” the mother of 16 confessed. “But it is a blessing, we enjoy it.”
Choosing Names For A Family With 16 Kids
The family with 16 kids lives in a five-bedroom house in Charlotte, North Carolina. The home includes a nursery room with five cribs!
The couple makes a living running a cleaning company. Since Patty Hernandez certainly has her hands full with so many kids, the majority of the work falls on Carlos. But he’s happy to work hard to provide for his large family.
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As a tribute to the hardworking dad, the couple gives each of their children a name starting with the letter “C”. But the “C” has another significance, too.
“We name everyone with a ‘C’ because my husband’s name starts with ‘C’, and also because of Christ. So in honor of both, we pick that letter,” Patty explained.
Patty and Carlos Hernandez are parents to six sons and ten daughters. Within the family with 16 kids are three sets of twins: Carla and Caitlyn (11), Calvin and Catherine (7), and Caleb and Caroline (4).
The rest of their brood are as follows: Carlos Jr (13), Christopher (12), Cristian (10), Celeste (9), Cristina (8), Caroll (5), Camilla (3), Charlotte (2), Crystal (1), and the newest addition, Clayton, is just a few months shy of turning one.
Growing Up In The Faith
Faith not only determines the size of the Hernandez family but rules it, as well. They start each day with a devotional, which involves praying, singing, and reading together as a family.
“We love the Lord, so are teaching them about the Bible. we want them to be good people; that is one of the best bonds we all share,” Patty explained.
All of the children have chores and while the older kids are away at school, Patty tries to knock out as much as she can of the never-ending housework. A family with 16 kids is a huge undertaking and may sound like more than anyone could handle. But Patty and Carlos Hernandez consider themselves abundantly blessed.
And if you’re wondering if there will be any more children for the couple in the future, they’re leaving that up to the Lord.
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“God has blessed us with all these kids,” Patty said. “I know some people don’t agree and there are nasty comments online but for us, it’s a big blessing. If God wants us to have another child we will have another one.”
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h/t: Daily Mail
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/The Epoch Times