Courtney and Eric Waldrop of Alabama were given the shock of their life when they learned they were expecting sextuplets after trying for another baby after having three already. TODAY Parents spoke with the Waldrop parents over the phone, while two babysitters were covering the now-9-month-old sextuplets and the elder children were at school. Their lifestyles are described by Courtney as “fun-crazy.” “We adore every minute of it, but having to nurse around the clock is something,” she added, adding that now that the infants are crawling, there is a whole new level of joy and mayhem.
Eric explained, “It’s a new type of fᴀᴛɪɢᴜᴇ now.” “They’re doing fantastic, even when we think we’re going insane.” The family has been filming Sweet Home Sextuplets, a new TLC series that tracks their growth from a group of five to an 11-person household. The program premieres on Tuesday, September 18 at 10/9 p.m. ET/PT, and Waldrop’s claim that making it brought an unexpected sense of structure to their often chaotic life. Courtney explained, “Things was almost like they knew if it got wild, we’d stop and they’d let us get everything quiet.” “We honestly never had to tell someone to turn off the cameras. They were aware of it.”
The television narrative begins when the couple learns they are expecting sextuplets and follows them through the gender reveal (three boys, three girls), the birth of all six kids, and their return home to a flurry of siblings, diapers, and feedings. The couple saw themselves as “really lucky” to have been able to have so many children, and they chose to have the television program in their life to convey their faith and thankfulness. Eric explained, “We didn’t go into this intending to be – I don’t even like the word – celebrities.” “We want to show the world what God has done for us and how much this circumstance has benefitted us. We want to demonstrate to America what a blessing God has been to us.”
Throughout the program, the strength of the couple’s marriage will be on full display. Eric and Courtney, who have been married for 22 years and met in the seventh grade, believe that having nine children has deepened their bond. “I know people may think I’m just saying this, but I believe our connection is stronger today than it has ever been,” Courtney stated. “We have nine children together, and he is my rock and my savior. We must look out for one another.”
The biggest surprise for Courtney about having sextuplets was that “at four months old, the infants start sleeping through the night.” We were incredibly fortunate, which came as a complete shock to us. That is something I never expected to happen. So, for the most part, we’re getting a little sleep and managing to get by.” “If you had asked me how I felt when we found out we were carrying six babies, I think I simply thought it would be an impossible situation,” Eric explained.
“I’m not saying it’s easy; it’s simply a matter of adapting and making it work. It’s the new normal, and I simply get right in when I get home from work, and before you know it, it’s past midnight. “I suppose the surprise is that I made it through the first nine months,” Eric joked.
