Tribute to a Mom of 8 Girls!

Easter family celebration

Q. Did you always want a large family?

A. I grew up as the oldest of five and really thought I only wanted three children maximum. But I just fell in love with each of my girls so much. As they grew up, and I kept having more girls and my heart just explodes for them. Seeing my girls grow and having more, my capacity to love has also grown in ways that the 20-year-old me when I got married could never have even imagined!

Q. What are the advantages to having eight girls?

A. We have such built-in shopping buddies, we love having manis and pedis together, we share all our clothes, and I have a great crew to help me decorate at Christmas! I love watching each of my girls grow into their own individual and mature into a unique young woman. Having eight girls is always an attention grabber and topic of conversation so I get many opportunities to brag about them and can share my love for them with so many people around me. 

Q. What challenges do you have?

A. It is a challenge to spend individual time with each of them. I work hard to make sure that each of them feels individually seen and loved. I try to take them out on dates for one-on-time. Sometimes it may just be to get a slushy, a stop by Target or a short trip to the mall, and often it is just taking one with me on a short errand, but those times always help me connect with each one individually.

The eight Erdman girls in order of age: Elyse (21), Delaney, (18) Charlotte (15), Jane (11), Vivian (9), Annie (6), Mary Rose (3), and Georgia (2 months)

Q. Do you get asked often about wanting a boy?

A. Oh, my goodness, I get this boy question all the time. I would have chosen to have a boy first if I could have. But now since having all girls, we sort of want nothing but girls. When telling my girls last summer I was pregnant, the girls asked, “Oh no, what if it’s a boy?” If it was a boy, maybe I would have felt sorry for him having seven older sisters! Honestly, Tanner and I just love having the girl gang. 

Q. What are your future plans?

A. We are both so grateful for our family and cannot imagine life without one of them. We love watching our girls do what they love so much and will continue to stay involved in each of their lives and activities as they grow. The hours spent driving to see our daughter at college, and time and money spent watching our girls dance — as they have all danced at Kansas Dance Academy — is so fulfilling and worth it, because of the immense pride we feel for them. When in need of a date night, thankfully my mother and dad live close by. I really couldn’t handle motherhood without them. It just goes to show the generational blessings of motherhood. I thank God every day for the way in which He has blessed us and continues to do so. Meanwhile, we keep our hearts open to the Lord’s plan for our family.

Happy Mother’s Day to Katie Erdman and an honorable mention to husband Tanner as well!