I am a mum-of-16 – we’ve given our latest family member a VERY unique name & fans say they love it
A MUM has welcomed a new member into her super-sized family of 16 – and revealed the baby’s girl unique name.
Jeni Bonell, 52, and her husband Ray have Australia’s largest family with nine sons and seven daughters aged between seven and 32 – and eight grandchildren.
One of Jeni’s daughters, Brooke, has now added to the brood after giving birth to a little girl named Odette Faith.
From French and German origin, the name Odette means “wealthy”.
“Last weekend we welcomed a new family member,” Jeni posted on Instagram alongside a photo of her and daughter, and a snap of the little one’s tiny feet.
“I was so honoured to be able to be in the delivery room with my daughter. She was amazing. What a warrior!
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“And aw, look at those teeny tiny feet. So soft and fresh to the world!”
In another post, she said: “Welcome to the world Odette Faith.
“Congratulations to Brooke and Jamie, Aurora, Remington and Zariella.
“We are all very excited and so in love with this precious baby girl.”
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Jeni’s followers rushed to congratulate her and her daughter on the new arrival – and many loved the choice of name.
“Congratulations, I love her name,” one said.
Another wrote: “I love her name! She is so precious.”
With a large following on social media, Jeni often shares the reality and expense of looking after and feeding her large family.
There are currently 11 Bonells living at home, but Jeni says that there can be as many as 25 people around her dinner table if their older children come home and bring a partner or the grandkids for tea.
At the moment she typically spends around £300 a week on food – and admits that’s a little higher than she would like.
She previously posted a photo showing what it’s like for her to “pop to the shops for bead and milk”.
The mum usually does a big supermarket shop at the start of the week – but the stock of supplies only lasts the family half the week – and Jeni returns mid-way through the week.
Despite the cost of looking after her family, Jeni said she has never relied on benefits or even gone into debt while caring for her family and says that’s all down to the way she shops.
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Another way Jeni is able to keep her monthly expenses so low is because she doesn’t have a mortgage.
But the mum isn’t an heiress or a lottery winner, paying the mortgage on their house off on just one income and says her secret is simply determination, with the couple adamant they wouldn’t rely on bank loans.