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Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets | 
 enlarge | Authors: Jon Gosselin, Kate Gosselin, Beth Carson
Publisher: Zondervan
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.99
You Save: $8.00 (40%)
New (38) Used (21) Collectible (2) from $11.43
Rating:  127 reviews
Sales Rank: 120
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0310289025
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.8743092
EAN: 9780310289029
ASIN: 0310289025
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
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Product Description
In Multiple Blessings, Kate Gosselin shares the gripping details of her rollercoaster ride of emotional highs and lows when she discovered she and her husband, Jon, would be expecting sextuplets while still basking in the light of their twin girls' toddlerhood. Strongly encouraged to consider selective reduction for the sake of both mother and babies, she and Jon instead decided to accept the extreme challenge God had handed them. After suffering the long and winding road of infertility, the young couple felt stressed but blessed as they fought valiantly to help their babies survive the fight for their lives. Kate reveals excerpts from her private journal as she describes the daily struggle to carry the babies for thirty weeks. In addition to their uphill medical battle, the family suffered many emotional setbacks such as the loss of Jon's job, forcing the pair to look to God as their sole provider and sustainer of life. After the miraculous birth, the couple coped with months of neonatal intensive care for their newborns as well as Kate's physical recovery from such complete and prolonged bed rest. Later as the entire family of ten finally arrived home reeling with exhaustion, they still managed to feed, bathe, clothe, and monitor the health of their fragile infants as a steady parade of necessary and helpful volunteers turned their home and family life into a public arena. The young family lived moment to moment at first, not knowing what each new day would bring and how they would survive on such depleted sleep, money, and emotional reserves. However, as the months progressed, they grew into the next stage of development, proudly letting go of yesterday and looking forward to a brighter and ever-changing tomorrow. Their small home was soon filled to capacity with six cribs, six bouncy seats, several changing tables, never-ending piles of laundry, tubs of colorful toys, stacks of diapers, cartons of formula, rows and rows of bottles, bibs and pacifiers, two triplet strollers, six car seats, and so on. Yes, life was hectic and cramped, but with each major milestone Jon and Kate rejoiced at the miracles that unfolded around them. The crew of six growing babies along with their proud big sisters, Madelyn and Cara, did their part to fill those rooms with squawking, squealing, laughing, and of course, a healthy dose of crying. Kate and Jon eventually came out of the fog of the first precarious two years feeling eternally grateful for the love and support of family, friends, community, and indeed a nation. More important, they felt the ever present hand of a faithful God upholding them and giving them just enough strength and courage to take one day at a time.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 122 more reviews...
 Very well written. Good writting style, flow and timeline of events. October 29, 2008
mom23boys (Minneapolis)
86 out of 97 found this review helpful
When the book came out I noticed that the author is Beth Carson (along with Kate Gosselin). On the TV show "Jon and Kate Plus 8", it has been shown that Beth Carson is Kate's good friend, so I was concerned that the book itself may lack an experienced writing style. I was wrong! This book is VERY well written with an excellent flow and time-line of events.
The story is told by Kate with in-depth details that go far past what the TV show documents. One way to explain it is that the TV show lets you see the action while the book provides insight into the emotional roller coaster and thoughts experienced by the parents, immediate family and some volunteers. Kate does a good job of explaining the mental and physical stress of raising six infants all of the same age, along with a set of twin toddlers. Kate didn't paint herself as a saint and openly talks about the times she was wrong and as she stated "not winning any friends". As a mom myself of multiples I thought the book gave an accurate portrayal of the stress of bed rest, carrying multiples, the sheer mental exhaustion that takes it's ugly toll on relationships.
The TV series is based mostly in their current home - but the book focuses on Kate's hospital stay while on bedrest, their early days in the condo by the hospital and their first house. So fans of the show may enjoy reading about events that haven't been a part of the series. Each chapter of the book has a personal photo from the Gosselin family. The photos are fairly generic and similar to what has been seen on the TV series. But unlike the TV series the book goes into detail about the parents of Jon and Kate and other immediate family members. Those family members are mentioned lovingly quiet often which Fans of the show may find interesting.
The book does have many religious references, but are not stated in a preachy way. They seem to be made only to point out the reasoning behind decisions Jon and Kate made, and to follow the title/theme of the book Multiple "Blessings". The religious references didn't bother me at all and I am not someone who can rattle off scripture.
Whether you are a fan or a critic, I think you will agree that the book is well written. I have noticed many negative reviews and it seems they are based on a personal disagreement with the Gosselin's lifestyle. Of course everyone is entitled to disagree with the Gosselin's, BUT unfortunately it seems the majority of the negative reviews have nothing to do with the contents of the book. Multiple Blessings is a fairly quick read that is well worth it for anyone who is curious about this family or for someone who has struggled with raising multiples.
 Greedy, unGrateful, Gosselin October 24, 2008
MomOf2Toddlers
61 out of 127 found this review helpful
How can anyone say this is a "normal" family? They scoop up as many freebies as they can get week after week on our TVs, expose their kids' behavior (good, bad, inappropriate, private, etc) for the world to see, moan and complain how difficult life is with eight...yes, EIGHT. Not 12, not 15, not 25, eight.
Yes, there are two sets of multiples, which can certainly happen after you use fertility treatments (and in your early 20s? Come on.)
But they are not the first, nor only, nor last large family to have ever existed. Yet there is always complaining that (1) there is not enough room in their little house for all of them. Well, I guess not, when you're talking all those people PLUS a crew and their equipment. And (2) they also go on and on about how hard Christmas is with so many, etc etc. Yet the free Gymboree clothes and Playskool toys pile on. Let's not forget the free trips to the spa, the ski slopes, Disney, the Crayola Factory, and Hawai'i.
I am also curious as to where Kate's former best friend, Beth Carson (the co-author of the book), has been, lately. The Gosselins are on a whirlwind tour for their book (not calling it that, of course), and yet the woman whose name is right on the cover, and who used to be so prominent in their lives, has just disappeared.
For anyone who has watched the show, and witnessed the greed and nastiness that pervades this house (so sad for the poor kids, some of whom are obviously completely checked-out), the book is absolutely laughable, and should really be categorized as "fiction."
Perhaps a better title would have been "Multiple Blathering$"
Disappointed October 17, 2008
PQ (chicago)
53 out of 75 found this review helpful
I love the show however was really disappointed in the book. There was no information in the book that was new to me. Just about everything in there I was already aware of about them either from shows or interviews they did. I would not spend money on this book, as you probably will not learn any new information.
Thanks
Compliments the TV Show November 6, 2008
K. Hemmer (Syracuse, NY United States)
47 out of 54 found this review helpful
I pre-ordered my book "Multiple Blessings",about the popular TV show "Jon & Kate Plus Eight,because I enjoyed the program so much.Not being much of TV viewer,I have to admit I first noticed my daughter and her fiance turned in several nights to watch,and it seemed a good way to unwind after a day at work.
The first time I watched the program,I was amazed at Kate's organizational skills.I wasn't surprised to learn in the book she was a professional nurse.I can picture her a charge nurse of a busy E.R.I was curious why her parents were never on the show,or Jon's Mother. Through the book,Kate told how her Mom visited her every day,in the hospital prior to the babies birth.Although she does not state this, perhaps the parents want their privacy respected.They are there to help but quietly out of sight.
On page 136,Kate finally gets out alone.That made a tremendous impact on me.She leaves her eight little ones in capable hands,and seven months
after the septuplet's birth,unacompanied she goes shopping.When I read that,I just paused for a minute,I realized how much of her life,as their
Mother,she must devote to all eight children.It gave me some insight into
the way six infants would change your life.
People find fault with Kate in some of the reviews.They mention how Jon and Kate bicker.....they are two different personalities.Kate must possess a high energy personality to begin with,whereas Jon seems calmer providing a balance.They always make up in front of the children too. Some people resent the money they are making.I think to have a film crew in your home four days a week can hardly be easy.They earn every penny. How many of us would stand the intrusion.Beside,I find the show entertaining.The children are beautiful to watch,and Jon and Kate seem more like an average young couple than some of the other shows on TLC.
The book is a light read,shedding light on how Jon and Kate met and married.I better understood Kate and her reasoning and desire to be a mother.An excellent book for another Mother or Grandmother who likes to remember.
 Interesting book, but Kate isn't misunderstood December 6, 2008
Beth
46 out of 60 found this review helpful
I bought this book b/c my husband and I watch the show weekly and suddenly found ourselves faced with fertility doctors. He doesn't agree that the show is a good thing for their family but I thought by me reading the book and explaining to him that Kate is just misunderstood he would learn to like the show as much as I. On Saturday December 6, 2008 my husband and I went to Petsmart in Dover, DE to buy puppy food for our new puppy. My husband said babe look that lady looks like Kate Gosselin. I said yeah but turned back to what I was doing not giving it a second thought. Next thing I know we are in the same puppy food isle and my husband again said babe it is her and I knoticed the two oldest girls Cara and Maddy. I said Kate Gosselin? She said yeah and didn't even turn around to acknowledge me or my husband. I said I watch your show all the time and just read your book, thank you for sharing. She kept her back to me and never uttered a word of thanks for anything and her girls just stared at me like a deer in headlights. I just wanted to let everyone know that it broke my heart that she couldn't even turn and say thanks...that was all I was looking for. Please don't spend your hard earned money to help her afford the lifestyle of thinking she is better then all of us. After today I wonder if all the scriptures in the book and saying she lives according to the Bible is true? If anyone wants my copy I will gladly send it to you for free and then you can pass it on to someone else for free as well.
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