The entire Duggar media franchise is centered around the idea of procreating so fast and furiously that it becomes difficult for the casual observer to keep track of how many kids you have.
If it sounds a little perverse, that's because it is.
After all, Duggar women don't have the freedom to decide if having children -- or having a small army of children -- is right for them.
Whether they're born into the family or they marry into it, they are indoctrinated with the idea that making babies is their primary reason for being.
The young men in the family are steered in the direction of young women who have already accepted this idea, so that there will be no time wasted on training.
The first female to be ensnared by this trap was Anna Duggar.
And while the Duggars aren't big on traveling outside of their comfort zone, Josh had to go to all the way to Florida to find someone willing to marry into what's commonly described as a fertility cult.
Actually, Josh and Anna met at a convention for homeschooled kids, and they married in Florida, but quickly returned to Arkansas.
Anna was just 20 at the time, but she and Josh got right down to the business of starting a family.
As the eldest of Jim Bob and Michelle's kids, there was major pressure on Josh to carry on the tradition of siring an irresponsibly large family.
When asked about his family planning process, however, Josh was the first to casually answer that he and his partner had decided to leave the number of children they would have "up to God."
It's a cleverly evasive response that would be employed by many of Josh's younger siblings.
Josh and Anna were married in September of 2008, and just over one year later, daughter Mackynzie was born.
Sons Michael and Marcus came not long after in June of 2011 and June of 2013, respectively.
In July of 2015, the couple welcomed daughter Meredith Grace.
Far from finished, Josh and Anna celebrated the birth of son Mason on September 12, 2017.
And back in November, of 2019, daughter Maryella Hope joined the family.
Maryella's name was inspired by Josh's grandmother, Mary Duggar, who passed away unexpectedly last year
The newest arrival brings the size of Josh and Anna's brood to six -- and it looks like they're not finished yet.
As always, Anna answers in only the most evasive terms when asked if she and Josh are planning to have more kids.
And these days, she does the talking for both of them.
Back in 2015, it was revealed that Josh had molested four of his sisters and evaded criminal prosecution with the help of his parents.
It was the first of several Josh Duggar sex scandals that made many fans wonder how Anna could bring herself to stay with such a man.
The answer, though revolting, is a simple one:
Since she was in her teens, Anna has been conditioned to show loyalty to God first, and Josh second.
She sees herself, above all, as the mother of his children.
She was raised to believe that if she were to demonstrate a lack of proper loyalty to her husband, she would be doing a disservice to her kids.
In this way, Anna's children have been weaponized against her.
And the Duggars seem to believe that the more kids a woman has, the more she's bound to be loyal to the man in her life.
