I read that as 17 sons the first time around and almost fell off my chair in amazement. Gosh, I should go get some sleep. 
The reply function can behave a bit funny sometimes, too. 
If it helps, some folks reply to everyone in one message. just using the @ mention to mention people. Saves trying to make sure the replies all go to the right place. 
There’s a neat little guide to it here: