Twin Tales

I figure I should just devote some time to what life is like raising multiples.  Some parents, with extremely active children can relate to the energy level of twins but really, the humor, twin humor cannot be duplicated by any singleton.

Some humor is found just in watching new twin parents, believe me, I've been there.  I know I've said this before but we were so concerned about getting them mixed up that when David was brought home from the nicu, we had a permanent marker initial ceremony, carefully putting a "D" at the bottom of David's right foot and "G" at the bottom of Greg's right foot. Of course all older siblings were appropriately marked because it would be a shame to leave anyone out.

I had a permanent marker in a drawer where I had diaper stuff, so it was easy to remark each boy as needed.  We both noticed during diaper changes that someone had a birth mark on his thigh but it took us a few months to actually internalize that Greg had the birthmark.  We were just so busy and tired, boy were we tired!

Since my extremely high risk pregnancy had more ultrasounds then most people could imagine (twice a week for hours at a time for months), we saw twin relationships very early on.  When I was diagnosed with the TTTS (twin to twin transfusion syndrome) David was stuck to one corner of my uterus, with no fluid and his sack shrink wrapped around him while Greg had the in utero version of an olympic size swimming pool.  As we watched and worried about the boys, having learned the odds they had of making them and all the possible things that could have gone wrong, we watched Greg swimming around and then swooping down and laying next to his brother and just staying there for a few minutes.

I was 19 weeks along and I watched in amazement as this little boy, not even viable yet seemed to understand his brother was in trouble and tried to be there with him.  It was amazing.  He did over and over again.  

Knowing personalities the humor in seeing David later on, after he had some fluid and could move a bit, kicking Greg when obviously Greg was infringing on his space.  It was hysterical.  Note that Dave still does the same thing now.  Greg infringes on his space and he lashes out.  We've managed after six years to stop the kicking.

I've shared before about the twins switching places.  Everyone has heard stories about identicals switching places but usually these stories happen in grade school, high school, dates or what not.  Oh no, my itty bitty almost completely non verbal three year olds switched places while getting off the bus at pre school.  The really scary part was that Greg had a front tooth go bad and it had to be pulled, so we were using that missing tooth as a way to tell them apart.

Obviously we couldn't tell people to just pull down their pants to look for the birthmark on Greg's thigh.

Well, Greg had this big huge open mouth grin.  When they switched places, Greg's teacher looked down at the little red headed boy and said "Hi Greg!" and Dave looked up and smiled a huge smile with his mouth closed tight.  Instantly that wonderful teacher (Miss Pam) knew what they had done and that she had the wrong boy. 

Hysterical!  My then, non verbal boys spontaneously messing with their teachers.   They had been going to school for a few months, so they knew what they were doing.

Then there's these little things.  Like our Greg always tells the truth.  He is the most genuine sweet little guy I've ever met, yet, YET when his twin is in trouble.  I mean, we've caught his twin with his hand literally in the cookie jar, Greg will lie to protect his twin!  Usually it's the poor older brother that gets blamed.  We'll be saying, no no, we know David did  (whatever the crime was) and Greg is yelling,  "IT WAS EAN!"

Oh MY!

But if we're mad at our twin, all bets are off.  We have siblings that fight.  The girls have had yelling, screaming but even the girls have nothing on when the twins fight.  They fight fierce.  They fight dirty.  They are flat out meaner to their twin then to anyone else in the world.  And then they make up, hug and play trucks for hours.  As long as no one does something really naughty.  Then all bets are off.

I could go on forever but the beauty of writing a blog is the ability to write more later on.  So I'll wrap this up with one small observation.  I've heard comments from various people that babies don't have personalities and this is so not true.  Anyone with twins in their lives knows that their personalities shine through, even before their born.

My kinded hearted twin swimming down to lay next to his brother is proof of that.