My brother and his wife just had twins!

I'm so excited. My brother and his wife had twins on Thursday--healthy, though premature, baby boys. But they live in MI and I'm in California and won't be able to visit for a couple of weeks. But the hospital posted the photos on the internet today and just seeing them has made me swoon with joy at being an aunt.

They are so damn cute! :bounce:

I just had to gush!

"Auntie Gingersnap"... :)

For the love of pete, don't let your brother dress them alike.

Unless they know tricks on the trapeze...!

They were a surprise (we weren't even trying to get pregnant...oops) and we already had a two-year-old son, so it's been quite a challenge, but it's been a great experience too!

Congrats!

I've spoken to my brother on the phone a couple of times and he says they can't tell them apart. They took millions of baby pics but can't tell you which twin is which in them. They say that one is slightly longer than the other, but unless they are lined up side to side you just can't tell who's who.

He sounded really proud, but also super tired and overwhelmed. They were an unplanned surprise too and he and his wife have two kids already from her prior marriage and a small house and no money to move. They are also really small for newborns--4 1/2 and 5 lbs and my brother says he's still afraid they're really fragile and doesn't want to accidentally hurt them while changing their diapers.

Any twin parenting advice I can pass on?

Gina and Martin

Oh, my, do I feel for your brother, re: being tired and overwhelmed. I'd recommend having a relative come over and stay a week, if possible, to help out. My mom stayed with us for a week and it helped us make the adjustment.

I have to get home now (reinforcement for my wife!), but I'll try to think of some tips to send you, if you think it will help.

:hi:

since we don't have anyone else in the family with twins (and he and his wife don't have friends with twins). My mom has been stopping in every day, but due to family dynamics it's a bit of a strain (she loves to talk about Jesus all the time and my bro and his wife are atheists). But she has been pitching in with laundry and shopping. My poor sister in law probably won't leave the house for days. She says she always has one or the other twin hooked up for nursing.

My friend had identical girls and they put nailpolish on the toenails of one of them.. Even then, they thought that they had "mixed them up" once and freaked out.. ...

Then they went to magic marker on the bottom of the foot..

Twins are the best..)

There's nothing in this world UGLIER:puke: than Newborn babies.

If you ask me they all look like junkies. Why well think about it what in the hell else has no teeth, no hair, no cordinated movements, no control of their bowels...well ok Ronald Reagen but, you get my point:evilgrin:

and it's weird and I never believed people when they said this before, but it's different when they're your own family. I have friends send lots of baby pics but somehow these are just different--they arouse some sort of primal auntie urge to protect and spoil them!

I don't have agreat relationship with my family but, I see people who do and it makes me feel better.

I don't feel close to my family either. But my brother is the exception. We really grew up feeling like it was the two of us against the world. Anyway, it's amazing how these twins have given me something to talk about with my born again wingnut mom and dysfunctional dad!

You will have so much fun being that aunt!!! It's like grandparent, only much earlier. LOL!

Re: Telling the babies apart, you can dress them differently of course but at bath time... who's who?

You can paint their toenails different colors. Put little colored dots on the bottoms of their feet (food coloring). Anything until you start noticing their individual personalities.

Congrats!