Two of a Kind

I often get asked 2 questions. The first is if the twins are identical - after they have been told it's a boy and a girl. It is a shockingly little known fact that they cannot be identical if they are not of the same gender. They do look similar though. You can definitely tell they are brother and sister. The second is if they are aware of each other and/or if they interact with each other. The answer is that they definitely are and they often do.

While I do my best to treat them as individuals (because they are not the same baby, and, although they are a matched set in my mind, I have to remind myself of that fact), they often shock me with their "Oneness." Like the time that one grunted and pushed and the other one pooped (without effort...I was so confused!). Or the many times I've been patting one's back and the other on burped (this happens at least once a week)! They also seem to, without effort or any visible communication, double team me often. Like today when they wouldn't sleep at the same time. They would for about 10 minutes and then one would wake up. I would remove the awake one (so he or she couldn't wake the other), get him or her back to sleep, and just as I was sneaking back to put them in bed I would hear the other one awake. This happened throughout the entire naptime all day, and I'm convinced that they knew what they were doing!

I also KNOW that they are aware of each other. Allie seems especially tuned into her brother's presence. Their first time in the pool Allie freaked out, until she was right next to her brother. She watched him, and as long as he was ok, she was. Often, when they are in their bouncy seats, she watches him play and trigger the lights even though she is fully capable of doing it herself. And the other day we were all watching Baby Mozart when it became painfully obvious that Ryan's diaper needed to be changed. I took him into the next room (I could see her, but she wasn't looking at me), and suddenly heard her screaming. The Baby Einstein dragon puppet scared her, but once Ryan was beside her again she was fine - even when the puppet came back on the screen! Allie also often tries to help me burp Ryan. I don't think she knows exactly what she's doing, but she pats his back right along with me. And the other day she tried desperately to catch hold of his flailing hand. Ryan is similarly aware of her, although not generally as reliant of her presence. Although he was desperately trying to gnaw on her arm today!

And finally, I often find them "talking" to each other. They happily babble to each other - taking turns as if they were having a conversation. If I interrupt they both smile to me as if they are welcoming me into their circle, but I never get to fully be a part of the conversation. It is most adorable in the morning - when they are both turned toward the other one in their side-by-side basinettes, hands touching the thin fabric that separates them. They chatter happily and then smile the cutest smiles when my face appears above - although I confess I often stay in bed longer just to hear them talk.

There is no denying it. While they are most definitely individuals, they are also certainly two of a kind.