Monique has Irish Twins: “Everyone was surprised”

When I discovered I was pregnant with Jessica, Florence was just four months old. I felt nauseous, but initially thought it was due to lack of sleep. I took the test more out of routine than real conviction. But when I saw those thick, clear two lines appear, my mouth literally fell open. My first thought? This must be a joke. My second? Already? How on earth are we going to manage this?

“Do you remember that time, a few weeks after I gave birth?”

I told my husband that evening. He looked at me as if I had just told him I won the lottery and had immediately spent our prize on something crazy. “But... how?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. I shrugged. “Remember that time, a few weeks after I gave birth?” I whispered. He looked at me with wide eyes. “That can't happen so quickly, can it?” Well, apparently it can.

“Maybe you should read a book about contraception”

The reactions from others were... let's say “varied”. My mother was silent at first and then said: “That's going to be a tough time, girl.” My sister-in-law laughed and said: “You know how it works, right? Maybe you should read a book about contraception.” I couldn't laugh about it. When we announced it at a birthday party, someone immediately blurted out: “Wow, that was fast! Did you want them that close together?” And again, I felt that stab of shame. As if we had planned this. As if we had our whole life perfectly under control.

It was as if I was running a marathon non-stop

But time went on, and before I knew it, Jessica was there. And that's when it really started. Taking care of two babies, because that's what Florence still was, at the same time? It was like I was running a marathon non-stop. Florence was already crawling around, pulling herself up on anything that was loose or fixed, while Jessica mostly wanted to drink, cry, and sleep. Sometimes I sat on the couch crying, with Jessica at my breast and Florence tugging at my leg because she wanted attention. My husband did what he could, but he worked full-time, so during the day, it was mostly up to me.

“Are they twins?”

In the first few months, I was approached several times when I walked through the city with the stroller. "Are they twins?" people often asked. When I explained that there was an eleven-month gap, they invariably reacted with surprise. "Wow, you must be busy," an older woman once said while shaking her head. "I could never have done that." Other mothers sometimes asked bluntly: "How do you manage?" I wanted to honestly say that sometimes I really didn't know. But usually, I just laughed awkwardly and said: "It's busy, but fun."

It was as if from day one they had an invisible thread that connected them

Yet something special happened. As Jessica and Florence grew older, I began to see how their bond developed. It was as if they had an invisible thread connecting them from day one. When Jessica had her first bite, it was Florence who tried to feed her with her own little spoon. And when Jessica cried, Florence would run to her with a cuddle or her favorite pacifier. It was heartwarming to see how they sought each other out, even if sometimes they also fought like cats and dogs.

“Seriously? How do you do that?”

One of the funniest moments was when we were in a playground and another mother asked me how old my children were. “Two and just a year,” I said. She looked at me in surprise. “Really? How do you manage that?” I just shrugged. “You just do it,” I said. But honestly? Sometimes I didn’t even know myself. There were days filled with dirty diapers, sleepless nights, and endless laundry baskets. But also days filled with soft kisses, crooked smiles, and the joyful giggles of two girls discovering the world together.

It was the little moments that made me forget how hard it sometimes was

When Jessica and Florence took their first steps, it was only a matter of months apart. They almost walked through the room at the same time, hand in hand, wobbling like two little drunken beetles. Or that time when they sat together on the couch, Florence with a book and Jessica pointing at the pictures, as if they were really reading together. Those were the little moments that made me forget how hard it sometimes was.

When I see them laughing together, I know that it's exactly how it was meant to be

Now, years later, they are still inseparable. Of course, they can also get into each other's hair. But when it comes down to it, they are always there for each other. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if Jessica had come later. Maybe I would have had more time to enjoy Florien's baby years, or I would have been less tired in those first few years. But when I see them laugh together, how they support each other, I know it had to be exactly this way.

This age difference is actually the best gift we could have given to them and ourselves

It wasn't an easy journey, and I would be lying if I said that I endured it all with a big smile. But looking at my girls, their unique bond and the love they share, I know that this small age difference was actually the most beautiful gift we could have ever given to them, and to ourselves.

MONIQUE