Here, Teegan, 30, tells the story in her own words.
Will this ever end? I groaned, as my stomach lurched violently.
On a seven-day cruise to Vanuatu with my family, I’d never been so seasick in my life. Even a whiff of food left me green. I need my strength, I thought, stroking my belly. You couldn’t tell yet, but I was eight weeks pregnant. With twins!
It can’t be morning sickness I thought. With my daughter, Kylah-Rose, then six, I’d been a little queasy, but nothing at all like this. Still, my husband, Justin, 31, and I were so excited to add to our family. ‘I can’t wait for my sisters!’ my girl would proclaim, just as happy. But I thought I was having one of each – a mini-me and a mini-Justin!
With West Indian heritage from generations back, my hubby is tall, dark and handsome. Meanwhile, I’m fair with light hair and blue eyes. ‘You wait – they’ll either be identical or there will be one like you and one like me!’ I joked. On dry land, I expected my nausea to abate. If anything, it got worse. Turns out I had hyperemesis gravidarum – morning sickness so severe that it caused persistent vomiting and dehydration.
Finally, at around 19 weeks when we learned we were having two precious sons, I started to feel like myself. Hearing the news, Kylah-Rose burst into tears, upset that she wasn’t getting sisters after all. ‘You’re our special princess!’ I soothed her. ‘And you won’t have to share your stuff with little boys!’
Slowly, I started to put weight on and my bump began to grow. With two sets of arms, legs and elbows, it was always moving! At every ultrasound from then on, I could already tell our non-identical twins apart. Like Justin, our biggest bub, who we’d called Levi, had luscious lips and a broader nose. However, little Lucas had finer features, sporting a tiny button! ‘I was right!’ I laughed, squeezing Justin’s hand. ‘One’s like you and one’s like me!’
Delivering at 36 weeks last March, Levi was born first, with no complications. Terrifyingly, his brother’s heart wasn’t beating. For a few agonising minutes, I felt like mine stopped, too. Then, finally, Lucas let out a cry and both my beautiful boys were placed in my arms. Staring down at my bubs, Levi had a shock of black hair and deep dark-grey peepers, while Lucas was a blue-eyed blondie.
A week later, Levi’s skin had deepened, while his eyes were pools of chocolate. ‘You’re just like your daddy!’ I cooed. Just as I’d predicted, Lucas had milky skin similar to mine. Although opposites, they were both completely beautiful.Walking Kylah-Rose to school one morning, a lady leaned over to coo at the boys in their pram. ‘One’s darker – they’re so different!’ she gasped. ‘I know!’ I smiled. Stating the obvious, she still gooed and gaaed over my beloved boys.
When my bubs were four months old, I was brave enough to take them grocery shopping alone.Juggling two little ones, plus a full weeks’ haul, I made my way up to the register. Soothing a slightly fussy Levi, the woman ahead of me gave him the once over, before her gaze flicked to Lucas. ‘Are they twins?’ she asked, curious. ‘Yes,’ I smiled, proudly. ‘Is he adopted?’ she blurted out, pointing at Levi.‘No, he’s mine,’ I retorted, a little sharply. I’d know! I thought, shuddering, as I remembered how sick I’d been. I carried these babies in my body! Shortly after, Kylah-Rose was with us when another passer-by stopped and stared. ‘I don’t mean to be rude, but is one of your babies black?’ she asked. ‘Yes, but they’re my twins,’ Kylah-Rose replied, sweetly. I couldn’t help but smile at my girl’s response.
Growing up, my hubby also looked different to his light-skinned siblings.‘Are you adopted?’ kids at school would ask him. ‘No, they are!’ he’d joke, pointing to his three sisters. He still uses humour to cope with strangers’ comments. ‘They’re not twins!’ startled strangers often declare. ‘There are two?’ Justin exclaims back, looking at the boys with mock panic. ‘We only left the house with one!’
Now 11 months, Lucas and Levi are the best of mates. One perk to having polar opposites is that I never get them confused! I sometimes worry that as Levi gets older, he’ll feel like the odd one out. But then Lucas will reach for his brother’s hand and they’ll both erupt into helpless giggles.In all the ways that matter, my boys are two peas in a pod.
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