I've wanted to do this post for a while now so I hope you can help me out! Ever since the boys were born, we have struggled telling them apart. From birth the doctor said that they were not identical only because they were in separate placentas. However, from research I have done, it is still possible to have identical twins in separate placentas...my own pediatrician has identical twin girls this exact way...it just depends on when the eggs separated. So, I would love to hear your thoughts on whether our boys are identical or not. Please leave a comment to let me know! Keep these things in mind when deciding...
- When we left the hospital we kept their bracelets on for 2 months until Joel got a birthmark because we could not tell them apart.
- After about 1 month I started taking pictures with Caleb always on the left, Joel on the right.
- Joel wore blue until age 3 and Caleb received whatever other color just so we would know by a glance...now they make up their own minds which is usually to want to dress the same. Lovely.
- They have dimples exact opposite of each other
- According to their dentist their dental records are exactly the same...he is in awe.
- When we got babysitters when they were little we would come home and not be sure if they were dressed in the right pj's or in the right crib...we would have to strip one down to check for the birthmark...often they were mixed up.
- If the boys are dressed the same for the day and only one comes in the room, I am not sure who it is until I see the other one.
- Ryan still can't tell them apart at 3 1/2
- When they started getting teeth they would always get the exact same tooth, just opposite the other (one got front right, the other front left etc)
- They napped in separate rooms and ALWAYS woke up at the exact same time...even if there was no crying.
- When they slept in mattresses on the floor for awhile Joel would suddenly appear at my bedside in the middle of the night and 2 seconds later Caleb would be there...without making a sound, they knew the other was gone.
- They have always been within 3 lbs of each other and 1/2 inch in height.
- Whenever they share a bed, they are touching each other or practically on top of each other (see picture below)
- They are each others best friend...I tried having a friend over but they struggled playing with him because they didn't know how to split things 3 ways...they fought more with the two of them then with their friend! But if I invite 2 friends over, they won't play with that friend at all because they always have each other.
- Everything has to be even. If one has it, the other does too. Life isn't a competition between them but a study in fairness. They just want to be like their brother.
- When I look in on them at night I can look at one and convince myself it's the other. Creepy.
- Last week Joel fell and cut his chin. Today Caleb fell and cut his chin in the EXACT same spot. Now they have identical owies...so much for using that to tell them apart.
As you can see, there are crazy similarities that is hard to refute the fact that they are not identical. On a lot of these pictures below I can't tell who's who. I only know because I always put Caleb on the left...but what if one time I didn't remember, I would never know. I am currently working on their 1st year scrapbook and have no idea 75% of the time if I am getting the picture right with the right kid. Sad, isn't it? Their own mother has no clue who they are. Even their personalities are similar. They cry the same, talk the same, whine the same...
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| Their identical cuts...Joel L, Caleb R |
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| Joel L, Caleb R (see I didn't follow my own system!) |
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| No idea who's who |
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| They even cross their legs exact opposite and have arms the same! This was not set up! |
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| Identical pose |
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| See what I mean? They sleep SO close! |
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