Mirror Twins.

The following post is a true post.  Keep in mind I am in the stage of "The Novacaine is Wearing Off and I am Self-Medicating with WINE!"  So if I ramble, you know why.

I meant wine, as sipped through a straw so I don't dribble and drool in an undladylike fashion were I just to gulp sip it graciously.

I am always fascinated by my boys.  Our children do that to us parents.  But having twins, well it just adds another layer to the parenting experience.  A very mysterious layer that often leaves me feeling left out.  On the outside looking in.  The older, more exprienced parents at a loss for words and knowledge when it comes to her children. 

I have always suspected my boys were "mirror twins".

Mirror Image Twins

If you are mirror image twins it means that you are also identical twins. Mirror image twins are created when the fertilised egg splits quite late (around days 9-12), any later and twins can be co-joined.

Mirror Image twins have small mirror image differences but are actually genetically identical; this means you have the exact same DNA!

Some parts of the body can be mirrored; but not the appendix or heart or other internal organs as far as we know. We have some examples of our own mirroring:

    * We are opposite handed.
    * We tend to have mirror image dental problems.
    * Our cowlicks (tuft of hair at fringe) are on opposite sides
    * Where people often have different size feet, with us the opposite foot is larger
    * We look very similar to each other but the resemblance is even stronger if we stand facing each other (as though in a mirror) rather than side by side. Or get both of us facing into a mirror and things all start to look very confusing.
    * Our finger prints don't seem to conform to being mirror image – instead they are nearly identical (only one pair of fingers has any major difference)

Identical twins are always of the same sex. About 1/4 of identical twins are "mirror" twins -- a reflection of each other. Features, such as birthmarks, hair whorls or internal organs, appear on opposite sides of each twin. Identical twins account for about 1/3 of all twins. Researchers haven't been able to positively prove what factors influence the formation of identical twins.

Do the math!  One in 100 births are twins.  One fourth are indentical.  Of those indentical twins, one fourth to one third are "mirror" twins.

Ok, getting back to my babgling (told you I had wine and refuse to spell check my blog)

One is not left handed and the other right handed.  Instead, they are both. But they use opposite hands for different things, EX: one will use his left hand to for cutting a steak, batting at baseball, throwing a ball...and his twin will use the opposite hand for the same task.

Their cowlicks (this changes with the humidity) and birthmarks (which are more pronounced over the years) are mirror images of each other.  They might not look alike exactly, but they are in opposite sides of their bodies. 

Many times at night, to this age of nearly 15 now, I find them sleeping either in the exact same postion or in mirror positions of each other.  As parents, JA and I have a hard time telling them apart from the side view.  Or pictures!  Yeegawd!  Pictures.  Don't get me started!

Then there was The Ultrasound.  The technician said she never saw anything like it, had heard about it indeed!  But it was very rare. 

In their first and only ultrasound, the babies were facing each other in identical positions with their palms over their foreheads.  As if saying, "Gosh, I forgot something!" in a comedical manner. Identical but as if looking at themselves in a mirror!  I do have the ultrasound of one, seconds after they moved slightly, but still in that position.  She tried to get them both but it was impossible.  To this day, I will always remember thinking, "Those baby twins are going to have my wicked sense of humor if they so can perform like this, in unision, for an ultrasound!"

Now let'sg get to the dentist visits.  They went yesterday, I went today.  The dentist, who is usually very quiet, was extremely talkative and very excited.  He talked and talked about my twins dental records. Keep this in mind, my boys will be 15 on Novemeber 7th.

And they have nearly every single baby tooth. 

Both of them.

The same teeth, but in mirror image of each other.

Yes. 

In another words, every time they visit the dentist, whatever is going on one twins mouth, his twin will have the same exact situation on the opposite side of his mouth.

SPOOKY!

The only exception is Mark.  He had an accident a couple of years ago that knocked his left eye tooth out and caused his adult tooth to come in on an angle.  But the angle it has settled into is the exact same angle as his twin's RIGHT tooth.

Other than that, all baby teeth and adult teeth are exact mirror images of each other.

Mirror image dental records.

Then there was the exact same hernia operations, one at 3 years of age, the other at 4.  On opposite sides of the body and almost exactly one year from each other to the day.

spooooooooooooky!

Why am I not surprised and rather thrilled at this!

PS, I never thought they would fit into this little group but always wondered, but to hear the dentist and doctors go on about these things, well I guess I can not deny it.

Gotta go.  The novacaine is wearing off.  One more glass of wine and then off to slumber land.

Did I ever mention if I had the chance to have twins again, I would? I even felt this way when they were newborns.  Nothing has ever changed my opinion about that matter.  Nothing.  Diapers, feedings, teenage years... nothing.

Twins are much easier then singletons.

A salute to all moms out there who have raised singeltons.

How do you do it?

And like I said, I had wine and an dislike of spell check right now.

Did I mention I had little to eat today?

 

Comments

[CJ]

Just stopping by to tell you something you already know... You are so lucky to have your "babies". :) Also wanted to thank you for the lovely card and your eloquent words. Love you my friend.

P.S. A friend of mine had twin boys who grew up and went off to college in different directions. Twin #1 was hospitalized with pneumonia on a Saturday about 2 p.m. Twin #2 was hospitalized with pneumonia on the same Saturday about 2:05 p.m. Spooky? Oh yeah!

[Kristi]

It's interesting to hear all of that. I learned about mirror twins when I was in nursing school doing my pediatric rotation. There were twins in there having hernia surgery, like your boys... opposite sides. It is interesting watching them doing different tasks and how easily and naturally they work around eachother, knowing without thinking about it that kid A will do one thing and kid B will do the other part of it... does that make sense? It's just cool as hell

[Theresa]

Mine are fraternal, but I often wonder if their twin connection is more than simply being raised together. Twins are wonderful! I agree!

[mary]

There is a strong history of twins in my family but none are mirror twins.

[aithne]

It is very, very cool. Mysterious and a little scarey sometimes.