So here are the statistics on how often fraternal twins happen. Fraternal twins, or two babies conceived from two different eggs, happens in about 1 out of every 60 twin births when no medication is used to induce hyperovulation (the dropping of more than one egg a month). BUT twins like mine where one has Down syndrome and one does not only happens at the rate of 14/15 in a million. Just 14 or 15 in a MILLION????!!!! Dang we are LUCKY! Now, if we could just hit the lottery.
Why don't my big boys look like twins any more? Well, we can give the credit to that extra chromosome Joseph has in his genetic make up. See, that 47th chromosome causes delays. Growth delays. Cognitive delays. And Developmental delays too. So, now my Joseph (who is 14 minutes older than his younger brother, Jackson) is much smaller than Jackson at 3 years old. Joseph is 34 inches tall and about 31 lbs. Jackson is nearly 41 inches tall and 34 lbs. They no longer look like twins in relation to size, nor do they sound like twins.
Jackson can carry on a conversation and drive you bonkers because he will not zip it! Joseph can communicate his needs very well and does have many words but the ability to converse, truly converse just is not there...yet. But it is coming. Joseph is now the size Jackson was last year, finally. Joseph is blue-eyed and blond and stout just his like his older brother, Jared; Jackson is dark-haired, hazel-eyed and rail thin like I was as a child with ginormous feet, just like his oldest brother, Jared.
But, like I mentioned in my older post, there is a joy in this slower pace brought on by that 47th chromosome, that extra 21. I love the fact that we get to experience everything with Joseph in his time--it is as if he is no hurry to grow up. And we should all be so lucky. Maybe someday, we can experience this all over again with another child with Down syndrome. I would love that but of course money is a factor and adoptions (especially overseas adoptions) are not cheap but the babies (and children) are more readily available. So maybe in time, if God so chooses.
So know you know a bit more about Down syndrome and twins....yep, I am the crazy chick that laid two eggs and one of them was loaded! LOL
and here is Joseph and Jackson today
2 comments:
I think your twins look A LOT alike and I think they are both equally yum!
I taught a set of twins last year in my kindergarten class. One was several inches taller and pounds heavier than the other~ they looked more like cousins than brothers, especially twins. However, they were very much twins on the inside. (and no, neither one has ds.) I also had twins friends growing up~ two girls~ one had blonde hair and blue eyes, the other had almost black hair and brown eyes. They didn't even look related. lol
Your boys are adorable!
I've said many, many times that I am probably one of the few women in this country that would not think it was the end of the world if my child had been diagnosed with ds. (they're not, but would love to adopt a child with ds.:)
Glad to meet another person who feels the same way. God bless you and your boys.
PS Love their names~ Jackson is a family name for me. :)
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