Twins, Twins and More Twins! A Unicorn Twin Mom's Story
Unless you live under a rock, you’re probably familiar with LulaRoe Leggings which are the best friend of many a new twin momma (um yes we would like to walk around town in clothing that feels like pajamas please). In particular, LulaRoe is known for the “unicorn” legging; an impossible to find favorite pattern that ladies are on the quest for.
Friends, we’d like to take a few minutes and introduce you to the unicorn of twin moms. Having twins is undoubtedly a unique experience. As you connect in the twin community, you may even come across parents of multiple sets of multiples. But to come across a mother who has not one, not two, but three sets of multiples (two of them being identical) is unheard of!
Meet our unicorn, LeRaye Harris. Through the ups and downs and uncertainty of early marriage, one thing LeRaye and her husband Joshua did know for certain is that they wanted to have a large family; preferably one with an equal number of girls and boys. And based on how events unfolded, it seems the Harris family was destined for just that. As LeRaye puts it, “twins run deep in my roots.” Both LeRaye’s mother and grandmother experienced twin pregnancies (though only one child survived in both circumstances), and her grandmother was the sibling of twins. Knowing this about her family and that her husband’s father was a twin (although this doesn’t change twin probabilities), she went into her marriage somehow planning and expecting to have twins.
At the scan for her first pregnancy, her husband was in disbelief that they would have two babies, but LaRaye had already thought of names for the two before she heard two heart beats. When babies Aniston and Jonah were just six months old, they found out their “littles” would be promoted to “bigs” before they even hit their second birthday. Babies Madeline and Magnolia arrived right on time, and looked awfully alike. A DNA test kit soon proved that these sweet girls were in fact identical twins. LaRaye was very thankful that Madeline had a birth mark behind her ear that helped her to keep the girls straight in those crazy newborn days. When they made the announcement that the girls were in fact identical, all of their friends and family presumed that they were announcing another baby was on the way. That would just be crazy, right?
Although LaRaye and Josh thought that sounded nuts at first, just two weeks later LaRaye woke up in the middle of the night certain she was pregnant. Josh comforted and prayed with her in her panicked state and they settled back to bed. Yet in the morning after reading a scripture about twin boys, he too became certain they would be pregnant with twin boys.
LaRaye remained very calm at her doctor’s appointment as she was not surprised by yet another set of twins. Josh had shirts made for their birth announcement that said “Twins, Twins, and MORE Twins” with the scripture that referenced the twin boys, Genesis 38:27, quoted on it. Drake and Judah made their debut and at 24 years of age, LeRaye had newborn twins, 1 year old twins, and 3 year old twins. As LaRaye puts it “all was fair in the Harris house with 3 boys and 3 girls, just like Josh always wanted. Despite chasing after 4 toddlers and being 5 hours away from family, my last pregnancy was by far the easiest. My big littles kept me distracted, and I already knew what was ‘normal’ for a twin pregnancy. Twin pregnancy is all I know!” This amazing family seems destined for twins and has not only managed to survive but thrive as Josh works and studies full time in his Theological Seminary program. Check back with us soon as LeRaye gives us some of her best tips for keeping calm while twinning on. We can’t wait to hear more from this mom of multiple sets of multiples!
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