Waiting to see double: Twins born in different months

By CNN Newsource

Published March 26, 2021 11:58 AM

FARGO, North Dakota (WDAY) — Lake Park resident Chris Perry never dreamed he would be celebrating his 40th birthday Thursday, March 25, alongside his new baby girl and boy.

The twins, Olive and Ashton are still hospitalized at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Fargo, and the story of their birth is one for the history books.

Chris Perry’s wife, Heather Perry, never thought the twins she was carrying, that were scheduled to be born in May, would enter the world days apart.

In February, 25 weeks into her pregnancy, Heather Perry was working in Detroit Lakes when her water broke and she was hospitalized. It took several days for labor to begin, and the Perrys welcomed baby girl, Olive, into their family.

Dr. Jon Dangerfiled delivered Olive on Feb. 24, nine weeks early.

“It was scary for sure, because she came very quickly,” Heather Perry said. “They said, ‘You can push.’ I asked, ‘Are you ready?’ Three pushes and she was out.”

Baby Olive birth was so quick, in fact, father Chris Perry missed the birth.

With Olive out, everyone waited for baby Ashton, but there was a problem: He didn’t want to come out.

“Dr. Dangerfield said, ‘He is not coming, and so we’re just going to wait,'” Heather Perry said.

So everyone waited, and waited, and waited some more.

The doctors and nurses waited for Ashton, but the wait ended up not being minutes, or even hours, but days — five days.

On March 1, Ashton was born, meaning the twins will celebrate their birthdays not only on different days, but in different months.

“I went to Google and found out the world record time for twin births, and found it was 87 days and I said, ‘let’s go for the record,'” Chris Perry said.

At one point, Heather Perry went into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to hold Olive while still pregnant with Ashton.

“I held her, and every time he would kick in my stomach,” Heather Perry said. “He was enjoying his time to sprawl out.”

Mom and dad are now able to hold Olive and Ashton, who are still in the NICU. The twins are slowly putting on ounces, and the parents are thankful everything went so well.

Waiting to welcome the two was their big sister, Fiona, who already told the UPS man about their incredible journey into the world.

“It sure is going to be a good story to tell at school and everyone they meet they can tell that story to,” Chris Perry said.

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