Pensacola, Fl
Twins often have a special relationship that binds them closer to most siblings, and for twin sisters Tammy and Tracy King, this connection became even tighter when they gave birth to their babies within 23 hours of each other at the birth center of Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.
Baby boy Christian West was the first. Tammy King’s parents and Lucus West greeted him on Thursday, June 25 at 5:04 am, and he weighed 9 pounds and 5 ounces and was 23 inches tall. Christian has an older sister at home, Corina West, 14 months old.
Baby Mazi Phillips was born on Friday, June 26, at 4:01 am, welcomed by parents Tracy King and Matt Phillips. She weighed 7 pounds, one ounce and was 20 inches tall. She is the first child of Tracy.
With restrictions on COVID-19 for visitors, extended Kings family members were not allowed to visit newborns and new mothers – and sisters were not allowed to visit each other. But this did not prevent Tammy from walking from her hospital room just hours after giving birth, to look at her twin sister from a safe distance.
“It was great to be pregnant together,” said Tammy, adding that it was a friendly competition from the start. “When we realized we might be pregnant, we decided to take a home pregnancy test together. But she was very sick and did it one day.”
While Tracy was six minutes younger than her “older” twin, she expected first birth. Tracy’s due date was June 20, compared to Tammy’s due date on June 28. With one sister and the other waiting a little faster, the twin mother almost gave birth on the same day.
Yes, that is how it should have read. Nonetheless, what a joyous event??