BETTENDORF, Iowa — It's a tale of two brothers, who already have an incredible sense of timing.
Bettendorf mom, Emily Wildermuth, gave birth to identical twin boys in the early morning hours of 2-22-22.
Baby Rylo came first, shortly before 1 a.m., and weighed six pounds and 12 ounces. He was followed by Sylas, nearly four and a half hours later, who came out seven pounds, 10 ounces. Wildermuth's doctor told her it was the longest gap in between births that he'd ever seen with twins!
All three are reportedly doing well, although Rylo was taken to the NICU shortly after being born. His mother says he's doing great and should be reunited with his family soon.
"He's breathing good and eating good and all that good stuff," Wildermuth said. "So is his brother so we're just very fortunate."
The new mom says twins don't run in her family, making her two boys already a unique birth. But then you factor in the 2/22/2022 date, and it's something neither she, nor the twins' father, could have imagined.
"I thought I was gonna have Valentine's Day babies," Wildermuth laughed. "But as soon as we realized that they could be born on that date, the baby's father was like absolutely, like that has to happen!"
Her original due date was March 19, but after preterm labor began at the end of January, Wildermuth began preparing to meet her sons.
And there's another oddity to this story: the twins are known as monochorionic/diamniotic (or mono/di for short), essentially meaning they grew in separate sacks, but shared the same placenta.
"It's like the second rarest type of twins," Wildermuth said.
She was brought into the hospital on Sunday, Feb. 20 and began a grueling next few days.
"Then they broke my water at 5 a.m. on Monday and I labored all day," Wildermuth said. "Seriously, I was on the yoga ball, I mean, I was going up and down stairs. It was awful. It was terrible, miserable, never again. But it was worth it, you know!"
She looks at her two sons, and their historic birthday as "luck of the draw" and is already smitten with them. Already, both are spitting images of their father, she laughed, and she can't wait to bring Rylo and Sylas home.
Oh, and not only does the unusual nature of their birthday ensure she'll never forget it, it also happens to be similar to her own.
"I was born on Oct. 22, and '22' has always been my number anyway, so it was just another lucky coincidence," Wildermuth said. "Everything happens for a reason. And, I'll never forget their birthday!"