Tanya Hall, 33, and her companion Kris, 44, who both work in research and development, had a difficult time conceiving twins in April 2019 despite odds of 200 million to one. Tanya was required to undergo s s su at 19 weeks, in which a s is used to sever the s from the su t t. It was because two of the tts were diagnosed with t-t-t tsus s (T.T.T.S) – a rare but t condition in which the infants share just one t, causing one baby to receive an excess of and the others to receive insufficient amounts. The babies were delivered six weeks early at 31 weeks on April 26, 2019 at Ls W and N Ct in Burnley. Little Austin arrived first at 8.50pm weighing 4lbs 1oz, followed by Rupert at 20.52pm weighing 2lbs 11oz, and Ethan at 8.54pm weighing 2lbs 9oz.
She stated, “Austin is extremely independent and takes great pride in being a decent child. Ethan is the youngest, but he is the leader; he understands his own mind and is the ; he directs the group. Rupert is highly intelligent and energetic. He values his privacy. He even moved out of the child’s bedroom and into the guest room. The boys attend daycare on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, are looked after by their grandparents on Mondays and Thursdays, and their mother has Fridays off to care for them. We rise at approximately 7:30 a.m. and head downstairs for breakfast; the boys adore to help with everything – it’s so adorable!”
L t tttoddlers is in full swing. Austin and Ethan consume oatmeal, while Ethan chooses cereal without milk. “Around the age of one, they would all attempt to drag their highchairs across the floor; it was chaos,” she said. As a special indulgence, their mother will prepare crepes, with each child playing an integral role. One child will weigh the flour, another will pour the milk, and the third will break the egg.
“They all argue over who gets to crack the egg, so because there’s only one egg, I have to rotate between the boys every time,” Tanya explained. “After breakfast, it’s time to head outside to play; the boys enjoy exploring the woods near their home.”
After breakfast, it’s time to go out and play outside – the boys love exploring in the woodland near their house. By midday, the boys are back home for dinner and love the classic combination of potato waffles, beans and eggs. Youngest, Rupert, is the most ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴtuʀᴏus with food and will eat anything put in front of him, and Ethan is the most reluctant to try anything new. Fed and watered, the boys love to tidy up and help sweep brush and even hoover. When 1pm comes round it’s time for nap time and by 3pm, they’re awake for more fun. If the sun’s out, the family will go to outside to play but if the weather is miserable, they will stay indoors for activities.
Tanya enjoys baking with the trio and they frequently make gingerbread figures using a large, medium, and small cutter to form a mother, father, and grandmother. It resembles a t operation. The boys enjoy nothing more than settling down to watch their favorite television program, Paw Patrol, but they insist on watching specific episodes, such as the Christmas episode in the midst of summer. At 4.30pm, dinner is served, and at 6pm, they take a bath.
“They have so many bath toys, but they’re happiest playing with a jug and water,” says Tanya. They are also “sss” with a pencil case, which they carry into the bathroom with them and fill with water. Although the tt’s curfew is between 7 and 8 p.m., it may take longer to put them to slumber. Not always is bedtime a stroll in the park. They can recite every Julia Donaldson story by heart; when my friend was reading Austin a bedtime story, he actually corrected her for using the incorrect terms; it was hilarious. The boys share a room, each with a cot bed, but two months ago, in June 2022, Rupert decided to go it alone and began sleeping in the spare room. You must choose your tts, and since he is content to slumber alone, he must enjoy his independence.”
Tanya and Kris are in the process of toilet training their children, so they should anticipate being awakened at least twice per night. Now that the boys are older, Tanya no longer breastfeeds, but she laments it. When the boys were infants, their schedule was even more rigid; each was breastfed every three hours. Daily, Tanya was required to produce three litres of milk.
