Best friends and former roommates, (from left) Brooke Spendlove, Aimee Stirling, and Jennie Isom were surprised when all three started their families with twin boys.
It all started in room 396 at the Colony apartments, where three BYU students became best friends. Aimee Pierce Stirling (BA ’04), Brooke Turner Spendlove (BS ’02), and Jennie Hunsaker Isom (BS ’02) laughed, ate, and vacationed together. “We had a lot in common,” says Aimee. But none would have guessed then that their commonalities would extend to their children.
“I found out from my ultrasound I was having identical twins. I was overwhelmed,” says Brooke. A week later Jennie had her ultrasound. “I received the same news as Brooke—identical twins!” says Jennie. “I posted the ultrasound pictures on my blog, and my family did not believe me, thinking the pictures were Brooke’s.” After Brooke and Jennie had their babies, Aimee became pregnant.
“I was a bit jealous Brooke and Jennie had this cool experience of having twins together,” says Aimee. “The morning before my ultrasound, I thought I was going to have two babies. I was very disappointed when the ultrasound showed one.” As the medical staff was wrapping up, however, the radiologist saw a little flicker and looked closer—again, identical twins.
And what is more, all six were boys.
Bringing twins into the world was not without challenges. “I sat and slept in a recliner my entire pregnancy,” says Aimee. Jennie’s second baby turned breech. “It was a little scary,” she says. Brooke’s boys had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, where blood can be transferred disproportionately from one twin to the other. “Fortunately for me, my case was mild,” she says.
All three sets of twins shared the same blessing clothes and are now healthy boys.
Many oohs and aahs later, Jennie, Brooke, and Aimee have some advice for mothers expecting twins.
“Plan extra time wherever you go,” says Jennie.
“Figure initially on 200 to 300 diapers a month,” says Brooke.
“Make sure you label your pictures from the beginning,” says Aimee.
