A pair of Mississauga, Ont. twins celebrated their first birthdays on different days, in different years.
Though they were just eight minutes apart, Gabriela and Sophia's arrival straddled two calendar years.
Gabriela was born eight minutes before midnight on Dec. 31, 2013, followed by her sister Sophia, who entered the world 38 seconds after midnight on Jan. 1, 2014. Gabriela was the last baby born at the Credit Valley Hospital in 2013, while Sophia was the first of 2014.
Their unlikely arrival story attracted a lot of attention on Toronto.CTVNews.ca, and a year later, their mother says they're still being recognized in the street.
The fraternal twins are often approached on walks. When their mother, Lindsay Salguiero, starts to tell the story, strangers interrupt, telling her they remember hearing about the girls on New Year's Day, 2014.
Salguiero told CTVNews.ca that strangers will tell her, "It's like I'm meeting celebrities."
The toddlers just celebrated their first birthdays with separate cakes, on separate days. Their family sang "Happy Birthday" to Gabriela on Dec. 31, 2014 and to Sophia on Jan. 1, 2015. They also had a party on Jan. 3, where they wore matching Minnie Mouse costumes and blew out candles on separate cakes.
Personalities
Though the girls are only one-year-old, Salguiero said their distinct personalities are already emerging.
Gabriela is very calm and relaxed, but cries dramatically if she gets small cuts or scrapes. She loves to eat and is very ticklish. She also loves to play peek-a-boo and giggle.
Younger sister Sophia is more expressive. She likes to make noise and cries easily, but her mother says she also smiles and giggles a lot.
When it comes to eating, she's hesitant at first, and will stick her tongue out to taste everything before taking a bite.
The girls get along for the most part, Salguiero said, but Sophia sometimes steals Gabriela's toys. Gabriela handles it well, and moves on to a different toy without complaint.
Sophia will also snatch Gabriela's pacifier out of her mouth, and will shove it in her own mouth, even if she's already using her own.
Living with brothers
Salguiero has two older boys who are learning to live with sisters. Jeremiah, 5, loves to play with them, while Santiago, 2, is still struggling.
Santiago gets upset when they take his toys or food and doesn't always understand why they're crying. Jeremiah will help with diaper duty and is patient when they cry. He also acts as a wardrobe consultant, letting his mom know if the twins' outfits aren't up to his standards.
Milestones
The girls learned to talk at about the same time, quickly picking up "mama" and dada." They also know "bravo" and love to wave and clap.
Salguiero says they're currently practicing blowing kisses.
Sophia is taking small steps, and will walk by pushing a chair or holding an adult's hands. Gabriela started walking a bit later and seems more cautious, Salguiero said.
"It's funny because while I was pregnant I had one baby move more than the other. I remember going to see my doctor and freaking out, saying I barely felt one. They would look and see that both were fine, but it felt like the one baby was doing jumping jacks," Salguiero said.
"I would constantly see the knees or elbows sticking out. Meanwhile the other was so calm. I see them and how their personalities are, and I know who was who from being inside my stomach."
Next steps
The girls have a long wait before starting school, but Salguiero is already thinking about their education. She's decided she will keep them in the same grade, and already has approval from the school board, but isn't sure if she'll have them start school with other kids born in 2013, or 2014.
"The only problem we will have is with extra-curricular activities," Salguiero said. Because of their birthdays, the girls won't be able to play on the same teams if they play sports that register based on birth years.
