DOUBLE THE LOVE: Hopkins family welcomes two grandchildren on the same day
Published 8:00 am Sunday, April 16, 2023
Cousins Auden Hopkins, left, and Charlotte Langford, right, were both born on Jan. 24, 2023. (Photo Submitted)
Colby Hopkins Langford and Anna Harbin Hopkins, sisters-in-law, gave birth on the same day on Jan. 24. (Photo Submitted)
Colby Hopkins Langford and Anna Harbin Hopkins often wheeled Auden and Charlotte into each others' hospital rooms during postpartum recovery — getting a very early start on play dates for the first cousins. (Photo Submitted)
Austin Hopkins, Auden Hopkins, Charlotte Langford and Colby Hopkins Langford pose in the hospital shortly after the births of Auden and Charlotte. (Photo Submitted)
Kim Hopkins (front left) and Rodger Hopkins (front right) hold new grandchildren Charlotte and Auden as their daughter Colby Langford and son Austin Hopkins, look on. (Photo Submitted)
The odds of two siblings having children born on the same day are a million to one — but in spite of all the challenges and variables, Vicksburg’s Colby Hopkins Langford and her sister-in-law Anna Harbin Hopkins did just that on Jan. 24.
No two pregnancies are alike. This marked Langford and her husband Joel’s first pregnancy after six years of marriage, while Hopkins and her husband Austin brought their third bundle of joy into the world. However, the differences brought on sweet moments between the two supportive sisters-in-law, they said.
“When Colby first told us she was pregnant, I was so excited for her,” Hopkins said. “Austin and I had just found out a few days earlier that I was pregnant, but no one else knew at this time. When she told me her due date, I was completely shocked that it was also the exact same day as our baby.
“We waited a while to announce our pregnancy and due date because we wanted Colby and Joel to enjoy the spotlight since it was their first baby and our third,” she added.
Langford said she still gets emotional thinking of her brother and sister-in-law’s thoughtfulness when it came to her pregnancy.
“Joel and I had tried for a long time to get pregnant, including infertility treatments. We were at the point of debating on IVF or giving up,” Langford said. “This pregnancy was a huge surprise to us and everyone else. Austin and Anna decided to keep their pregnancy a secret through the whole first trimester to give us the opportunity to have the whole experience.
“I cried then and still tear up thinking how incredibly sweet it was for them to hold such a big secret from everyone for us.”
The ladies said they found immense support from each other throughout their pregnancies, but never believed they would actually deliver their babies on the same day. Fate had different plans. The pair not only delivered on the same day, they were in hospital rooms next door to one another.
It’s something grandmother Kim Hopkins (whose day job is Director of the Downtown Vicksburg Main Street Program) said was both fortuitous and convenient.
“Two grandbabies on the way at the same time was exciting, but not nearly as exciting finding out that they were coming on the same day and almost at the same time at the same hospital and with the same doctor,” Kim said. “Their birthday was very nerve-racking, overwhelming and it was like being in a race, not knowing which would be born first. We were just praying that both mommies and babies would be OK. Our hearts were full of joy and excitement when they were born.”
In addition to having the same doctor, the ladies said their beloved Aunt Jennifer was able to attend the births as a labor and delivery nurse.
Little Charlotte and Auden made their entrances into the world nearly back-to-back — but Auden was a surprise himself.
Being their third child, Anna said she and Austin opted to wait until birth to learn the gender of their baby. Knowing ahead of time that Charlotte was a girl, the family played plenty of guessing games to see if older brothers Anson and Abel would get a baby brother or sister.
“The whole nine months was fun for (my husband Rodger and I) planning for two grandkids and playing guessing games of what one of them would be,” Kim said. “We were overjoyed to find out one of them would be a little girl. Colby and Anna were both great sports with us patting their tummies and joking around with them the whole nine months.”
Today, both babies are growing up in Bovina and are surrounded by plenty of love from their extended family. And one day, their mothers said, they’ll hear all about their extraordinary entrance to the world.
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