Exhausted dad was struggling to put baby to sleep — then her twin brother leaned over and did something that instantly calmed her
Expecting twins means expecting a double of everything — the joys, the fulfilment and also the tantrums. A dad named Michael Bangerter (@twinstadads) experienced an overdose of joy when he welcomed his twins, Lola and Lincoln with his husband, Joshua Valdez, Newsweek reported. However, he also witnessed the sleepless nights in a double dose. One twin falls asleep and the other starts to cry. One particular night, the dad was exhausted and overstimulated after Lola couldn’t stop crying. Just when he started to feel defeated, the other twin took the matter into his hands.
Recalling the frantic night when the dad could no longer manage, Bangerter noted, “At that hour, my brain was operating at about six percent battery.” He explained that he had done everything right from feeding and changing her to caressing her to sleep and yet, she seemed uneasy. In the caption, the dad added that he and his partner were taking turns to try and soothe little Lola, but nothing worked. “All I could think was, what on earth is wrong?” he remarked. It’s around 3 am and the dad was starting to feel helpless, defeated and all kinds of restlessness.
To his surprise, Lola suddenly stopped crying. If you’ve ever handled a crying baby at such odd hours, you know you won’t so much as flinch if the baby finally stops crying. For this dad, he had no idea why Lola stopped, but didn’t move. But, when he looked down at her, he got his answer — Lincoln. The infant had ever so sweetly, subconsciously, used his twin instinct and held his sister’s hand and it immediately soothed her until both were asleep. “When I looked down and saw they had found each other’s hands, I got chills. It was one of those moments where exhaustion and emotion collide, and suddenly, you’re wide awake,” he remarked.
Nothing he could do helped and yet, this seemingly simple and impromptu gesture fixed it all. Bangerter called it the twin “superpower.” In another video, too, he captured the duo alone but at ease beside each other. He wrote, “The twin bond isn’t a myth. They already love each other so much.” And he’s not wrong. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, twin bonds are considered to be “the most enduring of human relationships.” Since they are connected from the time they’re in the womb, there is something special about the link they share that keeps them close.
For Bangerter, this simple visual became a significant memory. “Sometimes the sweetest...memories happen in the middle of the chaos,” he said. And that’s just how bittersweet it is to every parent. “Doesn’t mean we’re any less tired, but it does remind us that sometimes the hardest parts of parenting make the most meaningful ones,” the dad remarked. @sharonkoosache said, “Such a beautiful bond." @mill_ added, “The best protective brother!!!! You guys really are doing incredible!” @jess_baker2010 noted, “This is absolutely adorable.” Many even offered support and encouragement to the dads. @missypardue said, “You got this! Nights are long but the years are short.” @daisyjvintage remarked, “What a wonderful life!”
You can follow Michael Bangerter and Joshua Valdez (@twinstadads) on Instagram for more content on parenting and family.
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