(NEW YORK) — It was a birthday to remember for one New Jersey father this weekend.
Billy Humphrey, who turned 36 on Sunday, and his wife Eve Humphrey, both of Merchantville, New Jersey, welcomed twin sons on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
“I was very excited [about] the potential of having my boys on my birthday,” Billy Humphrey told “Good Morning America.” “We went in that day and I wasn’t quite sure if they’re going to come today or not, but having one of them at least on my birthday was a huge blessing and a gift.”
Eve Humphrey, 34, said she had gone to Virtua Voorhees Hospital in Voorhees, New Jersey, the day before but was sent home after a false alarm. She returned the following day after her water broke.
“My water broke. And I’m like, ‘Happy birthday. I think I have to go to the hospital,'” the mom of three and biology professor recalled telling her husband.
By Sunday night, Eve Humphrey was in labor. The couple first welcomed baby Ezra at 11:48 p.m. on Dec. 31, while his fraternal twin brother Ezekiel was born at 12:28 a.m. on Jan. 1 — meaning the boys were not only born on different days, but also in different years, one in 2023 and the other in 2024.
“It was a good experience. It was cool pushing out a baby while everyone’s counting down and saying ‘Happy New Year’ and, you know, it was like they had a birthday party,” Eve Humphrey said.
“I’m grateful everyone was healthy and things went pretty smoothly. So that’s the best thing you can ask for, especially because they’re a little bit early and everything, that they’re doing fine and I’m fine,” she added.
Ezra, who was known as baby A, was born weighing 6 pounds. Ezekiel, initially known as baby B, was born weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces. The twins arrived earlier than their Jan. 26 due date, a couple of days after they reached the 36-week milestone.
The parents said they were both “shocked” when they first found out they were having twins last spring, even though twins do run in both sides of their families.
“[The doctor’s] like, ‘Oh, there’s two heartbeats.’ And I was like, ‘What is that? Like, are you sure?'” Eve Humphrey recalled about one of her early doctor appointments. “And she turned the screen around and let me see, and she’s like, ‘Yep, there’s two babies in there.’ And I was just like, in shock.”
“It was kind of difficult to take in for a little bit,” Billy Humphrey, a pastor, added. “They’re like, ‘We’re gonna have twins. OK. Alright. What does that mean? What does that look like?’ So, it was a lot of information to take in. Definitely glad she FaceTimed me. I probably would have thought she was trying to play some prank on me or something.”
The Humphreys said the twins are “doing great” today.
“They already have very different personalities and they look different from the get go,” Eve Humphrey said, adding that Ezra appears to be more calm while Ezekiel is more energetic.
The family hope to be discharged from the hospital as early as Tuesday, when the twins will then join their older brother Hezekiah, who coincidentally will turn 3 on Jan. 3.
“They’re doing really, really good. Eating well, all signs are looking good, so they’re definitely optimistic that we’re going to be able to go home today,” Billy Humphrey said.
“[I’m] looking forward to sharing birthdays together and celebrating together and everything that looks like,” he added.
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