My husband, Sean, and I decided to try to become parents one last time when I was in my early 40s. Our goal was to have a healthy baby. After help from a great fertility doctor and in-vitro fertilization, we learned in January 2002 that I was carrying twins. Life hasn't been the same since. Nothing in my 20-year professional career (working in sports media and traveling all over the U.S. and world) ever prepared me for this, but I wouldn't change a thing. Although I'm officially "retired" (or maybe just "tired"), I've worked harder since becoming a mom than I ever did in my "real job," but it's also well worth it.

People asked if we wanted to know the sex of our twins before they were born. We did. We figured there would be enough other surprises later, so, when the ultrasound showed that we having boy-girl twins, we felt even more blessed. I have two older stepdaughters (Erin, 22, and Kristen, 19), so I was excited that Sean would finally have a son.

Morgan, our little girl, was "Baby A" and Travis was "Baby B." For parents of multiples, this becomes common terminology when you're seeing your doctor prior to delivery. When they were first born (seven weeks early due to complications), even their NICU cribs had signs that read "Baby A" and "Baby B." The nurses joked with us that that was so we wouldn't get them confused.

It's surprising, however, how many people have asked us in the almost-five years since the twins were born if they're identical. Uh, excuse me! One is a girl and one is a boy! When they were younger, I'd sometimes dress them in similar pink and blue outfits, but we'd still get asked if they were identical. Granted, Travis had more hair than Morgan when they were little, but I thought the color-coded outfits would help ... apparently not.

Another common question is, "How do you do it with twins?" Since I didn't know any differently, it's like the Nike slogan says, I would "just do it." It does sometimes take a little longer to get ready to go somewhere (especially when they were younger), so I've had to learn how to be more flexible. One advantage to having twins is that each has a built-in playmate. My twins are best friends, confidantes, fellow teachers and co-conspirators all at the same time.

There's a special bond between multiples and the parents of multiples. We all have an understanding of what it can be like on those days when things seem out of control, but, now that we've formed our club (Tri-Lakes Parents of Multiples), help (or at least a pair of understanding ears) from a fellow mother of multiples is never far away.