Cousins born hours apart in same ward celebrate getting festive for the first time
Two sisters-in-law who gave birth to babies in the same ward within hours are celebrating their daughters’ first Christmas together.
Julie Stanulis welcomed Aria into the world soon after Kerry Apartopoulos had Ruby.
The first-time mums were in the maternity unit at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in September.
Both were assisted by the same midwife.
More than three months on, the baby cousins are thriving.
Beauty therapist Julie, 33, of Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, said: “Kerry and I never expected the have two girls in the same hospital ward on the same day, all with the help of the same midwife.
“We’re looking forward to Christmas this year more than any other. We’ve made so many special memories for the girls’ first Christmas.
“We’ve visited the Christmas markets together, gone to see Santa and had a few Christmas lunches.
“Christmas morning will be spent together and then we’ll have a big family party on Boxing Day.
“We keep saying that we’ll end up getting the girls the same present as every time we meet up the girls are dressed the same. It’s completely unintentional as we don’t discuss what they’re wearing before we meet.
“Everyone thinks they’re twins.”
Both women found out they were pregnant just two weeks apart.
Kerry and husband Dimitri, 34, were overjoyed to find out they were having a baby girl.
While Julie, married to Kerry’s brother Joe, 36, was delighted to discover that they were also expecting their first child together just months before being scheduled to start IVF.
Marketing executive Kerry, 27, of King’s Park, Glasgow, was admitted to hospitaltal on September 6 and gavee birth to Ruby two days later, at 12.26am. Julie gave birthrth to Aria at 11.23pm.
She added: “Julie andd I could’ve had our babieses as much as six weeks apart art and we joked all the way ay through our pregnancies es about having them on the same day – but we couldn’t believe it whenn it actually happened.
“It’s really special that our beautiful girls were born just 23 hours s apart. They’re both coming on great.”