Maria and Chris Jones-Elliot were filled with joy when they discovered they were expecting twin daughters. They already were parents to a grown-up son and daughter, both of whom were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their two new younger siblings.

The parents-to-be decided on the names Amy and Katie for their twin daughters well in advance. Though the twins were scheduled to be born in September, things didn’t go quite as anticipated. By late May, at 24 weeks pregnant, Maria sensed that she was about to give birth. She promptly went to a nearby clinic, and on June 1, she delivered her daughter Amy.

Despite being born prematurely, Amy was in reasonably good health considering her weight was just 540 grams. However, her twin sister Katie was not in a hurry to be born. Due to specific conditions of Maria’s body, Katie was able to remain in utero for her full term.

Maria welcomed Katie on August 27, 2012, a full 87 days after Amy’s birth. Katie’s birth weight was 2550 grams, and she was about 44 centimeters tall.

The twins were discharged from the hospital almost simultaneously. By this time, Amy had gained substantial weight, though she was still significantly smaller than her sister.

The sisters, who were born nearly three months apart, quickly attracted media attention. They also set a new world record, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records representatives. Interestingly, although Amy and Kathy are twins, they celebrate two different birthdays. On both occasions, the girls receive warm wishes and presents.

By their first birthday, Amy had virtually caught up with her younger sister in terms of development. The twins began to resemble each other closely, but their personalities turned out to be quite distinct.

Amy is now 8 years old, and Katie is 7, but she will soon celebrate her birthday and reach the same age as her sister. The twin girls are gearing up to enter the second grade of elementary school this year. They’re excellent students and support each other in everything.

Their names are inscribed on their schoolbags to help their classmates and teachers distinguish between them. But their parents can effortlessly spot the numerous differences between their daughters, who were born 87 days apart.