There’s something so touching about being allowed the privilege to peek in on a family as it’s being created.
Which is probably why Instagram photos of a couple, their two pregnancies and the resulting bouncing, beautiful babies are going viral. Oh, and there’s a twist: The parents are both women, Melanie and Vanessa Iris Roy.
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See, both ladies always knew they wanted to be mothers. So together they decided each would have a baby one year apart. Melanie was first and gave birth to their son Jax in 2014. This year, the couple welcomed a daughter, Ero, who was carried by Vanessa.
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Like lots of couples do, they took photos at each stage of their pregnancies and shared them on Instagram. The shots are intimate and feature both women, one year apart, in the same bikini top, swollen tummies full of baby. And they’re so beautiful.
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The couple hopes to inspire and encourage other same-sex couples to start families of their own.
“I am so thankful for the life I have been given,” Melanie wrote on her Facebook page in response to the outpouring of support the family has received since their photos were shared around the world. “For my two gorgeous healthy kids Jax and Ero. For my kickass wife who is literally my best friend, my therapist, my lover, and my partner in life all wrapped in one. My parents for all the things they sacrificed to give me the childhood I had and the solid foundation built with family, love, and tradition.”
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Hard to imagine anyone with a family could ask for more.
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Congratulations, ladies. You have a beautiful family. And based on research, Jax and Ero, as kids of same-sex parents, are likely to be healthier physically and socially when compared to other kids. One of the primary benefits of being parented by two parents of the same sex is that household work and responsibility are usually more equally divided and based upon ability rather than tired stereotypes. The result? A happier, better-functioning household that translates to happier, healthier kids.
The same study out of the University of Melbourne in Australia pointed out the major obstacle for the success of kids coming out of same-sex families is social stigma. That’s where families like the Roys come in to break down stereotypes and shatter uninformed illusions about what a family headed by lesbians looks like and can be. But they can’t do it alone, and luckily they don’t have to.
“I’ve also been blessed with great friends along the way,” Melanie wrote. “Tonight while laying next to my two munchkins my heart was filled with love thinking of how awesome my life is.”
More on same-sex families
Talking to your kids about same-sex families
Why marriage equality isn’t enough for same-sex parents
5 Excellent LGBT children’s books any family can enjoy
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