Teigan McKinnon has offered a glimpse inside her baby daughters’ nursery, just two days after welcoming identical twins Audrey Jill and Violet John.
The 26-year-old wife of former NRL star Alex McKinnon shared a video to Instagram on Wednesday of the girls’ newly renovated bedroom.
The space includes light floorboards, a patterned carpet, a double stroller, a pair of stylish wooden cots, a plush rocking chair and various stuffed toys.
Lovely design: Teigan McKinnon has offered a glimpse inside her baby daughters’ nursery, just two days after welcoming identical twins Audrey Jill and Violet John
The names Audrey and Violet are printed on opposing white walls in gold cursive text above each child’s respective cot.
The twins were born on Monday afternoon just six minutes apart, and Teigan announced the happy news on Instagram the following day.
Teigan shared several photos to Instagram of the couple – who have been together since high school – cradling their newborns in hospital.
Stunning: The space includes light floorboards, a patterned carpet, a double stroller, a pair of stylish wooden cots, a plush rocking chair and various stuffed toys
Details: The names Audrey and Violet are printed on opposing white walls in gold cursive text above each child’s respective cot
‘Two little precious girls have entered the world and have stolen our hearts: 26/04/21. 3:13pm and 3:19pm,’ she wrote.
‘Audrey Jill McKinnon – 2.5kg and length 48cm. Violet John McKinnon – 2.4kg and length 47.5cm.’
The McKinnons had announced they were expecting twins in November last year.
Double celebration: Ex-NRL star Alex McKinnon and his wife, Teigan, welcomed twin girls on Monday afternoon just six minutes apart
Father: Alex, formerly of the Newcastle Knights, cradled his baby girls in hospital
Growing family: They’ve called their little girls Audrey Jill and Violet John. The McKinnons are pictured at their twins’ gender reveal party in November with their older daughter Harriet, two
Former Newcastle Knights star Alex, 29, who became a quadriplegic after a horror tackle seven years ago, posted a photo to Instagram of himself with Teigan and their daughter Harriet holding out balloons spelling out their big surprise: ‘Twins.’
The couple later revealed they’d been left speechless when their GP broke the news to them following a scan.
‘We’re extremely grateful – with a million different emotions,’ Alex said.
‘I’m still trying to get my head around all that stuff like two baby seats, two cots, two high chairs… it’s amazing how the rollercoaster of life works.
‘I’m an only child and so we always wanted a big family. I guess we’ve got our wish, that’s for sure.’
Wonderful: Alex and Teigan had announced they were expecting twins in November last year
He and Teigan confirmed they were having girls days later, sharing a video on social media from their gender reveal party.
Alex had proposed to his high school sweetheart from his hospital bed just days after his promising NRL career was cut short in March 2014, when he suffered a devastating spinal cord injury during a round-three match against Melbourne Storm.
He suffered fractures to his C4 and C5 vertebrae after a dangerous tackle close to half-time and was left a quadriplegic.
Alex and Teigan tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the NSW Hunter Valley in October 2017 and welcomed their first child, Harriet Anne, one day before their first wedding anniversary the following year.
Teigan previously spoke of the couple’s dreams of becoming parents.
Injury: Alex had proposed to his high school sweetheart from his hospital bed just days after his promising NRL career was cut short in March 2014, when he suffered a devastating spinal cord injury during a round-three match against Melbourne Storm (pictured)
‘One of the first things Alex wanted to know after the accident was whether we could have kids one day, because he didn’t want to miss out on that,’ Teigan said.
‘So we went to see a fertility specialist and it seems there’s a great chance, because he still creates sperm.’
Alex played 49 games for St George Illawarra and Newcastle before his career was abruptly cut short.
He has previously opened up about the long-carried ‘hate’ and ‘frustration’ over the on-field incident, but had moved on from the matter as he continued his physical rehabilitation.
Life-changing accident: He suffered fractures to his C4 and C5 vertebrae after a dangerous tackle close to half-time and was left a quadriplegic. Alex and Teigan went on to marry in 2017
He revealed in October last year he had forgiven Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith for his actions in the aftermath of the sickening tackle.
Smith came under heavy fire at the time for arguing with the referee as McKinnon lay motionless on the ground following the tackle by Jordan McLean, who was later suspended for seven games.
The Storm captain was heard saying: ‘I don’t want to see that happen to anyone in our game but, if he [Alex] doesn’t duck his head that doesn’t happen’.
‘I have forgiven everything that happened straight after the tackle, his response – I have forgiven him. It’s hard to hold on to hate. It really is. It’s wasted energy. It’s blinding,’ Alex told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘At its worst, it can consume you and I’ll admit it did for a while there. There is no positive to being like that and, for that reason, I have moved past it and I hold no hard feelings at all.’
‘The hard thing was for my family, my dad, to let it go. But I told them it didn’t do any of us any good at all to keep the hate. I talked with them about how it does not help anyone. And the family has been able to put it all to one side.’
Bundle of joy: The high school sweethearts welcomed their first child, Harriet Anne, one day before their first wedding anniversary in 2018