Spotlight of the Month

by Michele Bryant

This month's spotlight shines on the Cohen family. Anne Cary and Doug Cohen are the parents of two year old twins, Ben and Genevieve Cohen. Their contact with PPOM started before they even moved to town. Anne contacted then president, Jennifer Herrold, when she learned that she would be moving to Pensacola with the Navy during her 33rd week of pregnancy. Jennifer put her in contact with some club members for support and also sold her a crib to get the nursery started. Anne, being as organized and together as she, had also contacted a doula to assist her with the birth and to learn more about giving birth to twins. She attended two monthly meetings while pregnant and was excited to meet so many wonderful parents with such good advice.

The family came to Gulf Breeze from Baltimore, MD where Anne and Doug met as graduate students. Doug, originally from Boston, is a fan of professional sports, especially the Red Sox and Patriots, and has been playing rugby for over fifteen years. Anne grew up in Baltimore, taught math for ten years, and enjoys yoga, reading magazines, and spending time with her friends. The couple was married in 1992 in San Diego, CA and relocated to Baltimore in 1995. They were very excited to find out they were having twins in the summer of 1999 after many years of wanting children.

In January 2000, Doug was recalled to active with the Navy and relocated to Pensacola. Seven weeks after the move, Anne was induced at 40 weeks and Ben and Genevieve arrived on March 15, 2000. Ben weighed in at a whopping 7 ¾ pounds and Genevieve was just over 6 pounds. Anne successfully breastfed the twins for 21 months a huge triumph as the first week home can be very stressful to any mom, no less a nursing one. I think Anne's new temporary figure was also an incentive.

The past two years have been very good ones for the Cohen’s. The twins are healthy, happy, smart, beautiful, just like their parents (these were Anne's exact words)! Because their extended families are so far away, the multiple clubs has been a great source of support and friendship to Anne as a first time mother. Her closest friends are also members of the organization. She loves to tell moms new to the club about how she and Lindsay Stewart were out and about when the kids were just a couple of months old. It didn't matter that they lived on opposite sides of town and are almost fourteen years apart in age. Anne and Lindsay talked daily and would go to the beach, roller-skating, picnics in the park, and have play dates at various playgrounds around town. People still remember Anne pushing that 'double decker' stroller everywhere and anywhere. The two moms would run into another twin mom duo, Denise and Jill, at the beach. They encouraged others to meet them on their outings and now there's a whole group of two year old twins all over town on any given day!

Anne is grateful to have her friends to talk with about parenting issues and life in general. She is sad to say goodbye to the Pensacola Parents of Multiples but knows that life moves on and she will always remember her time here in Pensacola very fondly due to her friendships with club members, especially Michele, Lindsay, Denise, and Debbie. Doug will continue in the Navy reserves and hopes to do his two week tour at NAS so that the whole family can come back for vacation. Everyone will get an invitation to the beach house for a reunion!

I would like to add a personal note, but think there are quite a few of you that would agree that Anne has been a tremendous support to members of the club and will be greatly missed. Anne you have been a wonderful friend and things will continue without you, but they will never be the same.

Good luck in Baltimore.