Luke and Jessica Dehm admire their newborn twins Michael and Jacob at Willamette Valley Medical Center on Thursday night. The babies were born earlier that day at 1:28 and 1:29 p.m.
Marcus Larson
News-Register

Who said, "You can never go home again?" Not the Dehm family of McMinnville.

The Dehm household doubled in size Thursday afternoon when Luke and Jessica Dehm welcomed twins into the world. The newborns are the couple's first, making this Father's Day weekend one they'll never forget.

But bringing home Michael Kenneth and Jacob Joseph, born one minute apart at 1:28 and 1:29 p.m. at Willamette Valley Medical Center, carries more significance than a connection to Dad's Day. There's an even stronger sense of family legacy.

The Dehms now live in the same house that Jessica was brought to as newborn after her mother gave birth and where she lived the first three years of her life.

"I'm back where I started," she said.

Photos of her and her great-grandmother were taken at the house. Jessica said she plans to add pictures of her boys and their great-grandmother to the collection.

At their first doctor's appointment, the couple learned that the first grandchildren on either side of the family would be twins. Jessica was in a state of disbelief but she and Luke "were thrilled when we found out." The couple's immediate families live in McMinnville and "everyone is really excited," Jessica said.

Jessica and Luke have known each other since childhood. "We used to ride the school bus together" when she was in elementary school and he was in middle school. Luke and Jessica's brother, Tom, were friends. Jessica and Luke knew of each other, "but that was about it," she said. It's hard to predict how relationships will play out ahead of time. Jessica didn't envision that eventually she and Luke would begin dating during her last year of college.

Michael and Jacob Dehm were born by Caesarean section; one minute passed between each delivery. Luke said the entire process lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Michael weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and Jacob 6 pounds. Both measured 18 1/2 inches.

"Jessica really wants to have the pictures," said Luke.

The Dehm family found no better way to celebrate Luke's first Father's Day than caring for their "nice, healthy" newborn twins.