Carlsen twins bonding

FARGO (AP) — Cinderella and Snow White clasped each other’s tiny hands.

The two little girls twirled around and around and around their family’s living room.

Just a few days shy of turning 3, Abby and Belle Carlsen haven’t quite figured out the fall down part of “Ring Around the Rosie,” but that didn’t stop their playful game or the accompanying chatter.

Fargo’s formerly conjoined twins are quite the pair these days.

The baby clothes, high chairs and diapers are long gone.

The girls have learned to ride their red Radio Flyer tricycles. They sleep in toddler beds in a shared bedroom at home in south Fargo and spent their first night camping during a family vacation to Lake Sakakawea in July.

Halloween costumes — Cinderella for Abby and Snow White for Belle — are their favorite dress-up clothes.

Only the faintest of scars remain where the Carlsen twins were once joined at the chest and abdomen. The girls’ journey to separation captured the hearts of people throughout the region.

Annual checkups at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where the girls were separated in May 2006, continue to show no major medical problems, parents Amy and Jesse Carlsen say.

Both Abby and Belle occasionally wear custom-made chest protectors to reinforce their reconstructed chest walls during playground outings and other outdoor activities. Ultimately, there will be additional reconstructive surgeries, but that time likely is years away.

While no longer physically connected, the bonds of sisterhood remain alive and well.

“If they lose track of each other for five minutes in the house, Abby will run up to me and say, ‘Where’s Belle?’ or Belle will run up to me and say, ‘Where’s Abby?’” Jesse said.

The twins are like so many other children their age. Their desire for independence is strong.

“Abby do it” and “Belle do it” are all too common statements in the Carlsen house.

A speech therapist has been working weekly with both girls since late July to improve their pronunciation of consonants and letter combinations. Those efforts have helped improve communication and alleviate frustration for the entire family.

Meanwhile, another separation and major milestone is on the horizon.

Beginning early next month, Abby and Belle will begin preschool three mornings each week at Eagles Education Center in south Fargo. The girls have been assigned different teachers and classrooms.

Amy hopes the experience will help give each daughter the opportunity to come more into her own.

“They’re going to love this,” said Amy during a recent tour of the girls’ classrooms. “I’m so happy for them.”

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Tags: carlsen, twin, conjoined, babies