CARTHAGE — It's never happened before at Carthage Area Hospital: two sets of twin girls born in a nearly 24-hour period.

Walter S. Becker, hospital administrator, said the situation is unique because the hospital is so small.

"I just thought it was so unusual," he said. "Our births will be up this year, too, the way it's looking. We'll be well over 150 births from last year."

Lilah M. and Raina A. Kunselman took turns crying and vying for the attention of mom Holly A. and dad Thomas E. Kunselman, Antwerp, while down the hall, Trisha J. and Maddison M. Morgan, daughters of Dannielle M. and Jesse J. Morgan, Watertown, spent time with grandma Cathie L. Morgan.

Lilah, who weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces and was 18.5 inches long when she was born at 8:04 a.m. Wednesday, was content in her father's arms that afternoon, as fraternal twin sister Raina was upset her thumb was tucked in the cloth she was swaddled in.

Raina, born at 8:06 a.m. Wednesday, weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Mrs. Kunselman, who has a 14-year-old daughter, Jayde Davis, said she had a "very eventful pregnancy," and is glad the Caesarean section delivery is over.

"It's all been a long time," she said, referring to the time since her eldest daughter was born. "I'm going to take it day by day."

Mr. Kunselman, a first-time father, said he can't stop smiling.

"I was so happy," he said. "We've had experience with all three major hospitals, and we're happy we picked the right one to deliver at. It's nice to have more one-on-one time."

As to what characteristics the new parents have noticed already, Mr. Kunselman said Raina is already a thumb-sucker.

Twins don't run in either Mr. or Mrs. Kunselman's families, so when they found out there were two babies, it came as a shock, they said.

The Morgans, however, knew twins ran on Mr. Morgan's side of the family. The ironic part, said his mother, Cathie, was that the couple didn't find out they were having twins until Dannielle was five months along.

"There hasn't been twins in generations," Cathie said.

She came to the area in June to escape the hot summer where she lives in Kinston, N.C., but she decided to stay for a couple of extra weeks when her grandchildren were born.

Delivered via Caesarean section, Trisha was born at 8:11 a.m. Tuesday, and was 5 pounds, 63/4 ounces, and 18.5 inches long. Maddison was 18 inches long, 5 pounds, 1/4 ounce and born a minute later.

Cathie said her daughter-in-law is doing well as a first-time mother, despite trouble with pain Wednesday afternoon.

Twila M. Marolf, a registered nurse in the maternity ward, agreed.

"She'll go home prepared to take care of the babies," she said.

With six newborn babies in the hospital Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Marolf said no twins were scheduled to be born the rest of the week.

"But you never know," she said.

Because of the increasing number of babies born at Carthage Area Hospital, Mr. Becker said, another midwife, Lucy Krol, was hired and is set to begin work in September.

The Holland resident graduated with a master's degree in nurse midwifery from Stony Brook University in 2006.