Inside Hilary Swank's Life With Her Million Dollar Babies
Originally appeared on E! Online
Hilary Swank can recall the moment her world got just a bit brighter.
Though it was fairly dreary when she and husband Philip Schneider welcomed their twins—daughter Aya and son Ohm—in April 2023, "One of the first songs we played for them was 'Here Comes the Sun,'" the actress recounted during a Feb. 14 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Born just a few days before her late father's birthday in the coastal city of Bellingham, Wash. that she grew up in not far from the Canadian border, "It's very rainy there," continued the two-time Oscar winner, marking her 50th birthday July 30. "And it was raining during the time they were born, but we were like, 'Spring is coming and here comes the sun with you two little balls of light.'"
Ever since, the 15-month-old twins have brought more than just the proverbial sunshine.
"It is the best in the whole wide world," the Ordinary Angels star gushed of parenting, noting that, "it's more joy and more fun and more exhausting—it's more everything than I ever thought it would be. It's more glorious. It's the most extraordinary thing."
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Because much like any new parent, she's delighting in each tiny, adorable milestone.
Aya was named for a Syrian refugee she and Schneider once met in Lebanon. "She was just this courageous brave young girl full of light going through a really difficult time," Swank shared on Today. "My husband and I were like, 'She's so beautiful. What a great name."
And their Aya is already showing a similar strength.
Take her penchant for growling at her growing collection of stuffed animals. At first, "she sounded like a mourning dove," Swank described to host Jimmy Fallon, "and then it turned into a growl. She growls, but like really commits."
And it's not her only form of greeting. "Now, she's also saying hi," Swank added. "She goes, 'Hi, hi, hi,' to everything. The plant, 'Hi!', the sun, 'Hi!', the sky, 'Hi!'"
As for son Ohm—named for the first universal sound that "unites all people," shared Swank—he's a big fan of the point and "Ah!" as she demonstrated.
And much like Mom and Dad—who asked the guests at their 2018 wedding to gift them with a vinyl recording of a song that takes them "to a special time" in their lives—the toddlers are already proving to be budding musicians. Swank shared with Fallon that her husband played The Beatles' sunny track for them, prompting her son to clap along.
"He, like, jives," described the Million Dollar Baby star. "He like gets down."
So, yeah, motherhood, it's alright for Swank.
"[There's] a lot of complaining. 'Oh my God, your life gets kind of taken away. It gets hijacked until they get back in school,'" the actress said during an appearance on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna March 19. "I'm like, 'Good. Hijack the heck out of it!'"
Do-do-do-do you want to get a glimpse inside her family world? Keep reading.
Love Will Keep Them Warm
Hilary Swank and husband Philip Schneider enjoyed time in the snow in Park City, Utah, at Sundance in 2019.
Spooky Season
The P.S. I Love You star rang in the fall with a social media shoutout to her fur baby and her babies-to-be.
She captioned her Oct. 2022 post, "#HappyHalloween from me, Pumpkin Moon and my PumpTwins."
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Parenthood
Hilary had an extra special present for Christmas in 2022—two new babies, which she dubbed "gifts of a lifetime."
Eyes for Only Each Other
Each other and their incoming arrivals! Hilary kept a hand on her growing baby bump at the 2023 Golden Globes.
Two Buns in the Oven
Hilary provides an update on her pregnancy journey with fans, captioning her Feb. 2023 post, "Oven’s heatin’ up, dough’s beginning to rise!!"
Million Dollar Baby (A)
The Million Dollar Baby star proved she has her own prizefighter when "Baby A" was caught flexing in an ultrasound image.
They're Here
Hilary officially welcomed her twins in April 2023.
"It wasn’t easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it," she captioned her announcement. "Happy Easter! Posting from pure Heaven."
Doggy Heaven
Hilary gave a peek into her and Philip's life at home with their many fur babies.
"So I walked into my bedroom to find this display of rescue dog nap yumminess…," she captioned the June 2023 post. "Can you even? Terrific Teddy, Super Sufi, Kinetic Kai, Dashing Dunton and Mama Moon."
Day Date
Hilary and Philip enjoyed a rare kid-free date at the Variety Spirituality and Faith in Entertainment Breakfast in February 2024.
And The Names Are...
After revealing Aya and Ohm's names, Hilary explained that her daughter was named for "a Syrian refugee we met in Lebanon, so she was just this courageous brave young girl full of light going through a really difficult time."
As for son Ohm, his moniker is "considered the first universal sound and unites all people. We thought, 'Oh, that sounds very fitting.'"
