Motherhood is full of surprises—just ask Ashley Graham.
After welcoming sons Malachi and Roman in January, "I thought that they were going to be more into each other," the supermodel, married to Justin Ervin, exclusively told E! News while promoting her partnership with Affirm. "I thought that because they were in my body together for so long that they were going to need each other."
Alas, she's learned otherwise. "I was almost afraid to not have them sleep in the same crib," Ashley continued. "And I think that they were actually happier when I put them in different cribs because they were like, 'Finally I have some space, jeez.' They don't have to do everything together."
So much so that after their first hour apart, she admitted she realized "they didn't care. I was like, 'OK, cool. You don't have to be together all the time. Got it.'"
Overall, it's been a transition going from the trio of just Ashley, Justin and 2-year-old son Isaac to a family of five. "It helped already having one kid, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into," the 34-year-old continued. "Everything is double or triple at this point, and it's wild but it's so fun."
And Isaac is fully embracing his role as a big brother. "He loves it," Ashley raved. "We gave him so much preparation. He loves his brothers, and he says their names so cute. He thinks that they're the best."
Welcoming twins isn't the only major milestone Ashley and Justin have celebrated this year. The couple, who wed in 2010, also recently moved from their NYC apartment to a house in New Jersey.
Their favorite part about living in the suburbs?
"Watching my kids just play in the dirt and the grass every day and not care about getting dirty," Ashley admitted. "That to me just brings so much joy. We lay on the driveway, and draw chalk, and go in the backyard, and catch frogs and we don't care about how dirty we get. To be in the city and do that, it's a different kind of dirt."
Helping her create that perfect playground background is Affirm, which lets users pay in installments rather than fully up front. "You can get what you want when you want it," she explained. "I was able to do a high-low backyard. And my closet is high-low, so why can't my house be high-low, right?"
It's just another example of how Ashley keeps it real. Something she hopes all moms will start doing. "Stop putting all this pressure on yourselves," she told E!, "and stop comparing yourself to your sisters, your besties or your neighbors."
Her other suggestion?
"Stop giving unsolicited advice," she added. "Nobody cares. I've even had to bite my tongue a couple of times. But I think it's normal because you think you want to help but really I think we just all need to step back."
- Reporting by Nikaline McCarley