Natalie & Ryan: A Day in the Life with Twins

So, now that I no longer spend most my days crying and panicking over how overwhelming having twins is, I would like to give you a glimpse into a day of this crazy life of mine.

My last few posts about the babies weren't so upbeat, since Ellie was like a puzzle to be solved, with all her pains and issues. After seeing the doctor for reflux problems and getting no change from the medicine he gave us, I decided to explore other possibilities. Turns out (in my Dr. Mommy opinion), she has lactose sensitivity. I immediately put her onto a soy formula (at $40 a can!!!!) and it solved everything. It also, however, made her a poop machine. She can literally blow out three diapers before I'm even done buttoning up her onsie. Seriously, it's happened! But I'll take some poop over a fussy baby. On top of solving that problem, we've been able to get the babies to sleep for longer periods of time at night....and in the same crib. We had them separated at first, since they kept each other up, but we have them together now, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. I've been adding oatmeal to their nighttime bottles, and it guarantees at least 5 hours of sleep. And I chose oatmeal over cereal, because it doesn't constipate them.

So, our days look like this. Lilly gets up at 7ish, I get her dressed and eating breakfast. Then I get the twins eating, using these AWESOME hands-free pillows I found (a must for parents of twins). While everyone is eating, I clean the pile of bottles from the night before, fill formula canisters, start my daily load of laundry, and essentially run around like a chicken with its head cut off until everyone is done eating. Then, I lay the babies out on the floor for some wiggle/tummy time. This gives Lilly the opportunity to play with them a bit. At 11:30, I start Lilly eating lunch, and while she eats, I get the babies eating. This next part is my favorite! NAP TIME!! I've been successful in getting everyone to nap at the same time. Sometimes I'll try for a nap myself, but I haven't been feeling like I need it, and I'll spend my time enjoying the quiet or cleaning something. Lately, I've been trying to pack while everyone naps. At 4 o'clock, it's another round of feeding the herd before daddy gets home. While they're all eating, I'm usually hurrying to make dinner. At this point, I feel like I'm at a traditional job, and I'm counting down the hours before I'm "off." Only 3 more hours until freedom!! In those three hours, we eat dinner, at 6, I bathe the babies, Ryan will give Lilly a bath, we'll play around for a bit, then at 7, we feed the babies and send everyone off to bed. Ryan and I will escape to our dungeon for our free time, and then at 10, we feed the babies their oatmeal formula and pray for lots of sleep. They usually only get up once a night, usually around 3, and then we head off to bed, getting ready to start the next day in the same fashion. I sure do love me a good routine!

Some things I've learned since having the babies. First is something that everyone told me, but I chose to ignore...stupidly. Laundry is never ending! I kid you not, I do AT LEAST one load, if not two loads of laundry a day. EVERY DAY! Secondly, is that I HATE doing dishes...mainly bottles. We don't make enough dishes to warrant running the dishwasher every day, so I'm cleaning dozens of bottles by hand every day. It's annoyingly monotonous. Thirdly is that my babies can't keep their hands off each other; mostly Link. When I put them on the floor, side-by-side, he will always wiggle his way over to Ellie and will start grabbing at her face. I've already had to say repeatedly, "Lincoln, stop hitting your sister!!" Fourthly, when I go out with the babies, I will ALWAYS get comments from people. In fact, one lady said to me yesterday, "I'm a twin, and my mom always told me she'd never wish twins on her worst enemy." I was like "uh...thanks..." And lastly, even though I know there are more lessons I've learned, is that taking all three kids out isn't hard, but it makes shopping a lot less fun. I have to pack the stroller in the trunk, and it takes up the entire thing. Literally ever inch of my trunk. So, if I'm going grocery shopping even, I have to either have someone watch the kids, or just put all of the bags up in the passenger seat. Despite how hectic each day is, we have a nearly-perfect routine, and I feel like I'm surviving. The babies have started smiling at us (on purpose, and not just because they're farting), and it makes everything worth it. They say if you can get through the first 6 weeks, you'll be fine, and I think we'll be fine...

The feeding station

These bassinets have saved us! I initially got one for Ellie, because they're supposed to help with babies with reflux. But they're so portable and easy to move from room to room, that I got Link his own. The even fold up flat!

We've taken over my mom's bookcase. Toys, baby stuff, junk....

I got each baby their own tote. They have diapers, meds, burp cloths, binkies, etc. They make life so much easier!!

These pillows are one of the best purchases I've ever made. I can accomplish so much when I don't have to feed two babies. I've even been able to feed the babies while wandering the mall. I totally recommend them!

This is my mom's office, and where the babies sleep for the first half of the night.

This is the theater room, where we put them after the early morning feeding, so my mom won't bother them when she has to work at 6 AM.

Pushing the stroller means that Lilly has to walk. I tricked her into thinking that she was helping me "walk the babies" by holding the stroller leash. She actually panics when she drops the leash. Mom win!!

And, if I'm feeling brave enough, she sits on the foot rest. But, she has been known to fall off and get run over a few times.

She insisted that the babies lay in her bed during her nap. No, I didn't allow it to happen, but I played along, tucked them in, turned off the light, and left for about 5 minutes.