Surviving With Twins :: Doubling Down Reality

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There’s no shortage of lists about what to expect when having twins.  I read A LOT of them. Especially once the shock wore off that our impending arrival was a double dose of sweetness. As much as I appreciate the blissful pictures that many of them portray, I feel compelled to shoot it straight about our first year with the twins.

Twins and Doubling Down

Surviving With Twins :: Doubling Down Reality

Celeb Status
Our oldest son was 2.5 years old when our twin boys were born. Needless to say, we were a spectacle when out and about. The pointing and staring is constant, the stories from strangers who know someone with twins is never-ending, but the feeling of victory after making it through the grocery without someone (myself included) having a meltdown is real. I even considered framing the receipt from my first solo outing to display like an Emmy Award on my mantel!

Schedules = Survival
I’m generally a “go with the flow” type of person, and of course I always want to do what’s best for my kids, but I quickly realized that if I wasn’t happy, nobody was going to be happy. So we outlined a schedule and our village (which I will get to later) either got on board or got out of the way. That whole never wake a sleeping baby saying didn’t apply if Twin A was awake and eating and Twin B decided he needed a little more time to snooze. Sorry dude, the kitchen has strict feeding times.

Squad Goals
Girlfriends want to brag about #squadgoals?! Your squad will make everyone envious. In reality, if your family and friends are willing to pitch in when the going gets tough with twins, they’re sticking around for the long haul. And you can bet you’ll be paying them back for years. Raising multiples really takes a small army. Put your pride aside and take any help you can get.

Confinement is Key
I lived for my weekly park play dates with my older son. It was a lovely time to sip coffee, catch up with friends and occasionally redirect your little one back toward where the group is playing. This is NOT the case with multiples. Once they are mobile, they WILL go in opposite directions and you’ll be wishing you had a leash (kidding!). Enclosed spaces are a necessity.

Document for Proof
I know I didn’t dream up the last 14 months, but I’m sure I would not have remembered a lot of it without pictures. It doesn’t matter what you look like, take pictures. Write the milestones down, even if it’s via email to fill in a baby book later. Babies make your brain turn into mush. Two babies + very little sleep = double mush.

While the early days seem bleak, those blissful days that you read about DO happen. Twins also mean double the cuddles and baby giggles. And even better, double the feeling you get when walking into a room and seeing your baby’s face light up as they squeal MAMA!

Enjoy the ride!

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Lesly, I love it! I can totally relate to what you wrote on your blog ❤. My twins are 19 months old today. We dont have any family here in Phoenix so we really had to struggle when we need help. It is also so hard making mom frriends because they sometimes dont understand what having twins is like. Going out with both is a struggle, but Im trying my best to take them out by myself. Anyways, too much complaining right? Lol thank you for writing this. It makes me feel Im not alone ❤

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