More Thoughts on Twins

People always ask me all sorts of questions about having twins.

Q: What's it like?
A: Mostly amazing and wonderful, but also very tiring and frustrating. A lot of days I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle with a dull sword, but then there are moments where we are smiling and laughing and playing with the babies and I can see how much we are blessed. Those moments blur out the bad parts.

Q: How do I get everything done?
A: I don't. I get half as much done as I used to and that is on a good day, although my energy level is starting to pick up a bit from getting more sleep which helps.

Q: How do they sleep?
A: They are sleeping mostly through the night now with one or two good naps during the day. That does not include when they are teething and Riley and I can be up and down all night with one baby or the other. Unfortunately their naps are not always simultaneous as well, but they are starting to fall into a more natural sleep schedule now which is nice.

Q: How do I sleep?
A: Never in my life have I been a heavy deep sleeper until having twins. I think it is my body's survival mode kicking in and knowing that I need to sleep well when I can. Subconciously though, I think I always have an ear out for a crying baby.

Q: Is it crazy?
A: I've been telling people crazy is our new normal. Even taking the twins out of the equation our life is definitely super busy with lots of different schedules going on, so yes it is pretty crazy most of the time. Although sometimes I feel like I am living in a zoo, we have learned to adapt pretty well and so have Kendle and Morgan. It makes me appreciate the quiet dull moments even more.

Q: Is it fun?
A: Fun is mostly attitude I believe, so some days I have to switch gears and say, ok what's wrong with this situation - why is everyone cranky or upset or whatever. Then I have to remember to enjoy all the little moments that will otherwise pass me by that I can never get back. Cooper and Kale have such great little personalities that they are always making us laugh and smile. I try to make myself remember to have a little fun every day.

Mostly I can say that it is fun in a challenging way. Yes, I think that is a good way to phrase it. If you enjoy being constantly challenged on a daily basis and seeing just what kind of stuff you are made of then you would enjoy having twins. Also you would need to enjoy being humbled on a daily basis and having showers postponed until noon, and develop a high tolerance for screaming and crying because to be perfectly honest, at any given moment at our house there could be at least one baby (if not the older children) having a bad moment. Sometimes people have no idea what they are walking into when they open our front door.

Today I needed to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. This means I have to bring some toys in our bedroom to entertain the babies so I can get my run in. Of course, who wants to play with toys when they can meander over and attack me on the treadmill? I think I had to start and stop five or six times and move them back to their toys - I even tried making a barricade of laundry baskets to make sure they couldn't come over and climb on the treadmill or mess with the plug in or hit the on/off switch on the bottom (which happened a few weeks ago and I nearly dislocated my knee going from a sprint to a dead halt). I hit 18 minutes on there, listened to them cry for 2 more and had to stop at 20. It was pretty frustrating. It is hard to find time for myself and do the things I need to do.

But - five minutes later I had to just laugh because all they wanted to do was climb up on the treadmill and just sit on it. I realized that wherever I am is where they want to be and being with me makes them happy. That is what makes being a mom so great no matter if you have 1 child or 12.