Well where do I even begin to tell you what the last year of our lives has been like with identical 1 year old twin boys! Seriously, friends + family have all said I should probably write a book, because so much crazy surreal stuff happens … and unbelieveably we are all still here!!!
I’ll give you a quick debrief on life with twin boys :
Pregnant with twins = overwhelming stressful + exhausting. No biggy, but you are the soul responsible person for fully growing 2 humans.
0-1 Years = from a cute calm family of 3 to an insta family o 5 …. huge learning curve! In the scheme o things, I’m a lover o the baby stage, life just seems monotonously simple …. Feed, play, nap. The lil dudes were breastfeeding cluster feeders however… so lets just say we didn’t get outta our jammies or leave the house for a good year. We didn’t have many visitors that year, probably because I was naked from the waist up or the twins were napping (no one wants to be responsible for waking napping twins!). I worked a lot to keep sane.
1-2 years – shit got real.
The biggest thing I’ve learned about having twins … is you think you are in the hardest part …. until you hit the next stage. This past year has a BOOYAH GOLDMINE of fucking craziness + schmozzle. Yup, as soon as my sweet little easy care content babies Finn + Otis started moving , life threw a huge curveball + I started running. Honestly, each to their own level o stress, but I’m one that does not handle chaos so well + my life became 200% chaotic. 3 little dependent people all at home, all running in different directions, all requiring attention/care/help + all calling out for MUMMY, hourly, minutely, constantly! All those crazy things you see about twins on social media, its true + then some! You know the wrestling matches that occur with a simple task like the diaper change, opening the fridge, the dishwasher, going to the toilet … you know that really basic stuff …. well they became huge challenges to my dailylife, that crazily required MUCH planning. Infact everything required much planning! Unfortunately, the other simultaneous hurdle was poor little Bea, she’s never really appreciated or accepted having 2 little pesky brothers that require so much time n’ energy – so she liked to assert herself + her needs with that word ‘mum’ or 'help' on repeat. repeat. repeat.
Now I know what your thinking … get some help woman! Well I tried my heart out. As soon as a realized I wasn’t coping, I phoned every daycare in town. Most people just laughed + said good luck with trying to get 2 spaces. Friends who also have twins had told me that you are actually at a disadvantage because you have 2, yet you are the ones that need more help. And everything cost double!! So I put up adds in nanny websites + nothing, until I offered more + more + more money that only my sanity could afford!
We have a Nanny that comes 2 days a week. And I love her + I count the sleeps until those days!
So I can’t say its all bad … it’s a lot of work for sure, like I’m mentally + physically exhausted by suppertime, my hair is grey + I’ve AGED bigtime, but we do have those rare magical moments that happen, and I think … yeah I can see why those crazy nutbars who told me having twins is a blessing, because things you’d never experience in a million years with a single babe happen + they are amazingly beautiful! A few months back (around their 20 month mark), I was wrestling Finn (aka diaper change) + I noticed he had a super sore botts, so I yelled out to Bea ‘can you get me the bott bott cream its in the living room’ + all of a sudden Otis ran in with the cream. I asked Bea is she had given it to him + she said no, he climbed up on the dining room table (naughty but cute) + got it for me. So he handed me the cream, opened the bottom draw of our change table/draws, hopped in it so when he was standing his head would be the same height as Finns + he tried to calm him down by doing funny faces + patting him. I . just . melted. So yes, 2 little excitedly happy people running to hug you or 2 simultaneous belly giggles are up there on the overwhelmingly happiness chart.
I’m starting to feeling better about the horizon now, Bea will be going to kindergarten in a few months which she is so so excited for, + that means i will only have 2 at home .... HOW EASY!!! And even tho people always say it’s the terrible 2’s, I kinda feel like it’s actually the terrible 3’s – so if twin boys in the 2’s is a little easier than the past year, I’ll take it … but I’ll let you know next year!