Twin Birth Story: Hadley Adcock

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Name: Hadley Adcock

Where do you currently live?  Owensboro, KY

Twin Birth Story: BriAnna Jenkins

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Name: BriAnna Jenkins

Where do you currently live?  Pleasant Grove, UT

Twin Birth Story: Samantha

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Name: Samantha

Where do you currently live?  Toronto, Canada

Twin Birth Story: Lauren Hoffman

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Name: Lauren Hoffman

Where do you currently live?  Centerville, UT

Twin Birth Story: Kasey Jackson

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Name: Kasey Jackson

Where do you currently live?  Kansas City, MO

Twin Birth Story: Jodi

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Name: Jodi

Where do you currently live?  Wake Forest, North Carolina

Bump Day | 33 Week Gallery

  Week 33 Twin Bump Pictures

Alison 

Twins' Birthday: 2.18.13

Living in a Small Space with twins

When we found out we were pregnant, there was excitement, surprise and oh-my-god-we-are-moving-into-a-one-bedroom-high-rise-condo.

When we found out we were having twins (six weeks later), there was excitement, surprise and a lot of choice words not suitable for this blog.

For the first time in our nearly 8 years of being together, my husband and I were finally living and working within the same city proper. Before that, we were either located in other states or had such a crazy, long commute we spent more time in our cars than with each other.  So, we were determined to make our 850 square foot home work for us.

We knew it wouldn’t be for forever, but we ended up spending the first year of our twin daughters’ lives in that tiny space. MUCH longer than anyone intended.

Our first lunch out with the twins. One week old!

Here’s how we did it.

1. Co-sleeping – Okay, not by the textbook “co-sleeping,” but the girls slept in our room from day one. First, in rock-n-plays next to our beds. Then in one crib, until they started re-enacting WWE moves. At 9 months, we squeezed in their second crib. At the beginning, I would jump up at every noise, sound or gurgle. But, I soon learned to sleep with the 3 other humans near me. Plus, it was cool that I could reach my hand out and touch Taylor, who was only snoring feet away. It was not cool when the girls would start stirring at 6am, see us sleeping soundly, and scream until we picked them.

Rock ‘n plays are the best for small spaces and travel. They fold up easy and are super light so they can go anywhere. 

We’re so close we can touch each other AND Mommy & Daddy!

2. Less is more – Seriously. We had to look hard at our registry and realize what we needed and what we didn’t. No highchairs. The girls used spacesaver ones on our bar chairs. No vibrating chairs. They took up too much floor space. No rocker/glider. Pretty sure there’s a permanent dent on the one couch cushion where I spent all those early days nursing, pumping and feeding. No Diaper Genie. Use a plastic grocery store bag and toss it down the trash chute down the hall when it gets too stinky. No fun nursery décor. This was the hardest for me. We still went out and bought a gorgeous furniture set for the girls but it all had to sit in our parent’s basement until we moved to a bigger house.

3. Hang everything – With limited drawer space, I hung all the girls clothes in our master closet. Dresses, PJ’s, pants and onesies. It worked well because I could see everything pretty clearly. It didn’t work well, BECAUSE I HAD TO HANG ALL THEIR STUFF. So many teeny, tiny clothes! It was a pain-staking, mind-numbing task. I usually stored all their socks, bows, shoes, etc. in baskets next to my heels.

It looks insane but it seriously made sense to me. Like Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind

4. Double uses – The ginormous twin pack-n-play (I know you all have one) first served as a double bassinet. Then it served as a toy and twin pen. I could toss the girls in there when I had to shower and know they would be okay. Our changing table was the 4 cubby shelf from Ikea that we had right in the living room. It stored our diapers/wipes, bibs, burp clothes, etc.

5. Clean life, happy wife – Clutter is a condo’s middle name. It’s so easy for things to start to build up and look like a hurricane just passed. We were constantly picking up and putting things away to keep some kind of order. To us, it felt organized. To outsiders, I’m pretty sure we looked like hoarders. Plus, cleaning is EASY in 850 square feet. I could dust, sweep, swiffer, vacuum and windex in about an hour or one episode of Real Housewives.

Note the 2 small children in the bottom left.

For the record, this wasn’t the worst living situation. We had gracious doormen, an indoor swimming pool, a state of the art gym, heated underground parking, and an amazing city life at our fingertips plus this incredible view.

Rocky ran up those steps!

This was obviously pre-twins. I never did this again.

And, we didn’t have everything in our condo. Our dining room table and wedding china was hanging out at my parents. The girls’ nursery furniture was at my mother-in-law’s. And once the girls grew out of their baby clothes, I packed them up in a tote and brought them to my mom and dads. (I refuse to get rid of things. Maybe I am a hoarder?!...Don’t answer that.)

City living means walkers in the hallways.

I also know people with kids who are living in even smaller quarters and doing just fine. A close friend of mine in Manhattan split her bedroom into 2 rooms with a sliding wall. Anything is possible. Pinterest is your friend.

Wait, people living in houses smaller than this?! Get out of here.

We just moved out of our 850 square foot condo earlier this month. We are now living outside Chicago in a beautiful condo that is DOUBLE THE SPACE. I have shelves! Closets! A fireplace! And a laundry room!

But, I have to admit, I already miss those days in our little city condo. It was cramped and at times crazy, but it was always cozy. There were many moments I wished the girls had their own room and I didn’t have to get dressed in the dark, but I know those nights of us all sleeping in one room will never happen again. They say home is where the heart is – which is very true, even if you have to squeeze it into 850 square feet.

Twin Birth Story: Jessica

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out our questionnaire!

Name: Jessica

Where do you currently live? Lafayette, Indiana

Bump Day | 32 Week Gallery

 Week 32 Twin Bump Pictures

Alison 

Twins' Birthday:  2.18.13

Do, Fight, Go: What I’ve learned parenting 3 under 3

#dofightgo

A week ago I started writing a post called “What happens when you treat staying at home with your kids like a job.” Or something like that. The title was a mess. The concept was blasé. The post sounded like every other stay at home parent who’s ever tried to find meaning in the endless rounds of cheerios and diapers and play dough.

I never finished it.

I have a hard time finishing anything right now. My twins are at a very mobile thirteen months, and my preschooler (who’s not going to preschool yet) has ramped up her curiosity to a new level - namely, the third shelf of the pantry and the top of the refrigerator.

Which brings me back to the post I was trying to write. What my former job taught me about managing my days at home was helpful; it just wasn’t that interesting.

But have I stopped to think about what I’ve learned from staying at home with my preschooler and twins? It’s been almost a year and a half of this complete life change. There has to be something.

So after we put everyone to bed, I promised myself thought space. Yes. I had to make a date with my mind to think. It’s getting real, folks.

Here’s what I came up with.

Lesson #1: Do it now 

I caught this one in realtime, sweeping post-lunch eggs up off the floor. I was trying to convince myself to leave the booster chair trays in the sink and the crumbs on the floor so I could sit down for a while. (Not to play, but to rest my back, which goes out a lot. Because lifting twins. Sigh.)

I lost the argument to the whip crack of my brain. Hands down, the best advice I received about having twins was to never put off till later what you have time to do now. Later might be an upturned plant and four dirty hands. Later might be fussy and impossible to put down. Later might smell like vomit in the car seat.

Later can never be counted on.

When you have the time, do the things that need to be done. Wash the dishes. Wipe the trays. Vaccuum. Pay the bill. Write the thank you note. Answer the text. Kiss your loves. Now.

Lesson #2: We are the champions

Awhile back, I read an amazing story about a mother who championed her son through cancer. One of the lines that stuck with me went something like this – My son didn’t need me to be scared. My son needed me to believe he was going to get better.

Every day, frustrations rise up in my house. Sharing is a constant battle. The twins are in a don’t-want-it-gonna-chuck-it phase. My preschooler begrudges eating her food and staying in her bed at night. 6:00 pm and after can be a warzone.

But my girls don’t need me to get frustrated. They need me to believe that if I show them how to set their cups on their trays, someday they’ll do it too. My preschooler needs me to be firm about her two choices for dinner. She needs to hear me say, “Please stay in bed. I know you can do this, honey.”

Something happens when I stop expecting my girls to do the wrong thing and just keep championing their ability to do it right. Eventually, they get it.

Lesson #3: Get out of here 

We live in a big world. But one of my biggest difficulties being a stay at home parent was that everything felt small. Limited. Exhausting. That is, until I realized there was something in the job description I’d overlooked. Along with chief nose wiper, head chef, and main crayon sharpener, I was now the cruise ship director.

Accordingly, I make plans. We play with friends twice a week, more if needed. Despite the effort, we go to the grocery store. To church. The library. The zoo. The bagel shop.

This ship isn’t sinking on my watch, dang it.

If my world feels small, I’ll never be able to teach my girls how big it actually is. We need to interact with family, with friends, and with the Target store clerk. We need new faces and experiences to remind us that home is only a miniscule island in a giant sea – that there is far more than just us out there.

***

Parenting three under three is a challenge. But until just lately, I hadn’t stopped to assess how that challenge was shaping me as a person. I was so grateful to find that underneath all our routine, a living, breathing, grateful me still exists. And that, my friends, feels like something worth writing all the way down.

Rachel Riebe, wife and mama of identical twins and a preschooler, has changed approximately 2,968 diapers this year. She is a freelance writer and poet working on her MFA in Creative Writing. She, her family, and ten gregarious chickens live on a hobby farm in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. She blogs about life’s (mis)adventures at www.fellowpassengers.com and shares pics of them on Instagram @rachelriebe.

Deciding on an In-Home Daycare Provider

Before I was even close to having kids, I knew I would send my own to daycare when the time came for me to return to work. They would have fun and meet friends while my husband and I could go do other things, like work and stuff.

But then I had kids. And I didn’t want to let them go. Ever.

After all this time of thinking it would be a breeze to “send my kids to daycare,” just the slightest thought of sending them away and not being with them all day long drove me nuts.

I had the gift of staying home from my full-time job (in an office half an hour away from home) for an entire six months after my twins were born. I felt extremely lucky to have so much time with my monkeys and it helped me deal with their month-long stay in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). My husband stayed home for two months, but then I was solo from then on.

Then those six months flew by, exactly as others warned me they would. Living in a dual-income home, I needed to return to work full-time. Daycare was the most likely and affordable option for us, but it would mean someone else would care for our babies nearly 10 hours a day. My heart was crushed.

Fast forward eight months later and I cannot believe that I am actually very pleased to share how wonderful our experience has been with an in-home day care. Things have been great; the boys enjoy being at their daycare and we feel very happy knowing they are safe and well taken care of. Drop offs have been a breeze, but I think that’s mostly due to the fact that they began attending at six months old and hadn’t developed separation anxiety yet (they are now very clingy one-year-olds, but that’s a different story). Here’s the first “project” the boys created for me at daycare. I sure did display my new frame at work the very next day!

Now that you’ve seen the emotional turmoil I dealt with in making this decision, I’m actually excited to share what I’ve been through because I know how scary, confusing, and frustrating the search for the perfect provider can be. While there are various types of care available, this is my experience with selecting an in-home daycare provider.

The most important factor for us was selecting the right provider. Her outlook, attitude, and values mattered so much to us and we felt that subsequent factors would be grounded upon who she is. Some of those other factors did influence our decision such as cost, location, and the physical daycare environment itself. But nothing beat the general “feel” we got from meeting a provider in-person and getting to know her (or him, although we never met a male provider) is.

With each provider we met and interviewed, I always had a prepared list of 101 things I wanted to ask and know. I am quite the over-planner and can never stop researching something once I am interested. However, I learned that while it is important to get some of the important questions answered, it’s not crucial and even less stressful to just have an initial conversation that is in-person and very casual. Follow-up meetings would take place if they needed to and if we were really seriously considering the provider.

Naturally, despite this “casual” conversation I speak of, we tended to get the following questions answered: Who is this person? What does she (or he) believe in? What does she feel is most important in raising babies and children? What experience does she bring to the daycare? Does her personality mesh with mine? Do I feel comfortable communicating my needs and concerns with her?

While this list of questions could go on, I was surprised how many of them were answered simply by starting with, “Hello, we’re interested in care” and the rest followed effortlessly. That is, the flow of the conversation was directly correlated with how well the individual “fit” our needs and wants in a daycare provider. When a provider was not very enthusiastic about her daycare and did not provide a lot of information about her experiences, the conversation went downhill fast. But when a provider was engaged, passionate, and very positive with lots of stories to share with us, the conversation was so pleasant and reassuring.

In addition to interviewing several different providers, it helped to write down our immediate thoughts, feelings, and concerns about a provider after meeting for the first time. We followed up with subsequent phone calls and in-person visits to dig deeper into who she is and whether or not we wanted to select her. I even asked for references to hear about other parents’ experiences and get a different perspective on the provider.

The actual transition to daycare was made 100% more smooth with a trial run that we did the
week before the boys officially started. For a few hours each day for three days, we brought the boys to the daycare to get them exposed to their new environment and troubleshoot the routine with preparing them to go and knowing which supplies to buy for the daycare. More than it helped the boys, it helped me tremendously. This helped comfort me a lot when I was already facing so much emotional guilt and anxiety leaving the boys. By the time they began attending daycare full-time and I returned to work, I did not have a single tear. I missed them dearly and my heart ached, but I was so at ease and glad they were in a good place as I was able to work and provide for them.

If I learned anything from our daycare provider hunt, it was to always go with your instincts. You know your baby the best and you should only do what you are most comfortable with. Sometimes things don’t work out and you may settle for a provider who is not your first pick, but keep on searching because things always change and daycare slots open back up and you will be glad you persevered! While small things can often seem like big things, I often remind myself how fleeting these years are and not to worry too much. After all, the babies didn’t read the handbooks on parenting, so we are doing great in their eyes!

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If you have a question for Sharisse, CLICK HERE to email her!  You can also visit her blog: SharissesPieces or find her on Instagram: @sharissespiecesblog

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Twin Talk 2.5K begins today on Instagram!  Five twin moms are giving away five great prizes!  Follow Twin Talk on Instagram to enter!

Twin Birth Story: Christine

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out our questionnaire!

Name: Christine

Where do you currently live? Pflugerville, TX

Bump Day | 31 Week Gallery

 Week 31 Twin Bump Pictures

Alison

Twins' Birthday: 2.18.13

What I Wish You Knew About Me (A Twin Mom)

A few months ago I received an email from Ashley, a mom who follows my personal blog.  She was about to meet a twin mom for a play date and asked how she could make the day easier for her.  Ashley also asked what I wished singleton moms knew about twin moms.  I was so touched by her email.  I responded and shared a few ideas but the conversation stuck with me long after I replied.

What else do I wish people knew about life with twins?

1.  When you look at my twins and say, "I couldn't do it," I smile politely and disagree.  Yes you could.  And you would love it.

2.  I despise being the difficult mom.  The mom who turns down park play dates (or any area that's not contained), the mom who requests to go somewhere with lots of high chairs, the mom who desperately wants to hold your baby but can't because both arms are being used to hold her own.  Please know I so badly want to be laid-back, it's just not an option.

3.  Boy/Girl twins cannot be identical.  Two words: private parts.

 

4.  I want to hear your stories.   Many times I've had a friend start to share, stop, and say, "I know you have twins so I shouldn't complain."  We all have hard days.  Talk to me.  Confide in me.  Tell me about your problems so I can tell you you're not alone. 

5.  ...But when you talk about looking like a whale at 32 weeks pregnant and I looked like you at 18 weeks, do not be offended when I offer (very) little sympathy.  ;)

6.  When you ask, "Are they natural?" you remind me of the heartache we went through to get them.  The months of negative pregnancy tests.  The two miscarriages. The first round of clomid that worked a little too well.  They are my babies.  I know you don't mean to be insensitive, but those words hurt.  And now that my kids are getting older and listening to everything you say, don't you dare ask that question in their presence.

7.  Having kids very close in age is not the same as having twins.  Honestly?  Your situation sounds much harder to me.  The infant stage was exhausting and the terrible twos have hit a little early, but they have instant playmates and best friends from the start.  There are days I simply sit on the couch and watch them play.  They teach each other how to love far better than I ever could.

8.  Even if you are my next door neighbor, it is impossible for me to be anywhere in less than 30 minutes. And that's on a good day.  However, I never expect you to plan around me.  Just know I'll be there as soon as I can.

9.  Any mom who tells you she dislikes the excessive attention her twins receive is lying.  Who doesn't love hearing sweet words about their kids?  However, when the compliments turn to inappropriate questions (#6) or awkward statements (#1), the attention is no longer fun.

10. I spend most of my days trying to keep my head above water.  Some days I go to bed feeling like a complete failure and other days I go to bed knowing I did something right.  Through it all, I adore my babies and want the absolute best for my family.  And guess what? So do all moms.  So maybe... maybe we're not that different after all.

 

Day in the Life: 10 Months

 Twin Talk's "Day in the Life" series continues with Erin and her 10-month-old twin girls!

Hi y’all, my name is Erin Kellogg. My husband and I are high school sweethearts and dated for five years before getting married in 2011. We weren’t necessarily trying to get pregnant but we also weren’t not trying if you catch my drift. We found out I was pregnant at five weeks on March 6th,  2013 and I had my first appointment at nine weeks. It was at this appointment I had an ultrasound and we found out we were expecting twins. Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a wife and mother and I always hoped I would be blessed with twins. So there was that initial shock in the doctor office in which my husband and I could not stop giggling, but once the news settled in I was incredibly excited.

I was blessed with an uneventful pregnancy and had to be induced at 38 weeks because I had mono/di identical twins and my doctor felt it was too dangerous to go past 38 weeks.

Both girls were born vaginally, were healthy, and never had to leave my side. Abigail Lynn was born 10/28/13 at 8:43pm weighing 5lb12oz and Harper Grace was born 10/28/13 at 9:35pm weighing 6lb2oz. My whole world.

Fast forward ten months and that’s where we are today. I am so blessed to have the privilege to be a stay-at-home mama. My husband is a paramedic and works 24hr on and then has 48hr off which means every day is different. Today he works so here’s a day in the life...

2:46am I hear Harper crying in her crib. I pick her up and bring her in our room because that’s where my rocking Lazy boy is and I nurse her.

2:58am She falls asleep and I put her back in crib.

6:17am I hear Harper moving and talking to herself.

6:29am I pick her up so she doesn't wake Abbey. I bring her into our bed and nurse her.

6:55am She almost falls back asleep.

7:00am My husband's alarm goes off so she's wide awake. She's an anti-snuggler so the next 20 minutes are spent trying to snuggle with her and her trying to avoid me at all costs.

7:20am I hear my sweet Abbey.  Her daddy is ready for work so he picks her up and brings her to our bed and then says bye to all three of his girls and leaves for work. I nurse Abbey while trying to baby wrangle Harper from crawling off the side of the bed.

7:36am We sing songs in bed a few of our favorites are: Rise and Shine, You Are My Sunshine, Two Little Monkeys, and This is the Day the Lord has Made.

7:46am Harper spits up on my leg so I decide it's time to go change diapers and play in their room.

7:52am Let the babies play together while I sit on the floor in corner of their room and read my Bible and pray over our day. Sometimes I try to read a book but this is what happens. I get attacked.

8:10am The babies are happily playing so I scroll through Facebook, email, and Instagram.

8:14am I put on Veggietales Pandora radio and have a little dance party with my girls.

8:23am I clean up the girls room and take the babes down stairs to make breakfast. The babies play on the ground while I make breakfast. They love stacking toys right now. And they absolutely love taking things out of cabinets.

8:36am I console my sweet Harper because Abbey bit her. If anyone has tips on how to handle biting ten-month-olds I’d love to hear it.

8:40am Breakfast is ready, babes are having eggs and waffles. I say “don't throw food on ground” and “sit on your booty” approximately 9373726288 times over the course of breakfast.

9:10am I let the babies have their second breakfast off the floor. Don’t worry it's clean. I sweep at least three times a day and I should buy stock in mops.  I clean up the tornado that was 10-month-olds feeding themselves breakfast and start the dishwasher.

9:17am I throw (figuratively, not literally) the babies in stroller for run around the neighborhood. I wait till after nine so I don't have to see all the kids walking to school and because my girls like to play games called "Wake up the entire neighborhood" and "Who can scream the loudest?"

 

9:37am I get home, bring the girls upstairs, change diapers play in their room for a bit, turn out the lights, and turn on the sound machine.

9:53am I put them in their cribs for nap. Up until this week I had always nursed them right before naps.  Since I now occasionally go to bible studies during nap time, it's much easier for others to put them down when they don't have to nurse before nap, especially since they won't take bottles. So this week we decided to start nursing after naps. So they are currently fussing in their cribs still adjusting to the new schedule.

9:57am Harper Grace is asleep Abbey is still rolling around, talking to herself and fussing.

10:02am Abbey is asleep. I generally have about 30 minutes so I decide what wins today: shower, read a book, laundry, or some sort of cleaning. I got semi sweaty on our jog so I decide today's a shower day. Take a quick shower, get dressed and ready for the day, which means putting on deodorant, brushing my teeth, and sometimes brushing my hair.  It's been over three days since I brushed it last so I decide to go for it and brush my hair today. It’s a glamorous life I lead.

10:28am They are still asleep so I decide to clean the fridge. Anyone with a mobile child will understand that this is a task one can only complete while children are sleeping.

10:32am Well I didn't get much of the fridge cleaned because they are both awake and hungry so I pick them up from their cribs and bring them to my bed to tandem nurse them. While I nurse I think about the rest of what I want to get done today. And then check Facebook and Instagram.

10:48am I put them in jumpers so I can dry my hair and throw it in pony tail.

10:55am We go back to their room to get them dressed. I am one of the most indecisive people in the entire world and I am determined not to pass this onto my girls.  You can call me crazy but I already let them make choices. Today I let them choose which headband they wanted to wear. OOTD brought by Target and 5heartstrings headbands.

11:06am We go downstairs and I let the babies play on ground while I pack up the diaper bag because we are about to head to Chick Fila to meet some friends for lunch.

11:19am Wrangle the monkeys into the car.

11:36am We get to Chick Fila. Both my girls have hated car seats since they were born, so at three months I stopped using the car seats you can carry and now this is the way I take them both places. I put one in an ergo and carry one on my hip. I get a lot of funny looks and comments like “wow you have your hands full” but hey, don't we all? If I'm bringing them somewhere with a longer walk I'll bring my Bob stroller but just running errands or going to lunch, this is how I roll. Luckily, my friends are already there and have set up seats so I plop the girls in their high chairs and give them a teething wafer while I go order. I struggle severely from mommy brain and I forgot my wallet so thank goodness for good friends who buy our lunch.

12:00pm I get the girls the 4-piece grilled nuggets and cut them up for them. I also give them the mandarin oranges from my salad. And a pouch. I love the Ella's kitchen brand and the plum organics. Today they had a peach and banana Ella’s Kitchen pouch. And they have their sippy cups of water.

12:30pm Chick Fila, can I get an amen for some Chick Fila.

12:53pm Load up the minions and head home. Praying they stay awake until we get home so I can put them down for a nap later and finish my fridge cleaning duties.

1:12pm Get home and praise the Lord, they stayed awake.  We play on the floor for a bit while I talk to daddy on the phone.

1:38pm The babies favorite time of the day!!! Unloading the dishwasher. It will be awesome when they can actually put them away instead of all over the ground.

1:51pm I have a little snack of trail mix before taking the babies up for naps. Did y’all know that at Whole Foods you can make your own trail mix? The BOMB.

1:57pm We get a delivery. The bike trailer we ordered. And the babies go nuts climbing all over the box.

2:14pm I carry babies upstairs for new diapers, turn out the light and turn on the sound machine.

2:17pm I put the babes in the cribs for nap. I sit for a moment in my lazy boy and put my feet up and read a blog post I've been wanting to read all day.

2:25pm Both babies are sleeping so it’s time to blast some Dierks Bentley and finish cleaning the fridge.

2:45pm The fridge is done. Time to eat a cliff bar. Nursing two babies makes me super hungry, y'all. And then fold some laundry until the minions wake up.

2:51pm They're awake, so I pick them up from their cribs and bring them to my bed to tandem nurse them.

3:06pm I bring the babes downstairs and load them in the car to meet my sister and her kids for some shaved ice. It's key for us to get out of the house at least once a day. The days we are stuck inside all day make all three of us very stir crazy.

3:31pm Shaved ice with no flavor for the babes, and Wedding Cake/Lemon Lime for me.

4:11pm Load 'em up and head home.

4:34pm We get home and Abbey needs a new diaper.  I change her and then I put on the babies favorite show (Jeopardy) while I fold laundry and the babies play on the ground. I’m only joking, they don’t really care about Jeopardy but they don’t care about any TV so I might as well put on what I want to watch and it's educational, right? I’m trying to convince them to like TV - the mornings they wake up way too early I will bring them into our bed and try cartoons but they do not care. I guess that’s a good thing.

5:01pm Laundry is folded so I play with the babies on the ground.

5:12pm The babies are too busy playing that they don't want to play with me. So I decide to dust.

5:22pm I bring the babies in the backyard and put them in their swings with some ice in their mesh feeders.

5:34pm I put the babies down to play on the ground while I get their dinner ready. I always do an easy dinner when my husband is on shift. Tonight’s included organic mixed frozen veggies, antibiotic-free turkey burger left over from last night’s dinner, and homemade pouches (one of butternut squash and one of beets).

5:43pm I strip them down and put them in high chairs with their dinner. I have a snack of carrots and hummus. Dinnertime is a lot of fun. I love watching them learn and explore. They love when we sing songs while they eat.

6:21pm I wipe down the crazy messy girls and high chairs while they eat their second dinner off the ground. They are so silly. They don’t like to eat peas on their tray but when they get them from the ground they love it.

6:26pm I bring the babes upstairs for jammies, turn out the lights and turn on the sound machine. We do baths usually every other night. Also when my husband is home he reads them a bedtime Bible story before bed.

6:41pm I tandem nurse babies and say bedtime prayers.

6:49pm The babies haven't fallen asleep while nursing in a long time, but tonight they did, and since my husband is at work I roll Abbey onto the bed, put Harper in her crib, then come back and carry Abbey to her crib.

6:51pm I lay down on my bed and scroll through Facebook and Instagram for a few minutes.

7:09pm I go downstairs and do the dishes from their dinner, sweep and mop downstairs, heat up my leftovers, and talk to my husband on the phone.

7:43pm Plop myself down on the couch to eat and watch my recorded episodes of The Duggars, Chopped, and HGTV. If my husband was home I would have made dinner and all that.

10:09pm Decide its time to go to bed.  I bring all my folded laundry upstairs, put it away and get ready for bed.

Thank you all for coming along and seeing what a day in my life with ten-month-old twins is like.

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If you have a question for Erin, CLICK HERE to email her!  You can also visit her blog: The Joyful Dwelling.