In the spring of 2014 I found out I was pregnant with twins and started documenting my journey in a weekly post. I will be periodically posting these past writings, starting from the beginning. This was written December 29, 2014. Karson and Lucy were 12 weeks old.
Referring to different projects I’ve recently done, people often ask, “How did you have time to do that?!” As a new stay at home mom with two babies, time is certainly not what it used to be.
Depending on the babies’ temperament any given day, productivity comes and goes swiftly. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I have time on my hands but I make do with what I have. My days usually look somewhat the same. I nurse often and then some, I try to enjoy my snuggles when I can, we play and sing songs, and somehow, we manage to get a few things done here and there.
The babies require care and attention around the clock. I am getting better at laying them down for naps, sometimes even at the same time. I can usually count on them taking a nap at the same time at least once a day for around 45 minutes. And let me tell you, it’s amazing what I can get done in those 45 minutes. At other times throughout the day when they won’t settle, I can get a little more done by wearing them. I can wear one on my front and one on my back. When Nate is around sometimes we’ll tag team and each wear one. It does limit what I can do, as I can’t bend over very easily, to pick up a pile of laundry for example.
The key to getting things done with babies around is to always be prepared to have to stop what you’re doing and be okay with it. Sometimes in moments of frustration I’ve had to recall a quote I heard by Kittie Franz, “Remember you are not managing an inconvenience, you are raising a human being.” At the end of the day I have to be okay with not accomplishing much, aside from baby rearing.
Taking care of two babies is certainly a full time job without weekends or evenings off. It’s a lot of work and its demanding and exhausting and repetitive but it’s also amazing beyond words. I’m learning a few tricks and I do manage to get a few things done here and there but for now I’m thankful to say that my primary job is still to snuggle and tend to these squishy little bodies.
Kendra Lindell - Raising Twins on Five Acres in Wine Country 