Our twin girls, Harper and Wrenly, are 3 years old now, and Kaylie is 13.  We've either become more successful at navigating our days, or we've been broken-in to not realize the difference in success and failure/fatigue.

Tumbling Sparrow Photography

In thinking back on the past three years, the following ten things have helped us survive (not all are products):

1. A marriage or a friend.  You get tested to the absolute brink of humanity some days.  The tests and struggles are all unique to the family, but the similar thread is the struggle.  You will need a friend, whether that is your spouse, your mom, your cousin, or another twin parent.  You NEED someone who "gets it" and cares for your health and well being, even when you have not showered in three days and say something a sailor would blush at when you spill a bottle of pumped milk and immediately begin crying uncontrollably.



2. Muslin blankets.  This might be kid specific, but our kids are not letting go of their "night nights".  Nap time = blanket.  Bedtime = blanket.  Hurt feelings = blanket.  The blankets are breathable, so I never worried about suffocating as much... as much.  I worry about everything.  Its exhausting.  Is that microwave safe?  Is that toy going to trip me in the middle of the night with a baby in hand?  Is the tag in her onesie bothering her?  Is the iron off?  Is she breathing too fast (listening to baby monitor at 3 a.m.)?


3. Dr. Brown's Bottles.  We tried several.  Apparently NICU moms favor Dr. Brown's bottles.  Harper struggled with reflux, and these were the magic bottles.  There are exactly 9,000 parts to clean, which leads me to # 4.

We do not condone drinking and driving.

 


4. Boon's Counter Top Drying Rack. I even got the tree add on.  It comes in all white (I have a slight obsession with white décor), it works, and it cleans easy.  Sold and sold.



5. Ear tubes.  If you find yourself at the doctor's office with ear infections half as often as we did (10+ ear infections is too many), you should ask about getting tubes placed.  It was a game-changer at our house.


 



6. DOUBLE CARTS.  Seriously, store owners/managers/investors, a large portion of America has more than one small child, even if they aren't twins.  Maybe now that Beyonce and George Clooney's wife are having twins the illuminati will work on double carts for all!











7. The City Select Stroller.  While Ryan says we should have had the "Country Select" (there's no such thing, to my knowledge), because we lived on a gravel road and rarely went to town, it was super convenient the few times we did venture out into society.  The single in-line style, with adjustable, removable seats, is very functional.  I do still use it at 3 years old.  I linked the Stroller Depot, because that's where we bought ours from, with a coupon.  It ended up at least $50 cheaper than the lowest box store and they shipped fast.



8. Wine.  If you know me, you may be surprised how far down the list I got before adding this one.  Some deals worth noting here: $2 (closer to 3) buck chuck from Trader Joe's, 20 % off on 4+ bottles at World Market, and an aerator for those times the dollar store bottom shelf is the only option as you grab diapers and another bottle of dry shampoo.  The aerator helps the taste, and this one is marked w-a-y down right now.  I'll also recommend @Tizianowine, because they sent me a bottle of wine over this picture and made my day (please note these babies were on formula by this point).
Tiziano wine, and Prosecco are legitimately good, too.



9. Light-up Sippy Cups.  We had a difficult time convincing Wrenly she no longer needed a bottle in this life (maybe I should be concerned about my #8 with this kid).  We bought these light-up sippy cups and marketed them as special cups she could only use before bed, instead of her bottle.  It worked!  BONUS: They came in two different colors of the same, we-heart-you-forever, Paw Patrol theme so that Harper and Wrenly could have their own special cup.



10. Hobbies. You can't forget who you were are, or what brings you joy.  If you become a miserable sack, no one, including your kids, will enjoy time around you.  You may have to tweak your enjoyment slightly; if you enjoy concerts, you may have to settle for a summer day on a kid-friendly pub patio with a local band.  But, don't lose sight of the you that makes you a unique and wonderful parent.  This remains a challenging one for me.  Fortunately, writing is one area I find joy.  My kids may regret that after reading some of this, someday.  For now, I'm still changing the pull-ups, and (occasionally) cleaning the bathrooms.  I'm going to write about it.