Logistics

"How do you handle twins?" is a question I get asked a lot. Here are some examples of how I handle them logistically.

Church

Before church Brandon and I each pick a baby. We are in charge of keeping our babies happy. During Sacrament meeting sometimes we will both end up in the lobby trying to keep our baby happy. This week both girls staying in Sacrament meeting the whole time. Lydia even fell asleep on the floor during the last 15 minutes.

We feed the girls during Sunday school. They each get a bottle. Once they are done with the bottles we each take our baby out and change her diaper. I take mine to the mother's lounge and use the changing table in there. I use the supplies in the diaper bag. Brandon takes his baby to the men's bathroom and changes her on the counter. Her uses the diaper changing pad/diaper holder I made him.

I take my baby to Relief Society and Brandon takes his to Priesthood. I usually let whoever I have play on the floor. This week I had Charlotte and she slept on my lap the whole time. I was very happy she did that because I had just been called as the Second Counselor in the Relief Society and it was my first week sitting up front facing everyone. I was glad that I looked like I will be able to handle my calling and my kids.

Feeding time with Bottles.

The girls usually wake up around 7 or 8 in the morning. I get up, say hi to the girls, and then go make two bottles. Then I put the bottles on the living room couch. I go grab both girls and carry them at the same time into the living room. I lay them down against the arm rest and give them both a bottle. They hold their own bottles. All I have to do is supervise and make sure they don't roll off the couch or steal each other's bottle.

During other bottle feedings I usually am in the middle of some project. So I'll lay the babies on the floor and just hand them their bottle. They feed themselves, and I don't have to worry about

them falling off the couch while I'm cooking, folding laundry, or whatever.

Feeding time with solid food.

I've started alternating solid food and bottles each feeding. On a normal day the girls will get fed bottles 4 times and solid food 3 times - I think (I'm not crazy enough to be keeping a log). Anyway. When they wake up and its time for solid food I'll bring them out of their cribs and strap them into their high chairs one at a time. Then I feed them either some sort of grain cereal

or canned baby food. I use the same spoon to feed them both out of the same jar. I figure they are on top of each other most of the day so they have all the same germs anyway.

Play time

The living room is almost baby proof. The only things on the floor are the couch, the table, the TV stand, the bookcases and the lamp stand. The girls can roam free in that room. I will lay them down on the floor, scatter a few toys around and let the girls do what they want. I keep the toys in a basket on the bottom shelf of the lamp stand. You can see from this picture that the girls have learned how to get more toys out of the basket.

Going on a walk

We didn't know I was pregnant when we picked out our apartment. If we had we might have thought twice about an upstairs apartment. Here is what I do every time I want to take the girls on a walk.

Step one: Make sure the back pack is ready to go. I use my hydration backpack as a diaper bag. If it is full of water, has two diapers, a couple wipes, two bottles with powdered formula, and a water bottle to turn the formula into milk I'm good to go.

Step two: Make sure the girls are ready to go. If needed put them in jackets, hats, and socks.

Step three: Set up the Stroller. I carry the umbrella stroller down stairs and set it up. I also take my backpack and any blankets down.

Step Three: Grab the girls. I make sure I have two Binky's and then I scoop up one girl and then another into my arms. I go out the door. I have to lock the door from the outside so I shift both girls into one arm and lock the door with the other. (Hopefully I've put my keys somewhere accessible.) Then I go down the stairs.

Step Four: Strap the girls in and go on a walk

Step Five: Come home and unlock the door. I keep the stroller within site and take the backpack with me while I unlock the door.

Step Six: Carry the girls up stairs. I take the girls upstairs together and put them on the living room floor.

Step Seven: Go get the stroller and bring it up stairs.

And guess what? It's worth all that work to be able to get out of the house and go exploring.

Sorry no pictures with this one. There are two reasons for that. One, I usually go on walks when Brandon isn't home and so there is no one to talk a picture of me caring the girls. And two, I think the grandparents will have a heart attack if they see a picture of me walking down the stairs while holding both girls in one arm.