Lincoln and Lucas are officially ONE. Our surprise twin babies have spent a whole 365+ days with us. The year seriously flew by!
That Birthday Reflection Time
So as expected it’s that time to reflect on life lol! Each of my pregnancies and kids have taught me something special.
With Zoey I learned how strong I was to raise a child as a single mother at only 20yrs old. I learned how to hustle and grind and never give up. I learned how to fight and advocate for someone and let me mamma bearness thrive.
Lia healed so many wounds. She taught me so much about unconditional love and how to be more loving & positive of the world.
Lincoln and Lucas taught me the importance of slowing down. I think the biggest lessons of my life have come from this past year as a twin parent.
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Twin Mom Pregnancy Life Lessons
From the day we found out we were having twins I was forced to slow down. I am a person who is always on the go and struggled with learning how to live in the moment.
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Having a high risk pregnancy taught me to say no to things and keep my to-do on the low side instead of topped to the very tip. I had to take the time to care for my body and make sure I did all I could to keep my babies growing healthy.
The Postpartum adjustment
After their birth my whole world went into shock. There were two babies to care for on top of 2 other kids and I felt my mental health spiraling. So I asked for help. I admitted I couldn’t do it all.
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That-the mere acceptance that I could not be a superwoman was huge. I opened up about my struggles and found a community of women who felt the same way.
In order to thrive mentally I had to trim the toxic out of my life, talk to a therapist to address issues that stemmed from far before my postpartum period. I had to GROW.
This year had me soul searching and healing so much! In my first post of 2020 I spoke of this year being the year I healed and grew.
That is what my first year as a twin mom has taught me- growth beyond imaginable and to heal from wounds I never wanted to even touch let alone explore. Because of it I feel so much better.
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Twin Mom Struggles Are Full of Lessons Too
There were plenty of sleepless nights and learning to juggle 4 kids was definitely new too. But the biggest lessons were those of being present, being kind, and letting go of the expectations I felt I needed to meet and of what I cannot change.
My husband and I learned to work together even better than before. Pre-pandemic we learned to make time for ourselves and for each other. We learned how to find a way to make time for exercise with two crawling babies, an energetic toddler, and a pre-teen!
We both learned how to make time to spend with each of our kids and how to spend time all together. Heck- we even learned how to go to Disneyland with 3 kids and not walk out feeling crazy lol!
I learned to organize my work week so I could be more efficient with work and be able to be present with our kids. I learned how to quickly pack a diaper bag for 2 babies and another bag for our toddler.
Getting 4 kids in a car fast became a breeze and shopping with them second nature. Whenever possible I would plan trips with just the boys and use my stroller basket as my shopping basket.
I learned that fed is truly best and that it was okay that my babies were formula fed.
Being a twin parent is full of moments of the day where it’s all pure chaos, but finding the beauty in it is what makes it all worthwhile.
Changing the diapers of active and moving babies is a mission but can be one of the moments where being really silly does more for my heart than I ever realized before.
One of my biggest struggles has been accepting my limitations. There can be two crying babies and only one of me. I learned to tackle one at a time and not let the crying stress me.
I learned that being out with twins you get asked the same questions about twins over and over and that people don’t know much about twins. I also learned to tell people to back away from my babies lol!
The world is so curious of our two little humans and always eager to ask. But I learned to answer with a smile-unless they tried to touch my kids lol.
They are both so unique
My boys are as different as they come, and I learned not to compare their development but instead celebrate their differences.
While Lucas was quick to crawl, Lincoln walked earlier. While Lincoln is quick to speak, Lucas has a pretty mean ball throw for a 1 year old.
Each of my boys unique from their looks to their personality and I am extremely grateful for them both.
My lessons as a twin mom have just begun. This first year was full of learning about myself and tons of lessons on how to live my life.
I learned some things the hard way, but am appreciative of the lessons this one sleepless year has brought.
Now let’s see how the toddler years go- wish us luck!
