Of all the things I've done as a mama to five, wearing my babies for literally anything and everything is at the top. It's an integral part of my parenting chapter, really.
Snack slayer? Check. Meal maker? Check. Homeschool reading lessons, switching laundry, walks (with many stops along the way)?
Check, check, and check.
Heck, I'm even writing this piece while standing, swaying, and you guessed it- baby-wearing.
It started back in 2016 with my original Ergo that we loved to pieces (literally).
That same carrier was my BFF through 7 years and 3 children- and then again when we had surprise twins AFTER a vasectomy. Yes, you read that right.
To catch you up to speed, I honestly never imagined we'd get a new carrier until we needed two for our newest twins! I've always wondered what parents who DON'T wear their babies do. And what do people do when they have twins?
Cue my husband, who works remotely. We divide and conquer every day, but especially Monday - Friday when he works at the house.
A typical day in the life looks a lot like this:
7 am: Wake up (from a wild night, ranging from an assortment of little ones in our bed, to flip-flopping like a pancake all night nursing the twins) and drag myself out of bed, pop on the espresso machine while feeling hopeful!
7:30 am: Change the diapers of 3 kiddos (the twins plus our toddler) and nurse one baby while my husband begins breakfast
8:00 am: Lay one twin on the play mat while I nurse the other; they're working on rolling around and laughing at each other lately!
8:30 am: Pass off whichever baby is getting sleepy to my husband while he works.
(My husband's office setup looks a bit out of the ordinary, but it's conducive to our life and allows him to babywear and share the division of responsibility. You'll usually find him with a baby tucked in a carrier and walking on his treadmill at his standing desk most of the day.)
9:00 am-12 pm: Homeschool, swap a load of laundry (maybe), feed kids and myself, all with one baby in tow on my back.
I am more than lucky to say we play musical babies the rest of the day, as I know many twin mamas do not have this type of daily help.
For dinner, we make it a point to sit down together as a family, and the Ergo Evolve bouncers make that possible.
Around 6:00 pm we start the home stretch. Bath (if needed), cleanup, books, toothbrushing, prayers, and snuggles. Typically for the bedtime routine my husband and I will again, divide and conquer while wearing one twin each as we rub backs, sing "You Are My Sunshine," and slip out of the older kids' room after all eyes are closed.
The Tula carriers we use for the twins help us juggle a big family with small children, and prove to be:
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Essential for daily duties
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Undeniably the only way to get things done, and
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A tool for bonding while we care for my other kids
I do think the twins win the award for some of the happiest babes, because we wear them so often and I’m positive they feel so safe, secure, and close.
A couple of unusual circumstances you might see me wearing the babies also include:
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Wearing one twin on my back, while breastfeeding the other
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Rocking my 2-year-old for a much needed nap, while wearing one twin
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Attending a comedy show after bedtime, where the twins happily tagged along
While a mama to five is my full time gig, I'm a pediatric nurse by trade. Over the years, I’ve added to my title of being a full-on mama by authoring Brain Food for Your Baby, being the founder and CEO of Blooming Motherhood, and working as a freelance copywriter for Tiny Health.
As a little girl, I couldn't wait to be a mother and longed for the day when a baby would prefer snuggling me over anyone else, just like they did their own mamas. Funny enough, I always wanted five kids, but having 3 back to back we decided on a vasectomy. It "failed" which was the greatest gift, completing my initial vision of a big family. I said it many times as a pediatric nurse mama: "I will always want another newborn to snuggle,'' knowing how fleeting those treasured moments are.
Looking back, I think I manifested these incredible boys right into existence, giving me another opportunity to kiss sweet newborn heads, dance around the living room while baby-wearing, warm tiny toes while out on a walk, and reach deep within myself- mustering more strength than I thought available while clutching the mundane, yet magic, of motherhood.
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Shared below is a poem I wrote during my surprise twin pregnancy. If you're wondering if we felt all the feelings while processing the initial shock, the answer is yes. Insomnia poems were one of the ways I moved through those feelings, and grew in love with the new direction life was taking us.
2/25/23
I was counting the days until diapers were no longer on the grocery list Then you
Times two
And I'm moved (forced) into the field again
To unfold, again
Heal, again
Turn in, again
Deepen, again
None of which I asked to do Somehow it's ok now, though The panic
Exchanges with magic
Wonder makes its home here in this heart Signaling a welcomed joy
- 3 am pregnancy insomnia; after three pieces of Swiss cheese, cough medicine for one, rocking for another, and an accidental punch to the eye from my middle
