How It Was Done

William and Ryan are almost a year and I can hardly believe it!  I want to remember how it was all done.  So sit back as I relive how we lived the last year or so.

They were on the same schedule from the beginning.  I used methods in Baby Wise, so they woke up and ate, if one woke up we'd wake the other, change their diapers, they'd be awake for 30 minutes to an hour depending on how old they were, then they'd go to bed in their crib.  We had a pretty tight schedule and it really worked great for us.  Now they go to bed and naps pretty painlessly.

 Since we decided to bottle feed, Jacob was able to help me feed at night, which was SO nice for me.  When one would wake up we'd wake the other up, Jacob would change their diapers while I got their bottles ready.  We fed them while watching a TV show, we brought a TV; into our room, then I'd go wash the bottles while Jacob put them to bed.  Jacob and I would fall asleep and in 3 hours we'd do it again.  Jacob was great and lasted 6 weeks of this until it was affecting his work.  I did it solo for the last 2 1/2 weeks until they started sleeping through the night (9 weeks).

Steven and Christopher taking a turn (during the day of course)

You can see the tv we had in the background

 We only had 3 small bottles, and 2 large bottles we had from when Steven was born.  After we fed them we'd wash out the milk and let it dry next to the sink so we knew where they were when we needed them.  Then when I did a load of dishes at night, I'd throw them in so they were washed regularly.  I read books about how you needed a complex system for bottles, and warming them at night and storing them during the day and it really made me scared.  But I read a blog about a woman who has triplets who had only three bottles color coded for each child and it sounded simple and doable.  It really was great advice!

This is how I'd feed them during the day when I was by myself.  If someone else was around we could both hold them, but if not it worked great until they were about 4 or 5 months. (they were too big).  Then I put them in their bouncers and sat in the middle holding their bottle for them, until they were about 6 months when they could hold their own bottles.  One of the best milestones for twins if you ask me!

We LOVED our bouncers, by far our favorite accessory when they were smaller.  They went everywhere I needed them to go; in the kitchen, living room, or outside for some fun outside!

When I was pregnant Jacob found this four person stroller, most of the people who left comments about it had daycare kids not their own.  I fought it, it was expensive and really what would people think of me pushing this bus?  That's when Jacob informed me, "You'll be walking around with four little boys, people will think that regardless.  You might as well be comfortable." I consented thinking if we really didn't like it, we did live in one of the best places to try and sell it, Utah County. But we have loved it and used it regularly.

                                       

We could even get their car seats in, so we didn't need take them out.  This helped us save time when going to stores as such.

Jacob managed to propped their bottles, once again saves us time.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  Steven is goofy, Christopher is cute trying to be like Steven, William having fun, and Ryan wondering why in the world he is in this family.  It makes me smile.

                                         

Once they outgrew their infant car seats (6 months!) we needed to rethink how we travel.  We have the big stroller but I needed something to travel with them in small places, like the doctor's office.  Double strollers are expensive.  We are cheapskates.  So Jacob combined two single strollers to make this double stroller for $30, rather than the $80 it would have been.  They like it.

Jacob was also very genius when it came to rearranging our van to not only fit everyone but to be able to get everyone in and out without a huge pain. So Steven was in the back in between William and Ryan and Christopher was in the front; we put down the other seat in the front for more ease in putting the babies in the back.  It really worked out well.  For the first little while when we would be out and about and need to eat something we'd have a picnic in the car, hence the pictures.

From the time they were born, we double swaddled William and Ryan. We learned the trick from my sister who swears by it; it didn't work well for Christopher but it worked like a charm for William and Ryan.  We stopped this when they were about 10 months, only because they wiggled out of it 2 seconds after we  put them in.  My mom called them baby burritos.  

I would get one wrapped up and then rocked them a bit while singing then put him down to do the same with his brother.  Occasionally the older boys will come in to help me.

They started eating solids at 6 months, I really waited till the last second.  Why add more work to my list, when it's not necessary?  They sit like this, close to my chair and when I was spoon feeding them, I'd give one a bite then the other, and go back and forth like that.  I hoped it would teach them patience, but now that I just put food on both of their trays; they really let me know if I'm not giving it to them fast enough!  I usually have a plate just for them, and cut up all the food and slowly give it to them.  While they are eating, I can usually get a couple of bites in myself.

People always wonder if I can go places by myself, and the answer is YES!  I have to for my sanity and the kids.  Though that was one of the questions that I asked myself, "how will I go grocery shopping with all of them?!"  My mother-in-law said take them to her house, but when they moved to Korea we had to think different.  For the first couple of months Susan, my mother-in-law, would come over once a week and watch the kids while I'd go run errands. Then Jacob and I would go either at night or on the weekend and have two kids in each cart.  Now a days I go by myself.  Our favorite place is Macey's where they have these carts that I can fit all my kids in, and the great news is there are usually one or two in the parking lot so I don't have to juggle kids walking into the store.  It really works nicely.

                                                   

And sometimes Dad hops in too...Other times when we need to go to Walmart or other places, I'll have one baby in the front, one sitting in the cart, and either Christopher standing in there as well or walking along side with Steven.  It's not my dream world, but it works.

As soon as William and Ryan became any sort of mobile we put a gate up to the stairs, my lifesaver.  I lock the gate, shut all the doors, get out a couple of toys, and let them run around to their hearts content.  But they normally stay close to the rest of us which is nice.

Bath time is entertaining.  Then they were younger I'd give William and Ryan a bath separately while the big boys were busy doing something else, then they took a bath together.  One day I got adventures and they all took a bath, where I took these pictures.

The next time I tried it, it was a disaster.  So now we can do it one of two ways:  Christopher and Steven stay in there the whole time while I put Ryan in and wash him then get him dressed and then do the same to William.  Or I will put both William and Ryan in and hurry to wash them both and then speed dry and dress them while still keeping one eye on the other to do the same for them.  It's a bit tricky as well to stop the dressed baby from getting back into the tub with his brother.  Like I said, it gets entertaining, but usually I just have to put them in the hall and shut the door.  They also get the luxury of being more daring in the tub.  With Steven and Christopher if they stood up at all, they were out of the tub, but with these two I don't have that ability so they get to be as daring and crazy as they'd like.  But they aren't in the tub for as long, at least now they aren't.  We'll see if this choice comes back to haunt me in a year or so...

Another aspect of our lives that I worried about when I was pregnant was what in the world would we do during church?  Specifically Sacrament Meeting where all four boys are expected to sit quietly for an hour.  To be honest, I'm not sure how we're doing it.  At first it wasn't bad at all because they'd be in their carriers and usually sleep right through.  Then around 6 months when they outgrew their carriers as long as they were sitting on our laps with something to suck on they were okay.  Now it's pretty much a wrestle to keep them still, I'm not sure how we're doing it, but Jacob and I only have to leave with them literally once a month or so.  BUT during the Sunday School hour we are out in the hall letting them crawl everywhere.  And if they get their wiggles out them we have a 50% chance of making it through at least half of the third hour (Relief Society/Priesthood).  Let's just say we are already counting down the weeks till they are 18 months.  Oh the days where we could trade who gets to walk the halls with a child.  We try but they usually end up crawling in different directions.  Jacob tied them together once thinking it would help, but they'd only end up pulling each other the direction they wanted to go and scream about it.  

And that's about all I can think of now.  We have loved having William and Ryan and once again we call them our Angel Babies.  We could not be happier to have them in our family!