1. Feeding - They feed around the same time, because otherwise, we'd just be feeding all the time. So they both get hungry and cry to eat around the same time. When you're alone with them at feeding time you stand and look at them both and have to pick one to eat first. This decision is very hard. Because you know the other one is going to sit and cry for 20 minutes while they wait for their turn. Sometimes you start and change a diaper and then realize that maybe that one will go back to sleep and switch babies. It is a very hard decision and these feeds can be very stressful! In our house, Andrew usually goes first though. Mostly because he's loud, more demanding, and eats a whole lot faster:)
2. Splitting breastmilk - I don't produce enough for both. And they each are on different calories, so the recipes to fortify the milk are different. For instance, Andrew gets 1/2 teaspoon of formula added to every 30 milliliters breastmilk and Paige gets 1/2 teaspoon to every 55 milliliters. I sit there when its time to make bottles and have to bring back my middle school math. I try to divide my breastmilk so that the recipes work with multiples of 30 and 55, yet is divided evenly. Because, well, it has to be fair! And if it doesn't divide evenly, I have to pick who is going to get more...
3. Baby stuff - Where does it all go? When you need two of everything, space becomes a huge issue. Our house has been completely taken over with baby stuff. We have three beds for each of them, a swing, two bouncy seats, activity mats, pack-n-play, changing stations, toys, etc. We are running out of room with two of everything and they are only 2 months old! And for those of you that know about my OCD, you can imagine how difficult this is for me:)
4. Laundry - They produce SO much laundry! We are finding we have to do a large load every other day...that's if we are lucky enough to make it that long! And these kids are spoiled and have lots of clothes! But with Andrew's reflux and the normal baby stuff, we are changing bibs, burp cloths, sheets, outfits, towels, etc. multiple times a day....times two! And did I mention how annoying it is to fold baby clothes!
5. Leaving the house - Getting them both into their car seats without crying and then transporting them one by one to the car is a 15 minutes process. This is after you've already prepped the diaper bag, checked diapers, and preheated the car for 15 minutes. Then once you get there, you have to open the crazy double stroller, get each assembled one by one (and not forget which order to load them - if you load back first, it will flip over!), and lock fifty million straps. Then, we are ready to go, so long as one of them hasn't woken up and lost their patience by then! So far, we've only done this process for doctors appointments. But I can tell you right now, that when they are able to go places, the destination will have to be worth it. No Target or grocery store runs are worth this process!
6. Diapers - We go through roughly 20 diapers a day. That means a large case of diapers every four days. This means about 8 or 9 cases a month. I feel like all we do is buy, change and dispose of diapers! We won't even mention the Enfacare powder cans (formula) that we go through....and this is with my breastfeeding, too!
These are just a few of the many things Jack and I have found difficult with having two at home over the last month. Can you believe it?!? As of this weekend, we have all been home together for one whole month!
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