Well, we made it to six months! Not like I was worried but let’s just say we didn’t quite know how we would get here. Having twins plus two older kids seemed like a crazy situation and don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is 1000% madness, but we’ve found some routine in our chaos and it’s been fun figuring it all out together. I’m lucky to have hit the husband jackpot with Colin because he’ll cook, clean, feed babies, do diapers, you name it annnnd – wait for it – won’t complain or think twice when I ask him for help. These first six months have flown by and I think it had everything to do with how we’ve leaned on each other to keep the kids happy, the house organized and stay sane during these crazy, crazy times.
All that said, Grace and Owen have been pretty low-maintenance babies and have totally rounded out our family in the best way. It’s been easy to just feed them, change diapers, let them play, and nap but just this month they’re starting solids, teething, and trying to crawl; I have a feeling things are about to get a bit more wild around here so we’ll see how we do!
While the twins weren’t our first kids, we found ourselves doing things a little differently this time around. We stocked up on some extra baby gear to make sure everyone would be entertained and doubled down on certain toys, gadgets and everyday items to keep the peace. Since the holidays are coming up I thought I’d share my go-to baby items that truly helped us survive. If you know anyone who’s expecting, I’d recommend any of these for one, two, or ten babies lol. Enjoy!
- White Noise Machine / All the kids have used this as a baby and it went everywhere with us. This one is especially well-rated and hasn’t failed me yet after six years!
- Play Gym / Lovevery is such an awesome, sustainable brand and their floor gym literally has everything you could need for baby. Honorable mention is this one by Sassy which also totally delivers, looks great, and hits a more affordable price point.
- Sleeping Bag / Safe sleep is priority one and after the babies were out of a swaddle at night we moved right into a sleeping bag. Always ask your ped when it’s the right time to make the switch but these by Aden + Anais are beautiful (tons of patterns, prints, and colors) and super soft, per their brand’s usual style.
- Activity Center / I love this standing activity center because it lasts well into toddlerhood. Its adjustable height is perfect for infants but also turns into a table for toddlers who can cruise or stand. BONUS: they sell a pair of coordinating chairs that are super stylish and functional and I’m here for it!
- Silicone Pacifiers / Nanobébé offers their contoured pacifiers in four colors and they have worked wonders for the twins. Cannot recommend enough if you don’t know where to start.
- Fleece Booties / Baby socks are constantly falling off so I like to layer these booties over pajamas at night and even keep them on during the day instead of chasing socks.
- Floor Rocker / So we love our full-size baby swing but it’s not something we can easily move around the house. Especially with twins, we needed another option that could be relocated. This was a registry gift and we literally use it every day. I love how the toy bar can be removed and the seat can even hold a toddler up to 40 pounds!
- Footie Pajamas for Him and Her / Quarantine has given us lots of together time at home and while we bought some super-cute outfits, footie pajamas have been the standard uniform for the babies. Also – the two. way. zipper. I can’t stress this enough. Snaps are cute and one zipper is fine but any and all jammies with a two-way zipper is ALWAYS the right choice.
- Baby Food Maker / I’ve made my own baby food in the Babycook for all the kids but this time around I upgraded to the Babycook Plus for extra speed and capacity. It steams and blends all in one machine and makes the best, fresh food for your little one(s).
- Bottle Drying Rack / There are so many options out there but the entire line of Oxo Tot products has always made our life easier. Even with twins, we’re able to squeeze a ton of bottles and accessories into the rack without any trouble.