To start, when you tell people you are having twins or that you have twins, there are three likely responses. The first being "do twins run in your family?" I wish that I could be quicker with a comeback, but I so wish I could ask "do singletons run in yours?" When I was pregnant I read that twins are actually not that uncommon, 32 out of every 1000 births, so just over 3%. The second response is something along the lines of "are they natural?" Are you asking me if my children have supernatural powers? No? Oh that's right, you are asking me if they were conceived using fertility treatments. Really? You just asked me how my children were conceived. This conversation we are having just got really personal really quick. Do I even know you? Should I reciprocate the question and ask how yours were conceived? The other common response to seeing our twincesses goes something like this "my brother's friend's sister-in-law's cousin has twins". Like I already said....twins are not THAT uncommon, but thank you for sharing. Kevin likes to compare it to when we meet someone that knows someones great uncle's sister who also lives in Canada.
If you haven't already noticed, I like to dress the girls in matching outfits and make the most of the twin opportunity. Having said that, you would be shocked how many people say to us....are they twins?...one boy, one girl?...are they the same age? Really? They are dressed identical....in pink. I realize Quinn doesn't have as much hair as Amelia, but come on. I don't think she looks like a boy and even if you disagree, she is wearing exactly what Amelia is wearing. WHY would I dress a boy in the same thing that I have dressed a girl in?
The other thing we hear quite often is "I don't know how you do it" or "I could never survive if I had twins." When you are in the situation you just do it. We don't know any different. Before we announced we were pregnant and having twins, I remember eavesdropping on a conversation about how much work it would be to have twins and how one of the people would just die if they got pregnant with twins. Really? Yes, it is A LOT of work but it's worth every penny.
So many people told us "just get through the first year". Looking back, the first year was a breeze compared to some moments we have had the last couple months. Kevin and I have decided that 12-18 months was harder and more tiring than the entire first year. At 12 months they are mobile. They compete for toys and attention. They feed off of eachother-especially when they are being silly, loud, or naughty. If you are reading this and happen to be expecting twins, yes, you have to "get through the first year" but please don't jump to conclusions that it gets easier at 13 months.
I wanted to take a second to mention some things we have learned while traveling with twins. Before we first traveled with the girls we did a bunch of research and pinterest-ing to figure out exactly what we needed to do to ensure a smooth sailing trip. Just know that it probably won't happen.
The first thing we learned is that only certain sides and rows of the airplane contain AN (as in one) extra oxygen mask. We have twins so just one of anything doesn't cut it. Because of this, we could never sit as a family on our trips to BC. We now know this and the flight attendants know this, but unfortunately the gate agents and check in folks are clueless. We have played fruit basket upset on just about every flight because the gate agent says "oh your seats are fine". When we walk on the plane you can see the horror on the flight attendants face seeing us each walk in with one child in our arms.
"You can't sit together."
Yes, we know."
I will have to do some rearranging."
"If only someone would have mentioned that before? Oh wait, someone did? We did? That's right."
Oh well, once the girls are 2 and have their own seat it will be a non issue. But for those of you traveling with more than one child under the age of 2, be prepared!
We have also learned that there are very few healthy options for children when flying. We grabbed some McDonalds for the girls at one point and paid just over $7 for Chicken Nuggets, Fries, and a Diet Coke (for me). They don't love fast food (which is a great thing!) so I also grabbed some things from Chilis To Go....a yogurt, fruit cup, and milk totaling close to $15. Really? I have to spend $5 per item to feed my children something healthy? We also have bought several bananas for $1.50 each while traveling.
We have learned that you must find empty halls and gates to let them run in, stickers are a must travel toy and that security and customs people are quite helpful and friendly. Especially the Canadian ones, as we have gotten to go to the front of several lines. Pack too many diapers. You don't want to have to choose which child gets to be changed (yes that happened to us while getting stuck in Chicago, luckily I found a couple at a Hudson News so both girls were in luck) :)
OK, I could probably go on and on but this is a little look into the kinds of things we laugh at on a daily basis. Hopefully you can laugh at this with us too! If you see us return your question with a smile, glazed over face, or an answer that sounds rehearsed. It probably is. We have heard it before and we will hear it again. We have said it before and we will say it again.
We are so proud and happy that God chose us to be parents of twins girls, even if that means it comes with all of the stuff I just mentioned. Must mean he thinks we can handle it (them) right? :)
