So many people have been asking how Willow feels about two new babies joining the family! We know this is going to be a HUGE transition for her since she has been by herself for 4 years but we’re determined to making the change as easy and exciting as possible for everyone. Here is how I am helping Willow prepare!

1. My dad bought me a book called Siblings Without Rivalry and it’s given me very valuable insight on what Willow may be thinking now and could feel after the twins arrive. My Dad gave me a great analogy, he said, “compare a new sibling to what it would feel like as a wife for your husband to come home with a younger and better wife that was now joining the family”… certainly not ideal for any wife!!! I can only imagine the jealousy that would arise from a situation like that (however far fetched it would be). But that analogy really put how Willow will be feeling into perspective.

1. Another fun practice I’ve been trying with Willow is giving her twin dolls to play with. We’ve been taking care of the baby dolls together so she learns to take ownership of her role as a big sister. I want her to be happy and eager to help take care of her new baby brothers. We’re hoping having the two dolls around will help her get used to the idea that the family is growing, and that the babies will need some attention.

1. We’re trying to help foster the relationship she’ll have with the boys and to have her involved in as much as we can. When we get ultrasounds we tell her that the twins are waving “Hi” to her and that they are SO excited to meet their big sister. She’s also helping to pick out  things for the nursery and other new baby things we need. She is going to be a baby expert!

1. I reminded Willow that she is going to be the princess of the castle since both babies are going to be boys (they of course will be the princes…haha). In doing this I wanted to remind her that even though new babies are coming she is still our little girl! I plan on being very aware of maintaining mommy and daughter time as well.  I know having the two newborns will be tough, but I want to make sure I continue to make the extra effort to do activities with Willow, like putting her to bed myself, etc.

I would would love to hear from you all on what you found to be helpful when introducing a new baby (or babies) to the family! We have a few more ideas that AJ and I are considering implementing like sending Willow gifts from the twins, etc. But we’re stilling learning and researching!

For those of you who have been pregnant, you know the struggle is real when it comes to managing food cravings while pregnant! My experience with the twins so far has been a bit different than my pregnancy with Willow. Funny enough though, by this point in my pregnancy with Willow, I had gained DOUBLE the weight than what I’ve gained with the twins so far! I thought it would be the opposite and I’m honestly not sure if it’s attributed to it just being my second pregnancy or that there are two babies to feed.

I have noticed that my appetite is definitely much more constant than when I was pregnant with Willow. If I don’t eat every two hours, I’m STARVING and begin to feel a bit light headed. One of the ways I’ve been combating my constant hunger without completely overeating is by starting off my morning with a very healthy breakfast and by keeping snacks on hand at all times.

In the mornings my go-to breakfast has been a smoothie! I’ve kept the specific ingredients pretty flexible and have been throwing in whatever fruits & veggies are in the fridge with my homemade almond milk and occasionally a scoop of an organic nut butter as well. Pretty easy and stressless! Though a smoothie sounds light, my secret has been making two servings. I’ll have my first serving around 6AM and then my second about an hour to an hour in a half later while I’m in the car driving to work. A well fed mama and a well fed nurse is key! For snacks, my favorite is to keep granola bars on hand but if I feel like I’m eating too much sugar, I’ll switch to almonds and other nuts.

Lastly, I’ve been super aware of my water intake! 4 liters a day! SO many times we confuse dehydration with hunger so keeping a water bottle on me at all times has helped me minimize over indulging with some unmentioned non-healthy snacks 😉 

There’s so much more to Thanksgiving than a fun opportunity to sit around a delicious dinner with friends and family. Now that Willow is older, we’ve begun to teach her to the greater meaning behind the holiday: gratitude and generosity. We recently sat down to go through her toys to pick out a few that we would donate to other children who aren’t fortunate enough to have them. It was quite comical explaining to Willow that there are kids who don’t have toys… she couldn’t believe it! I’m really happy that she is beginning to understand these concepts and how important it is to share her abundance with others. We’re hoping to continue these lessons with more charitable work and donations as she gets older.

Another aspect of Thanksgiving we’re hoping to instill in her is how to appreciate doing activities with the entire family. Dinner is a VERY collaborative effort in our family! It’s always a joy watching Willow participate and contribute in making the big dinner!

After dinner is prepared and we’re all sitting at the table, everyone in the family takes a turn of sharing with the group what they are especially thankful for that year. Willow is still getting a hang of her public speaking skills but it’s a great habit for her to practice!

Our Thanksgivings are always concluded with a big family game of Pictionary! It’s usually boys versus girls and then losers have to do the dishes. Never too early to start teaching her a good sense of family competition and fun!

Willow is turning 4 in January and we finally just transitioned her to a “big girl” bed. It was always shocking to other parents, when they found out she was still in her crib at well past the age of 3. The truth is she loved her crib, sleeps 10-12 hours a night still and never tried to climb out! She was finally starting to outgrow the crib, and I knew it was time to find her a bigger, more comfortable bed. Since this is always a hot topic for parents, I thought I would share some ways we helped her prepare for this transition.

1. Make It Sound Amazing! We talked about her new bed for about a month before it even came! I let her look at pictures and involved her in the process of picking out her new bed. We chose this amazing twin bed frame from Sweet Home From Wood and a nontoxic mattress from Tomorrow Sleep.
2. Let Them Decorate…Willow picked out all of her sheets and quilts for her bed. I think letting her in on the process also kept her excited about sleeping in a new space. She went with mermaid sheets with a fun double sided quilt (all from Target).
3. Go Over Ground Rules… Kids thrive off of routine and structure. Getting Willow into her new bed, came with some rules that we went over quite a few times with her. I has some anxiety about her having the freedom to get up and roam around at night now. So we discussed that she may only get out of bed to use the bathroom, or come directly to our room. Thus far she has followed the rules and is loving her new bed!

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