Welcome Jessica to the Mom Series! Jessica is a working mom of twins! Her girls are 11 month olds and they keep her and her husband busy. If you have read any other volumes of the Mom Series – it’s clear that the general theme is to live in the moment! Work to appreciate and enjoy the season of life you are in when you are in it. Especially as we add children to the mix it’s easy to see just how fleeting time is.

Welcome Jessica – A Working Mom of Twins!

Hi! I’m Jessica, a 32-year-old married mom of 2 daughters. Nora and Aubrey will be 1 this coming October.  I’m currently a healthcare consultant for Graduate Medical Education programs across the country. My husband Greg works in supply chain management.

Motherhood Journey

I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to have kids. In fact, Greg and I frequently told people “Nope, never.” I’ve always been told by my OB/GYN that getting pregnant may be difficult due to health issues. So, when Greg and I finally decided we wanted a family and that it was the right time – we genuinely thought it would take a while. To our surprise, it happened relatively quickly and naturally. The bigger surprise was yet to come during our first ultrasound when we found out it was twins.

The pregnancy itself was a roller coaster, constant ups/downs. We faced a lot of challenges – first and foremost were the hospital restrictions with COVID. Greg was unable to attend any appointments with me including ultrasounds. The further into the pregnancy, the harder it became to not physically have him with me as support. Every appointment it felt like we were worried about something new, and the number of appointments continued to increase weekly. We encountered obstacles from intrauterine growth restriction concerns, velamentous cord insertion of one of the babies, pre-term labor, multiple hospital stays, and bed rest. Through everything, we were very blessed to have had such an amazing medical team watching us closely. Both girls were born healthy with just a small stay in the NICU/Special Care Nursery. 

Unexpected things since becoming a Mom

I think the most unexpected thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom is that it’s okay to take time for yourself. Being a mom is part of who I am, but not my whole identity. I’ve heard all the comments like, “I could never have left my baby when they were that young.” But at the end of the day, I think taking time for myself every once in a while – makes me a better mom!

Hardest thing since becoming a Mom

The hardest thing about being a mom has been trying to ensure I give each of the girls the same amount of attention. Before we left the hospital, a nurse gave us the best piece of advice that I think could apply to moms of multiples or moms with more than one child at different ages. She said: “Remember that you love your babies equally. Sometimes one baby is going to need more attention than the other. Do not focus on the amount of attention but focus on what they need in the moment.”

I struggle with this daily and try to remind myself of that advice, especially when it seems like they both need my attention at the same time.

Favorite thing about being a Mom

My favorite thing about being a mom is watching my babies learn new things. Throughout this first year, it has always felt like we would never reach the next milestone. Now that they are 11 months – I look back and can’t believe we’ve made it to the crawling/first step moments (somewhere I didn’t think we’d ever be during the sleepless newborn nights).

Favorite thing to do with your kids

I love watching my kids play in the water! They love bath-time and swimming. Their little giggles are hysterical and can make any bad day instantly brighter. Nora truly believes she can out-splash Shamu! I also love to watch them experience new things. We are only 1 year in, but taking them to the zoo, cider mill, or Traverse City and watching them experience new things has been by far my favorite!

Favorite thing to do without your kids

My favorite thing to do without my kids is to travel with Greg. When we got married, we promised each other that we would make traveling a priority. We were lucky enough to take a trip with friends this past summer without the girls, and it was a huge mental break that we both needed individually and for our relationship. We were able to just focus on each other, laugh with friends, and spend a moment of time reconnecting after a stressful pregnancy/life-altering year with two newborns. I look forward to our family vacations with our girls, but I hope we continue to take the occasional trip just the two of us.

Anything you miss about life pre-kids

I think most of all I miss the simplicity of things. Simple things such as running to the grocery store by myself, meeting up with a friend for dinner, sleeping in – all these things can and are done but not without planning. We’re fortunate we have an amazing support network of family and friends that help us out daily, but the simplicity of just doing anything at the spur of the moment is missed!

Anything you would tell your pre-kids self

I wish I could tell myself to enjoy the moment you’re in. I’m a planner by nature, so I’m constantly thinking of what comes next. Looking back (and probably still) – I think I focused too much on what comes next in life rather than enjoying the phase of life I was in.

Favorite kid age so far

With the girls only being 11 months, I would say right now is probably my favorite out of what we’ve experienced. They are starting to learn how to walk and can use a little bit of sign language to communicate. It’s been fun to watch them develop and hit those major milestones.

A must have baby item

Baby Breeza: A fancy baby Keurig that Greg and I didn’t think would be essential, however it is seriously a game changer for formula feeding mommas! 

Baby Bjorn Bouncer: This bouncer saved our lives with both the girls, it would almost instantly soothe them. It also folds nicely if you need to transport it.

Hatch Sound Machine: We decided to sleep train Aubrey and Nora, and this hatch sound machine has helped so much. I like the simplicity of it, that it can be portable for when we are out and about, and it has a variety of settings. 

I’m seeing a lot of repeat items on our “must have list” – there may be a registry must have post needed in the future! I second the Hatch Sound Machine, that is a work horse in our house. Both boys have one in their rooms and we use it to help them know when it’s ok to wake up from nap and from bedtime.

Your turn!

I’m loving reading everyone’s answers. If you want to get involved – drop your email below and I’ll be in touch! If you missed any previous Mom Series posts – find them here!