The Blended Brood: My Life as a Mom, Step-Mom, and Partner

So in honor of my upcoming vacation to see my twin brother and his family (OMG I CAN'T WAIT) I am posting this little blog to let everyone know how I get ready with twins toddlers!!

Okay, so first I get ready by getting a bag ready with the necessities. What are the necessities you may ask, well here they are:

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Sippy cups
• Snacks for the drive
• Toys to keep busy

Once this bag is packed I make sure that goes next to the door so that I know I will see it on my way out. This bag will go in the floor board in the back seat so that I can access it at any time when the kids need a drink, snack or just make a mess in general.

My next step is to get their bag packed for all of the items they will need when we are not just driving in the car. This bag consists of:

• Change of cloths (depending on how long we will be gone will determine how much I pack).
• Pajamas
• More Diapers
• Blankets
• Stuffed Animal for sleeping

So with us being gone for 5 days, I will pack clothes for each kid as followed:

Harley:

• 3 pairs of shorts (jean and knit)
• 3 T-shirts
• 2 Dresses/rompers
• 2 Onesies
• 2 pairs of pants (jeans and knit)
• 3 pajama outfits/dresses/footie jammies
• 3 pairs of shoes (dress, casual and play)

Jackson:

• 4 Shorts (jean and knit)
• 5 T-shirts
• 2 Polo shirts
• 2 pairs of Pants (not jeans)
• 2 Onesies
• 3 pajama outfits (footie/sets)
• 3 pairs of shoes (dress, casual, and play)

So now that you have the necessities and the basic bag packed it is on the the big stuff. Here is the list of the items I take with me when going out of town for any lengthy amount of time. By lengthy amount of time, I mean more than 2 days.

• Stroller (I have a 2 seater stroller which I love)
• Pack N Plays (2 because they do not sleep well together anymore)
• Extra blanket for each child
• Pillow for sleeping
• Small bag of toys for entertainment purposes
• Diapers (this is a big item!! I take about a box just in case there are accidents)
• Wipes (1 for the car, 1 for the diaper bag, 1 for where we stay, and one extra)

I think that may do it for what all I take with me and how I get ready for travel for multiple days with twin toddlers. As for myself and packing for me, I just find clothes that I can wear comfortably while in the car, clothes to sleep in, and a few outfits to wear while we are doing things out and about. If we decide to go out on the town, I may wear a casual dress so just in case, I will take one with me. I know this seemed a bit long winded, but when you are packing for twins, nothing is ever easy!!! All my mom's out there with multiple toddlers, good luck in travels and safe journeys!!

When I was a little girl my mom told me I always wanted to be a mommy. She said I would carry my little baby doll around and say "One day I'm going to be a real Mommy, with a real baby." Little did I know how hard that would be.

I struggled with keeping a pregnancy viable for a little over 2 years. I endured the pain of 3 miscarriages in that time. I was tested for fertility issues, blood type issues, uterus issues, you name it, I was tested. There was nothing ever found. I went to a specialist in Nashville, TN and 3 different doctors in my home town of Owensboro, KY. It wasn't until i met Dr. King that I had hope that I would get pregnant and actually have a child and even with his help getting me to the point of conceiving and carrying full term was a task. My body was not ovulating the way it was supposed to so I couldn't pin point the best time to get pregnant, there were still no answers as to why i miscarried so many times in the past so there was no way to know any treatment I went to would work. It was all a shot in the dark, and one I was willing to take. I wanted so much to be a mom and I was not going to accept no for an answer.

I found out in early March of 2014 that I was pregnant after seeing Dr. King for 2 months. As soon as I had a positive test I set up an appointment and he called in some meds for me to start immediately. It was all part of the plan after all...Any way, I was working second shift in an auto manufacturing company and was on me feet all night long for up to 12 hours a night. I took sometime off so that I would have better chances of staying pregnant and avoid another miscarriage.

The first ultrasound I had was at 6 weeks gestation. I was on Clomid, a fertility drug that helps the ovaries produce eggs and releases them when they need to be, and there was a possibility I was carrying multiple babies. This ultrasound revealed that I was in fact carrying twins. I didn't know what to think or know how to feel. I was in shock that I was pregnant and that I had made it to 6 weeks. This was the first of many doctor visits I had during my pregnancy.

So, after I found out I was having twins, the pregnancy was pretty normal until they came. I knew there was a possibility they would be early given that most twin births didn't go full term, but I was not expecting them 6 weeks early. They were due on Nov. 14, 2014 but graced us with their presence on October 7th, 2014 instead. At 4:00 AM Jackson Lee Evans was born at a whopping 4 lbs 10 oz and at 4:07AM Harley Grace Evans was born 4 lbs 13 oz. After 7 and a half months of waiting and 26 hours of labor, I finally met the 2 people I had waited my whole life to meet. Since then it has been a fun, tearful, wonderful, crazy time. I love every moment of it and wouldn't change a thing about it.

Jack and Harley have been the best change in my life to happen thus far. James, my boyfriend has 4 children of his own so together we have 6. Our "little" blended family is something that is chaotic, always going, and what I always wanted. I went from having 2 children to 6 in a matter of days, and that was the second best thing to happen in my life. I love being a mom and even though I only have 2 that I can claim as my own, I will protect, raise, discipline, and love each and everyone of them as they were mine as well.

I was born to be a mom and I will die trying to be the best mom there is out there!!!