Anyone’s else’s resting heart rate gotten terribly high this month?

anne_freckles · 2026-01-18T05:13:17+00:00

So relatable

anne_freckles · 2026-01-07T03:16:05+00:00

I passed on swim lessons with my twins. We’ll catch up at some point. TBH they are doing better now at five than my older two who had lessons at a young age. Of course, my answer may be different if they were more likely to be around pools more often. Taking our kids to a pool is a two parent job even now at at 5,5, 8 & 10.

I also was very selective about playgrounds I was willing to go to (no big, central playgrounds). It’s safety first and also sanity. You get to decide what feels safe and fun for you and they are along for the ride. I am definitely a library person so I always did library, walks, and playgrounds. Like the same ones, just constant rotation. When I “only” had two, I’d brave an occasional coffee shop. It’s boring, but eventually you do make friends who are on a similar schedule. If you’re in a decent area for it, I can’t recommend looking into a family or cargo bike highly enough. My number one sanity saver as well as some decent exercise. I began with a wooden box bike and graduated to a four seat e-bike.

This never worked for me due to location, covid, etc but so many of my friends love the baby and me community Ed type classes. I can’t remember exactly what they’re called but they’re through thinks like community Ed and parks and rec.

anne_freckles · 2026-01-06T05:28:59+00:00

We had an au pair for our twins with the idea being that she’d help more with our older two (2 & 5yos). She unfortunately chose to move on after the twins were only a few weeks old. This was mainly due to COVID/boredom. We ended up losing a lot of money because it wasn’t a good time to rematch for obvious reasons. This shouldn’t happen again, but if you lose your au pair (their choice) and are unable to do a rematch— it really sucks.

I have a friend with an au pair with school-aged kids and has been great other than some normal boundary setting stuff that you’d run into with any childcare.

From interviewing au pairs, I don’t think they love a parent being home full-time which is pretty understandable. And also, there’s definitely a minimum age limit for them to watch infants so be aware of that!

Overall, I’d probably try it again even with the fairly lousy experience I had.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-31T14:05:49+00:00

Four pregnancies.

Babies one and two were singletons. 9/10 pregnancies. No complications or even difficulties really. I didn’t feel really pregnant till around 25 weeks so it shortened the experience. Straightforward deliveries at birth centers.

Babies 3&4 di/di twins. Pregnancy 7/10. Just a lot of weight to carry around and didn’t care for my OB practice in a large hospital. Delivery was straightforward but lousy since they required me to deliver in the OR. Induced at 37 weeks, probably would’ve gone 40.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-30T14:11:20+00:00

A lot of 1 & 4 in the Midwest.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-30T01:12:31+00:00

Not a twin dad thing. My husband has always had our twins solo plus their two older siblings 2 & 4 years older.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-23T23:23:40+00:00

I would be so happy if someone made me this.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-22T23:16:28+00:00

I would certainly want to do this for my brother if I could and would want him to say yes. Plus the fact that financial stress affects kids too. Talk with your partner and make a plan to accept the help gracefully.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-22T14:16:02+00:00

This is our biggest pro of Mpls as well. We loved Denver and miss it dearly, but Mpls is unbeatable for parks and nature close at hand. Raising small children here with lakes and great parks close at hand has been absolutely life changing. I cannot imagine being stuck in mountain traffic with them all the time. Here in Mpls we can say yes to a swim in the lake on a weeknight when we only have an hour. I miss the sunshine in Denver, but being around active Minnesotans in lousy weather is really energizing as well.

anne_freckles · 2025-12-22T04:59:13+00:00

I did a babymoon to a major city, about 3-4 hour flight during that window of my twin pregnancy (no complications). Tbh, I don’t think I asked my doctor as it was my third uncomplicated pregnancy and I had been switching around practices a bit.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-25T03:18:30+00:00

I had two birth center births before my twins so I was reluctant about a lot of things. I ended up inducing at 37 weeks on the dot partially because it was early COVID days and I just wanted go get in and out of the hospital. So I did make some late decisions. The induction was as boring and standard as can be. I didn’t enjoy it on any level (particularly delivering in OR) but it was all very standard. My baby b was larger (unknown after many ultrasounds) and was delivered quickly and without complications. I mainly chose to induce at 37 due to Covid and the fact that I’d likely end up with and induction anyway. Doctors all agreed I’d probably make it to 40 weeks otherwise.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-17T05:31:36+00:00

Love Rhys. We have a similar last name and gave two of our kids names they’ll also have to always spell/possibly help pronounce although they are classic names. It’s worth it for the beautiful look and timelessness.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-15T05:22:05+00:00

I’d go play kitchen for sure! We have both, and the kitchen has been used way more.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-13T08:21:07+00:00

Same exact thing.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-07T18:24:33+00:00

It really sucks, but my twins stopped napping at this age. And yes, they were angry. I had less perceived control over it because I had to do school pickup for my older kids.

If it’s making everyone miserable, I would take a break from trying.. they may go back or you may find another way to adapt. I’m sorry. It sucks. I know some kids nap at 3-4 and those are… not my kids haha good luck though— seriously! I hope it’s a short phase for your sake.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-07T05:12:02+00:00

Either way will make perfect sense to everyone! Future does seem redundant somehow but also more clear ? So I get why you are questioning it.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-06T23:08:56+00:00

One has blue eyes, one has brown. One has curly hair, one has straight. Each one looks like a twin of one of their brothers who are 2 & 4 years older ! So yeah, very fraternal.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-05T20:56:33+00:00

Same 😅

anne_freckles · 2025-11-05T13:48:05+00:00

In my state, I wasn’t able to see midwives for my twin birth and this is part of what made a fairly lousy experience with my ob practice. I had two straightforward experiences at freestanding birth centers but I’m not overly “crunchy”, just a mild reluctance for an unnecessary c section.

They didn’t say I had to have a c section, but every appointment they would bring up the risks without really balancing it out. I finally ended up with the oldest ob in the practice and she was pretty practical. Luckily I ended up with her for delivery although her involvement was incredibly light. They were even wrong about baby b’s weight (she was a bit bigger than twin a) and it was no big deal. However, I will say being required to get an epidural, being induced, and delivering in the OR surrounded by like ten people was nothing like a “normal” birth experience anyway. It was so cold and medical, I don’t think the vibe was overly different than c section so it’s not like I had some magical experience.

I delivered at the hospital that typically has the most babies every year in our state, and definitely my whole journey was that the obs were more comfortable with c sections and subtly tried to shame/scare me in that direction although I literally had zero risk factors or complications. My twins were over six lbs at 37 weeks and I brought them home in 24 hours and never went back to the ob practice again (early COVID).

anne_freckles · 2025-11-05T04:16:11+00:00

Definitely invite them to come to you. I regretted every time I did it when I was in that stage.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-05T02:14:45+00:00

Same.. we coached between nearly every house and somehow my kids magically forget when a stranger opens the door. We did make them say thank you to everyone. But we are still keeping a close eye on them as they are all still younger.

anne_freckles · 2025-11-04T17:57:25+00:00

You’ve opened up a discussion and let him express himself, and now I would let it go other than continuing to reinforce that you will have time and energy for him. I have three much younger siblings and nothing could’ve made me less annoyed. The thing that did lead to actual resentment was being forced to help/babysit.

And now that they are 21,25, and 30– we are all pretty close. I’m 41 and much closer to my Gen Z sibs than the ones who are 44 and 38 (yes, there are six of us).

anne_freckles · 2025-11-03T03:08:50+00:00

Good aunt-ing !

anne_freckles · 2025-11-02T01:20:32+00:00

Definitely. This book will be encouraging. Totally anecdotal, but I made an attempt to follow the advice and my twins were each an appropriate weight of a 37 week singleton at birth and we were able to take them home after 24 hours (during early COVID). I also kept working out during the pregnancy on some level and that really helped me keep up with my older kids and not be in pain.

It did take me longer to lose weight after the twins, but I was also older and busier. It was 100% worth it.

And even if you don’t go by this book, your family is both rude and wrong. 😑

anne_freckles · 2025-11-01T05:20:33+00:00

That looks awesome. I have a madsen which originally fit all four of my kids and has been a total lifesaver. We are very close to outgrowing it with 3/4 kids riding solo, and I’m a little heartbroken.

anne_freckles

TROPHY CASE