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Three sets of twins in under two years: How these Louisiana parents cope

The Advocate - 6/13/2022

Jun. 13—At 5, Emanie Jones takes her role as a big sister seriously.

It's a job that comes with a lot of responsibility.

She has 19-month-old twin brothers, Curtis and Ethan (born September 2020).

She has 11-month-old twin sisters, Cassidy and Emery (born July 2021).

And, she has 1-month old twin sisters Camryn and Eva (born May 2022).

Parents Courtney Spears Jones and Everett Jones, both 30, have had a busy month.

Aside from the birth of their third set of twins in less than two years, they've also moved from their old home and into the living room of her mother, Cheryl Davis, as they await repairs to the house next door in Baker, which they will start renting this weekend.

If you're counting, that's seven kids, six under the age of 2, one living room and two moves within a single month.

Everett Jones, who works between 50 and 60 hours a week as a paint foreman with Turner Industries, said he doesn't look at his home situation as a pressure-filled environment.

"It's fun," he said. "It's having patience — knowing what you've got to do and who you've got to do it for."

Both he and his wife agree that the third and youngest set of twins doesn't feel like a lot more work.

"The hardest part was the first set of twins," he said.

"We always describe it as fun," said Spears Jones, a Head Start teacher. "It's not as bad as a lot of people may think."

But she understands the attention and admits that she might be more wide-eyed and critical if the shoe were on the other foot.

"If I saw someone with all these babies, I might wonder. But being that it is me, I understand. Maybe it's my positive attitude toward everything that keeps me so calm," she said. "We don't get mad as easy. Kids can test you sometimes. Even babies. But they don't understand — and we do."

On Tuesday afternoon, both parents were fully hands-on — and despite six children under 2, the room was calm, full of laughter and minimal tears. Ethan, one of the sons, cried for less than three minutes. His mom explained that he hadn't gotten a good nap earlier in the day. Ethan took a moment with his grandmother and returned to the fray, all smiles, playing on the floor with his brother within minutes.

The calmness of the family's dynamics and lifestyle, despite the overwhelming demands, is more remarkable than the odds of having six babies in less than two years.

"We get that a lot," Spears Jones said. "People are shocked that they are so calm."

Spears Jones is running things like a day care, something she knows well, thanks to her mom. The youngest twins sleep and eat. The other two sets of twins laugh, babble, chew on things they shouldn't and enjoy themselves.

Davis runs her own in-home day care in another room in the home. Spears Jones has helped her mother take care of other people's children for years. Davis admits that this last month has required all hands on deck.

"It's been rough, but we are making it," Davis said. "I have 15 grandkids, four kids. Courtney has the most — and she's the youngest."

Davis, who has more than 20 years experience working in child care, isn't surprised her daughter's children are, in the relative sense, easy to manage.

"Why are the kids so well behaved? Cause I'm their Mawmaw," Davis said. "I didn't play with my mama. Courtney didn't play with me. Those kids aren't going to play with her."

Jones agrees that his wife's patience and approach to parenting account for the near-tranquil state of his children, but he acknowledges that patience and hard work are priorities for him, too.

"These children didn't ask to be here," he said. "We made the decision for them. We've got to do right by them. Whatever I've got to do for them, I'll do it."

Both parents (and the grandmother too) are excited about the upcoming move into their own home this weekend.

"Can't wait," Jones said. "Can't wait to get to them on a normal routine. We've been living with my mother-in-law a month. Our lease was coming up and the house next door to her became available."

Spears Jones said she doesn't have a consistent sleep schedule, especially with the third and newest set of twins. In what seemed like a complicated mathematical formula, she tried to explain everyone's sleeping, waking and feeding schedule.

Despite the logistical wizardry required to manage her family's schedules, she said she has no idea how they make do with their financial budget — especially considering all the diapers and formula they now use. Both parents view the fact that four of their seven children wear size 5 diapers as a bonus.

"When we order, we order in bulk. We try to get as much as we can. Before those run out, we order more," she said.

Another detail they've still not figured out is how to transport the nine-person family in one trip — they have to make two.

"The car is another challenge," Jones said. "There aren't many vehicles that will fit nine people."

Even so, both parents want people to understand that their lives are fun.

"It's not as bad as other people think it is," Spears Jones said. "They're like, 'You need to give your body time to heal.' That isn't the way things worked out for us — and we don't regret it. We love it. We're happy about it. It's a blessing. God wanted me to have all these kids and he wanted me to have them when he wanted me to have them — and that's exactly what happened."

Despite all the responsibility, Jones said he approaches life with an open heart and arms — and lots of sippy cups.

"His pockets are made for cups and bottles," Spears Jones said, as her husband scooped up a toddler with one hand and put a pacifier in the mouth of a 4-week-old.

While Spears Jones sat and fed one baby after another, Jones quietly moved around their temporary one-room headquarters, from one child to the next, sometimes tending to two, or even three, at once.

"I still feel young until I get off a long day's work and am running around with them," Jones said with a smile, glancing at his wife. She smiled back.

The couple were high school sweethearts at Baker High. Spears Jones, according to all sources, was a good student. English was her favorite subject. She loves words and talking through the situation, focusing on the joy and fun while finding the beauty. Jones was an athlete. At 5 feet 8 inches, he played football and basketball. He was a linebacker and running back. He scored a couple of touchdowns but preferred defense.

"I know that there is a stereotype of the absent African-American father," Spears Jones said. "But for him, it's different. He was raised by his mom and grandmother. He saw what his mom went through. I know he wanted things to be different for his own kids. He's definitely living up to that."

Jones said he knows about the stereotype.

"But I don't pay it no mind. Every man is his own man," he said. "If they choose to not be in their children's lives, that's a decision they have to live with, but that's a decision I couldn't live with."

He said when he was growing up, he watched his nephews and nieces often.

"I made sure when I had my own kids I was going to give them all the attention I could," he said. "I'm going to go to all the games and all the school events. I'm going to be there."

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