What should you name your twins?

Posted on by
Reply

Figuring out one name for your baby is so difficult.  But with twins, you have to figure out two names!  No, wait, if you decide not to find out the sexes, you then have to figure out four names!!!  That is certainly a challenge.For privacy reasons, Joanna and I do not share the names of our twins on this blog, so I will not be giving you the real names we chose, however, I can tell you some of the things I considered when choosing names.

First of all, I only had to choose two names because we knew we were having a girl and a boy.  Once I was armed with that information, I read a lot of articles about naming twins and my husband and I began a list of names we like.

Here is some of the information I learned about the do’s and don’ts of naming twins:

  • Don’t choose names that rhyme:  It may sound cute now, but it won’t be cute when they are 13.
  • Don’t use names that can be used for either sex if you have boy/girl twins:  You may find it frustrating if people get confused whether your son’s name is Lee or your daughter’s name is Leigh.  Keep the level of confusion low by using more standard male/female names.
  • Don’t use similar names or names that start with the same letter:  If there isn’t a clear and distinct differentiation in the names, people don’t have a way to create a clear connection between the child’s name and face.  Again, you will end up having a lot of confusion about your children’s names.  No need for that :)
  • Don’t get cute and use famous name combos:  Over at “Dad’s Guide to Twins” he gives the example of Bonnie and Clyde or Luke and Leia.  Don’t make your children angry at you at such a young age!
  • Do try to create some connection in the names if you are able:  Both of my children’s names have a strong family connection.  There is a story behind where their names came from which I think they will enjoy when they are older.  One of my friend’s, who had twin boys, gave both of them the same middle name which is their father’s first name.  This gave the boys a subtle twin connection without creating identity challenges.
  • Do choose names you enjoy saying over and over and over again.  Come on!  You are going to have two one year olds running around :)

If you are looking for some twin name inspiration, you can check out the list of twin names on the social security website.

What do you think?  Do you agree with the “rules” above?

Twins on schedule {0-3 months}

Posted on by
Reply

Taking care of 2 newborns at the same time is very challenging. It can get stressful and chaotic.  The first 3 months of our babies lives were very difficult for us, but after that every month was easier and parenting twins became more fun.   Looking back at the first few months of our twins’ life, I realized that what really helped us was having a solid schedule and plan for the day.

After our babies were born, they were placed at the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). This is pretty common for twins since they are often born earlier than the singleton babies. Even though, I wished we were sent home right after the boys were born, I have to admit that the one benefit of being at the NICU is learning and getting used to the babies’ feeding and sleeping schedule. When we got home our boys were used to eating every 2.5-3 hours.

Our main challenge at this stage of our boys’ life was choosing the right formula. One of our boys seemed to be gassy and cried after every feeding (especially at night).  The other was crying during and after feedings and spit up his food quite often. We ended up using sensitive type of formula which helped a little.

As far as sleeping schedule was concerned… Wait a minute, sleeping? What sleeping? J  During the first few weeks of their life, our boys had serious night and day confusion and slept more during the day than at night. Their day naps were  also not very long, and combined with the frequent feeding schedule, it seemed like all we were doing was changing diapers, clothes, washing bottles, making bottles, feeding, burping, calming down two screaming babies and then …. Starting the same drill all over again. I know it sounds exhausting and it truly was. But it got better!

So here was our feeding schedule during the first 2 months of our twins’ life:

0-2 months schedule

6am – feeding: 2-3 oz.

9am – feeding:  2-3 oz.

12pm – feeding: 2-3 oz.

3pm – feeding: 2-3 oz.

6pm – feeding:  2-3 oz.

10pm – feeding: 2-3 oz.

2am – feeding: 2-3 oz.

4am – feeding: 2-3 oz.

 At 3 months the sleeping schedule (actually the lack of it) became the biggest challenge for us. The boys were still waking up about 3 times at night; usually to eat but also because they slept more during the day and I was too exhausted to keep them and myself more awake during the day hours.  One of our boys got diagnosed with acid reflux and was put on medicine. He loved to take the nasty tasting meds but unfortunately they did not seem to help him a lot. Poor little guy was very uncomfortable and was crying a lot. We were trying anything we could to help him calm down. It was heartbreaking. We pretty much forgot what sleep was …

Here is our schedule at 3 months:

3 months schedule

6am – feeding:  4 oz.

9am – feeding:  4 oz.

12pm – feeding:  4 oz.

3pm – feeding:  4 oz.

6pm – feeding:  4 oz.

11pm – feeding:  4 oz.

3am – feeding:  4 oz.

What was your schedule during the first 3 months of parenting twins?

Joanna

What do you need to get 2 of for twins?

Posted on by
Reply

This is one of the most common questions that future moms of twins are asking while getting ready for the arrival of their babies.  When I was pregnant with twins I didn’t know anybody whom I could ask this question so I learned on my own good and bad choices.  Now I can try to help you by sharing my lessons learned:

So what common baby items you may want to buy in double quantities for twins?

2 car seats (obviously!)

2 cribs – even though you could probably start with just one crib and have both babies sleep together for the first few months of their lives, but eventually you will need two cribs for babies’ safety and comfort.

2 bouncy seats – this is based on my personal experience. These seats are so convenient. I can’t imagine surviving the first few months of babies’ lives without them.

2 Boppy pillows – again this is just based on my experience. I used Boppy pillows for nap times, bottle feedings, and later for back support while my boys were learning how to seat.

2 high chairs or booster seats

2 bassinets for the pack and play. I wrote about this combo in my earlier post.

2 bottle drying racks and double the amount of bottles if you are considering bottle feeding. Having more bottles allows you to avoid washing them right after every feeding. Trust me, there will be times when you won’t have the energy to get yourself a glass of water so having an extra set of clean bottles will be a gift from heaven :)

2 bath towels

2 X the amount of diapers recommended for the single baby

2 X the amount of formula recommended for the single baby – if you are planning to use it.

Lots of clothes, burp clothes, bibs, blankets etc – I personally think it is a good idea to have enough so you won’t have to do the laundry every day. You will be busy taking care of the babies and it will feel like a luxury not to have to do laundry every day.

Here are some common items that in my opinion you can start with just one and get additional quantities if necessary:

1 swing – some parents recommend getting two from the get go. We also started with two but after realizing that neither of my twins was interested in them I think we would have been just fine with one swing.

1 Pack and play – you probably won’t need two right away, but if you are planning to travel often it may be a good idea to get a second one when the babies get bigger and will need their own sleep space.

1 Bumbo seat

1 baby play mat – both babies can fit on one mat

1 Jumperoo, 1 exersaucer,  1 walker – you can rotate your babies for more variety and fun

1 baby bathtub

1 changing table

1 double stroller

What items would you recommend getting 2 or 1 of for twins?

Joanna

My must have items for twins (9-14 months)

Posted on by
Reply

It is amazing to watch my twins grow and develop new skills almost every day.  9-14 months was the time when my boys were especially active.  They took their first independent steps at 11 months and have been nonstop moving ever since. In fact, recently they added running to their skill sets and now we are all chasing each other around the house.

Between 9 and 14 months I found the following 5 items to be especially useful for us and the twins:

First walker shoes – I have been looking for the perfect shoes for my little guys for a long time. Like I mentioned above, my twins started to walk at 11 months. They first started walking inside only and were wearing anti-slip socks. When the weather got warmer I realized that we needed a pair of shoes for each one of them to be able to walk outside of the house. If you read my previous posts you probably realized that I am big at saving money in any way I can. Well, when it comes to buying their first shoes, I had different priorities. I know that at this age kids grow out if shoes very quickly but I also believe that since their feet are in the process of growing and developing they need the right pair of shoes to support that growth. So after researching different brands that offer first walking shoes I decided to buy 2 pairs of Pediped shoes. We are very happy with this choice. The boys love to wear them. The flexible soles made it easy to transition from socks to shoes. Velcro closure makes it easy to put on and take off. Shoes look very comfortable and well made. And they are super cute on my boys little feet. Well, not that little, at 14 moths they are wearing size 5.5.

Gates and play pan – in my opinion these are must have safety items for twins. When your little ones become active you will suddenly realize that they are zooming around the house with the speed of light and it is becoming impossible to watch them both at the same time. The only way to contain active toddler twins when you are home alone is to close off some rooms with the safety gate or have the twins play in the play pan. We used a play pan until the boys started to walk. We still often use the safety gate when we want the boys to stay in one room for a while. 

Outdoor swing – My boys love to be in the swing. They laugh and smile almost the entire time when they are swinging. Last fall we only had one swing for them and it was perfectly enough but this spring we are planning to purchase a little swing set with a slide. The slide is also very popular among my boys.

Sleep Sacks – we started using sleep sacks when the twins became too big to be swaddled. We had light cotton sleep sacks for the summer time and nice fleece ones for the colder months.  My boys seem to like them a lot and putting them on became part of our bedtime routine.  I think sleeps sacks are a perfect solution to blankets.  Not only for safety reasons, but also to keep the little guys warm all night long (they can’t kick them off).

Booster seats – booster seats or high chairs are must have items for babies who start eating solid foods and for toddlers learning to self-feed.  We decided to get booster seats to save some space in our dining area.  They are also easy to fold and take “to go” when you are travelling or going to friend’s house for dinner.

What is your list of top 5 items for twins age 9-14 months?

Joanna

Favorite Toys {6-9 months}

Posted on by
2

Wouldn’t you love for your job to be to play with toys all day?  Well for our babies, that is their job and boy are they good at it.  What is challenging as a first time mom (and a mom with limited house space) is to figure out what toys your child will enjoy playing with at each age without breaking the bank or overloading your house with STUFF.

I thought it might be helpful to write down Sparkles’ and Bruisers’ top list for fun toys.

7.  Teething rings:  Though they aren’t sporting any teeth quite yet, they still love to chew and chew and chew.

Nuby Funkeys Teether (Ages 3M+)

6.  Mirrors:  Maybe my kids are really vain, but the LOVE looking at themselves in the mirror.  I have a few kid safe versions that they like to play with.

Sassy Crib and Floor Mirror

5.  Rattle:  They seem to love anything they can shake to make noise.  I especially liked this one because supposedly the black and white coloring is very interesting to infants.

Sassy Rattlin Ring, Blue /Black

4.  Stroller Toys:  Fun toys to hang from their stroller seems to keep then entertained when we are on the go.

Product Details

3.  Play gym:  This toy can be used starting at the newborn stage and my kids are still enjoying it at 8 months.

Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends Play Gym

2.  Exersaucer:  Sometimes I wish I had two of these, but I just don’t have the space for two.  We like to call it their office {I think I stole that line from my sister-in-law} but the kids really look like they are trying to get some important work done while hanging out in the “office”.  Making phone calls shaking a rattle, playing music, looking at themselves in the mirror . . . it’s all in a day’s work.  This toy is also great, because I can pop into the other room for a second and not worry that they are going to fall and bop their head while I’m gone.

Evenflo Splash Mega Exersaucer

1.  Activity table:  We just picked up this gem through a mom’s club connection.  Maybe it is the new factor, but these kiddos are loving playing with the activity table.  Once your babies are pulling themselves up on everything, this is a good toy to have.

LeapFrog Learn & Groove™ Musical Table

What are your kid’s favorite toys?