How Having Twins is Easier Than Kids of Different Ages (Really!)

As I've said before, I often get asked how I do it with twins.  It's got to be so hard!  One baby is bad enough, right?  And of course twins are more work than a single baby (though I have been asked before if twins actually are more difficult than one...).  But once you have more than that?  I'm not convinced it's so bad.  Some of the realities of twins sure sound better than having an infant and a toddler...

1. They are on the same schedule.  (More or less.)  While it did take us a good 9-10 months to get to this point, (and believe me, I was completely envious of everyone with a single baby during that time), they've been on the same schedule for a good six months or so now.  Naps and bedtimes are the same for both, they sleep for about the same amount of time, their meals are the same, etc.  Many moms I know with a toddler and an infant struggle for them to be on somewhat of the same schedule (if they would only nap at the same time!), but that's not so much an issue for us anymore.
2. Activities accommodate them both.  Not only can they share (ha!) toys, but they attend the same activities.  They are in the same class at "school", the same nursery room at church, the same story time at the library, and when they are a little older they will be able to participate in co-ed activities together (at least until they hit school age and things become more segregated/they find their own interests).  Related to #1 above, I also get to plan our schedule around a single set of nap and mealtimes, instead of accommodating a younger or older child as well.
3. Built-in playmate.  Sure they're not always going to want to play with each other, and they don't exactly play with each other yet (though they were in rare form the other night, as they actually played together the entire time I was cleaning up from dinner). But they will always have someone their own age readily available to play with.  My brother and I are five years apart, so when we played together I often had to modify or teach him my older kid games, or had to do something on his level.  Having a twin means they should frequently share the same skill level and interests.  Which brings us to...
4. Shared interests.  They like the same books, TV shows, and toys.  While, yes, it is virtually twice the amount of toys, (two each for birthdays, Christmas, just because the grandparents want to spoil them, etc.), we only have toys and books out right now that are geared towards their age level.  I actually packed up a bunch of infant toys the other day!  And I don't have to worry about them playing with something that is too young (which probably wouldn't hold their interest) or too old for them (i.e. something that is probably a choking hazard).
5. They develop at the same time.  One doctors appointment covers them both for their well-child visits (though, yes, Tyson always goes tags along to deal with two post-shot crying babies).  They are remarkably on track with one another development-wise, usually doing things within a week or just days of the other.  As parents, we help them work through and learn things simultaneously: they got to figure out rolling over, walking, and now talking together, which is pretty fun to be a part of.
6. Oh, and let's not forget: one pregnancy, two babies.  I had a relatively easy, uncomplicated pregnancy (especially as far as twin pregnancies go), and I still hated being pregnant (okay, hate is pretty strong here, but strongly disliked just doesn't sound quite convey my contempt enough).  Given that everything went so well, two babies out of one pregnancy and one time going into labor is a win in my book.

Of course, this is all going to go out the window once we add another baby to the mix.  Guess I'll enjoy it for now...

Post Weekend (and Last Week)

So ends a couple of fun-filled weeks with the grandparents.  It's fun when family comes to visit, of course, and our days are packed with activities.  Things that are probably a lot more fun with all the undivided attention to go around, instead of my usual very divided attention, what with all the active effort required when flying solo to keep both toddlers from killing themselves.

(That face.  You'd never be able to tell that he's having a blast.)

(The merry-go-round animals were quickly abandoned for the safer territory of the stationary bench.  $7.50 well spent!)

 

 

We love our visitors, especially of the grandparent variety.  And yet it's always nice to go back to the quiet of our regular routine.  Or, the semi-quiet of a sort-of routine life with two young toddlers.

Though sometimes we take a break from whatever sort of routine we have to do some dancing in the rain.

(Marching.)

Splash on.

Post (Father's Day) Weekend

I feel like I should have something significant to say about Father's Day, now that we have kids and all.

I don't.

We're lucky enough to have fathers, three of them (one daddy, two grandpas) (one grandpa who visited last week, one who will be coming this week), who are excited and invested and truly enjoy doing things with us.

Like reading us books:

Or going to the park for some giggles:

Splashing with us in the kiddie pool:

(Brooklyn's newest kick: saying "oh-oh-oh" while she purses her lips just so.)

Going on dates with us:

('Dat view, tho.)

Enjoying the animals with us at the zoo:

(And paying tribute to my alma mater.  Go Bears!)

Splashing with us some more, in the much BIGGER kiddie pool:

And splashing again, quite literally, at the splash pad (I guess the theme this weekend was water):

("Where did the water go?"  Every.  Single.  Time.  Totes adorbs.)

And not minding (much) when we spoil ourselves with a little treat (or, ahem, "fix"):

(Okay, that was kind of  a stretch, but yes I succumbed and ordered my first Stitch Fix, and yes, it was totally awesome.  If you want to get some of your own awesomeness, check out my referral link here.)

Caden, Brooklyn, and I really are lucky to have dads who are so excited and involved in our lives.  Everything from driving 4+ hours to see us to hanging by the pool once we get here. And to have a husband/dad who is excited to do the most mundane tasks together, like a trip to the grocery store.  Though, really, let's admit it, he goes there for the free samples.

(Just like the splash pad!  You might have thought that we went there for the kids, but, nope.  We went there by Tyson's request.  Just like you might think I have two kids, but, nope.  I have twins and one MUCH older one.  Maybe that's what makes him such a great dad.  :)  )

Sixteen Months

{Hug?}

{Or love tackle?}  {Both.}

Eat.  Three meals a day (7:30 am, 1:00ish pm, 5 pm) and 2 snacks (9:30/10 am and 3 pm). Caden remains a bit picky (ok, about a 1 on a pickiness scale from 1-10), Brooklyn still won't willingly touch a vegetable, but overall their eating is remarkably consistent.  Caden seems to have a time table when he eats (or for anything, really).  Once the clock hits a certain point, he is DONE.  Get me outta here!  Ten minutes might be about all this kid can sit still, even with a meal in front of him.  Brooklyn on the other hand will slowly and steadily plod her way through a meal, unconcerned that Caden has already been playing (and/or trying to steal the food off of her tray) for the past forty minutes.  She daintily eats until she's full, asking for more of certain things along the way, and doesn't care how long it takes.

Sleep.  Bedtime at 7 pm, sleep for 11-12 hours.  Nap at 11 am for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.  This was an excellent month for sleep!  Naps were very consistent, and sleeping at night was virtually no problem.  There were a few rough evenings in a row where Caden woke up about an hour after being put down, and was difficult to get back to sleep, but that didn't even last a full week.  If they (*ahem* Caden) wakes up at night, all we have to do is make sure there is a pacifier nearby and give him a sip (or several gulps) of water, and he settles right back down.

Play.  They love water!!!  Tub, kiddie pool, real pool, whatever.  Anything they can splash and play in.  They pour water on themselves, each other, Tyson and I (yeah, hilarious, guys), and don't mind getting their faces wet.  Caden goes right ahead and puts his whole face in the water...he has no fear!

Caden has also been doing better playing by himself.  He still wants a lot of direction/attention, but will also keep himself occupied in a way that he didn't before.  He continues to be my little helper, always handing me the groceries, laundry, or toys to put away.  Don't let this sweet and helpful facade fool you, though; Caden is also my daredevil. It doesn't take much for him to dive right into something.  He'll often take off right away when we are at a park or play area, immediately exploring whatever there is to do.

Brooklyn's vocabulary, what there is of it, seems to be improving.  She's copying sounds a lot, and does a pretty good job with "up", though we have to prompt her for it when she wants to be picked up or sat on a piece of furniture.  She tries to copy a lot of sounds, and often walks around just giggling.  Brooklyn likes to observe people and situations.  Where Caden takes off, she's more content to watch.  She seems to enjoy it, too, smiling and laughing and pointing at Caden and other kids as they play.  Eventually she will join in though, and be in there goofing around with the best of 'em.

In some ways their personalities are so similar (generally in good moods, have a sense of humor, etc.), and in other ways they are still so opposite.  The things that upset them are completely different.  Caden is very patient.  He will frequently sit and try to figure something out on his own, without asking for help.  Today he sat contentedly for a long time trying to put a lid on a container, and then took it back off again.  Brooklyn tried not long after, and it wasn't two seconds of struggling with the lid before she started to get frustrated.  Caden can fall over ten times in row and not be bothered, but if Brooklyn falls just once...ooohhhh look out.  On the flip side, Brooklyn does really well with redirection. If you tell her no or even shut a door that's off-limits (i.e. the bathroom) in her face, she'll go on and find something else to do like nothing happened.  However if Caden gets told that he can't have a snack that's on the counter, or can't go someplace he wants, he immediately lets you know that he is MAD.

{practicing that releve}

{How big is Caden, you might ask.}

{The answer, of course, is SO big.}

Have Little Kids? Summer is Awesome

I keep seeing blog posts about how summer is so terrible, the kids need to be entertained all the time, 973 ways to survive the summer, blah blah whiney-cakes.

And okay, I'll cut you all out there with school-age kids some slack.  It does have to kind of suck when the kids go from being in school for the better part of every weekday to being home 24/7.

But for us mamas of little ones out there: Summer.  Is.  AWESOME.  Our kids need to be entertained and taken care of already the whole year through, and NOW we have the addition of outside activites.  It's a summer miracle!  This makes it SO MUCH EASIER than the 236th day in a row of so...what can we do inside?  Again?

(Okay, at least for those of us in the cooler regions.  In my head all y'all in Cali-exas-orida get to go outside year-round, so maybe summer isn't quite the boon there that it is to the rest of us.)

Having the option to go outside makes all the difference when I'm trying to plan another thing to do to get us out of the house.  Here's a list of things that have been added to our weeks since the weather has warmed up (which here, means since it broke about 45 degrees):

• walks
• parks/playgrounds
• farmers markets
• the zoo
• our complex's pool
• our own kiddie pool
• the splash pad
• playing outside.  period.

Which is great, since this was basically our list when it was winter:

• Target
• the grocery store
• the mall
• grand tour of the city's libraries
• ...
• Target again?

Here's to summer!