Author Archives: Ashley

Identical Identity

Posted on by
10

My identical twin boys are now 22 months. It has been in the last few months that we have really begun to see their verbal language develop. I have always loved this stage of development as you can begin to see what is going on in the minds of your children.

It seems to me that both A and J have a good sense of who they are as individuals. They both respond to their names being called and will also call each other by name. Recently, there was something that made me wonder how much they do actually know about their individuality. J was looking in the mirror and pointed to his reflection and called himself by A’s name. He did this several times and then would turn around to see A and point again and call him by name. I thought this was a little strange until it happened again the other day. We were outside and J caught his reflection in my sunglasses. Again, he pointed to his reflection and called himself by A’s name.

Having no experience with identical twins before these two came along, it made me wonder if this is a process that all identical twins go through. I had three singletons before the twins and so far, I haven’t really observed anything different about having twins up to this point. I have heard about twin behavior and am wondering if this is my first taste of it.

For you Mom’s of identical twins, what has your experience been with this development?

Ashley is a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mom to five kids aged 6 and under. She loves her busy, chaotic, and always unexpected days!

The Great Bed Transfer

Posted on by
16

When my identical twin boys were born, we brought them home to sleep in cute little bassinets. Our three bedroom home had no room for cribs and they were happy and content.

{I still can’t believe they both fit in one!}
After a few months we moved them each into their own playpen because they had more room and they weren’t able to keep the other awake with their movements. (Sounds never have been a problem for each other.)
We moved to a new home when the boys were 5 months and although they were growing rapidly we kept them in their playpens because we figured time would go fast and there was no point in purchasing cribs when we already have toddler beds waiting for them. If they were anything like our other three children, they would be transferring to those at a pretty young age.
The problem with this plan is that I cannot imagine two toddlers having free reign of their room at night. It is crucial that these little boys stay restrained for as long as possible.
Our plan also became flawed when the boys began thrashing their heavy strong bodies against the playpen to break both of them! They would also pull at the playpen bottoms and throw them out, leaving their bodies to find comfort against the hard, metal railings. This began becoming a common occurance and I was heading into their rooms several times a night to fix their beds. Then they stopped napping………something needed to happen!
Three months ago, when the boys were 16 months, we finally decided to purchase two new cribs. They love them. They are sleeping better and my only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner!
I quiver at the thought of moving these two active boys into toddler beds.
What age were your twins when you transferred them?
Any tips to make the transfer easier?
{Ashley is a homeschooling Mom to 5 kids ages 6 and under.  Her days are busy, chaotic and loads of fun!}















Blissfully unaware?

Posted on by
9

(My name is Ashley and I am a homeschooling Mom to 5 kids aged 6, 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and 14 month old identical twin boys.)

I recently heard of a friend’s twin pregnancy and I was flooded with memories of my own twin pregnancy.  14 months ago I was 75 pounds heavier, full of water, sore back, sore rib, and very obviously pregnant with twins.  The twin pregnancy wasn’t always this obvious.  I spent the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy blissfully unaware.  In hind sight I believe that being unaware had it’s benefits.

I had an early ultrasound at 6 weeks that confirmed one healthy baby.  Looking back there were clues that I was carrying two babies but all the symptoms could easily be explained.  I was exhausted……..but I had a 1, 3, and 4 year old and was still nursing.  I was extremely sick………but I never felt well during pregnancies and also had little ones to be chasing after.  I gained 25 lbs in first trimester and looked bigger than previous pregnancies………but I was pregnant for the 4th time and used food as a way to settle my constantly upset stomach.

At 20 weeks I showed up for my mid-point ultrasound excited but a little nervous.  I was hoping for a healthy baby.  I can still remember the surreal feelings of looking at the ultrasound monitor with two babies and hearing the gasp of the ultrasound tech.  My poor husband was left in the waiting room for over an hour wondering what was taking me so long, frantically trying to keep the younger three entertained by one bag of fruit snacks.  When they finally allowed him in the room he was speechless.  TWINS!  The thought had never even crossed our minds.  Even my Dr. was shocked and kept wondering if she had missed any clues.  I found it ironic that at my 18 week appointment I measured 18 weeks, however at my 22 week appointment, I was measuring 30.  Whatever clues my body hadn’t given away up until that point, it made sure to catch up quickly!  By 24 weeks I was the same size that I had been at the end of my previous pregnancy.

Here I am at 12 weeks and then 38 weeks.

Finding out about twins opened up a whole new world of worry.  Would I be able to carry full term?  Would there be health concerns for my babies?  For me?  How would I managed with 5 kids under 5?  The next few months passed in a blur with regular Dr.’s appointments and ultrasounds.  The Dr.’s suspected that I was pregnant with fraternal boys so I never gave much thought to conditions that are specific to identical pregnancies.  After the birth of the boys we discovered that I did have one placenta and that the boys had developed late stage twin to twin transfusion.  Baby A was 6 lbs 8 oz. and pale and sickly looking.  Baby B was 8 lbs 2 oz and bright red and swollen.  Again, by being unaware, I had been spared the worry of wondering about their outcomes.

Whether or not I went through my pregnancy with worry or peace, the reality is that my twin pregnancy holds a special place in my heart.  I got to experience two active, moving babies causing my stomach to appear unlike anything I had ever experienced prior.  I got to watch my stomach grow to proportions I hope it never grows to again.  Being pregnant with twins is special…. kind of like they are!

What was your experience of being pregnant with twins like?  Were you blissfully unaware or perhaps too realistically aware ?

 

A couple of things

Posted on by
3

13 months ago, when our identical twin boys joined our family and gave us five small children under the age of five, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to manage.  My mind would race at all the possibilities for disaster and I would glean ideas from other parents of multiples to try and find answers to all my questions.  Although it boggles my mind, I can attest that we made it and we’re thriving!  Yes, there are moments where I am at my wits end, chasing toddling monkeys, managing a mischievous toddler and also homeschooling school-aged children, but there is joy to be found amidst the chaos.  There are amazing memories being made and always opportunity for laughter.

I have also come to realize that I may have learned a couple of things along the way.  I thought I would share a few of these tidbits with you……

  1. Swings are a Mom’s best friend!  I could always be guaranteed that a baby would have at least one solid nap if  they were in the swing.
  2. Sleepers with zippers are a must.  I was never good at fumbling with buttons at 3am in the middle of the 6th diaper change of the night.
  3. Memorize the TV listings for the middle of the night feedings.  You need to be awake anyway, may as well enjoy it.
  4. When starting babies on solids, don’t worry about being neat, just be ready to bathe them when you are finished.  If you are short on time, just feed them in the bath.  This works too.
  5. A baby carrier is a must.  I love my Ergo and often have one of the twins, or the toddler carried safely on my back.
  6. When things feel overwhelming, wait five minutes.  It will get better!

I think my final little tid bit should be self explanatory and will prove to be very important.   My advice is, never, ever, leave twins alone in a room without a diaper on.  Ever.

Although, I wouldn’t know anything about this.

Would you?

What tid bits can you share?