Mad About Multiples!

Twin Connections

My name is Debbie LaChusa and I am a 46-year-old fraternal twin. My twin sister, Valerie, and I have a twin connection that I've never been able to explain.  There are so many parallels in our lives; too many to be mere coincidence.  I can't tell you how many times I have been thinking about calling her, when the phone has rung and it was her on the other end.  We seem to have that extra sense that makes this kind of thing happen all the time. All of these strange connections and our special "extra sense" are only a part of the special bond we share. Although, I'll admit it wasn't always that way.

A rose by any other name...

When I was pregnant with my first set of twins, I bought every known how-to book on parenting twins out there.  And there are lots of them!  Some of the advice was somewhat off-putting.  I remember reading that this one mom of twins affixed a sign to her stroller saying, "Yes, they are twins. No, they're not identical."  In other words, "Bug off, nosy stranger!"  I just could never imagine being so annoyed by the sweet attention of strangers.  In fact, I absolutely love it when strangers come up to me and ask if my boys are twins.  Since my "older" daughter is only 19 months senior to the boys, we even get the "Are they triplets" question.  Of course, there aren't very many witty responses to "Boy, you have your hands full," but I just gamely nod assent and say perkily, "We sure do!"  In other words, we do have our hands full, but I so love having these three little monkeys, that I'm going to stay perky and willingly bask in the attention of strangers.  It's just plain fun.  One time we were ambling with our triple-wide stroller in the Rose Garden park and there was a group of Japanese tourists that were all a-twitter over our trio.  Many of them even took our photos, which made me feel like a rock star mommy!

Anyway, I'm digressing.  The main subject of this post was on the topic of what we call Dane and Logan.  Every book I read stressed the importance of not lumping your children into a two-word moniker, such as "the boys" or "the twins."  This is considered verboten among those dogmatic twin experts.  They are not one person, they say.  They have their own names.  Well, I have to admit that 9 times out of 10, we call Dane and Logan "the boys."  I talked in a prior post about how twins do experience life a bit differently than singletons.  The early life of a twin child is not a solitary existence.  They do virtually everything together.  Look at the last post!  They were gently touching hands while they slept.  This is one of the reasons that they are lumped together with the term, "the boys."  Also, we are just so busy that this helps us say what we want to say and fast.  Believe it or not, having to say "DaneandLogan" (4 syllables) is much longer and thus less efficient than "theboys" (two syllables).  Does that sound ridiculous?  Well, in the chaotic world of twins plus a singleton, cutting out two syllables can make a huge difference.  We're all about simplifying life here.

Staying sane with schedules at the October New & Expectant Parent Meeting

Michelle O., one of Gemini Crickets' fantastic New and Expectant Parent Liaisons, joins us today to talk about our October New & Expectant Parents Meeting on Schedules and our upcoming New & Expectant Parents meeting on Fitness and Nutrition this Wednesday, November 19th (tomorrow!).

On October 9th, thirty-five parents of multiples attended Gemini Crickets' New and Expectant Parent (NEP) meeting to talk about methods of getting multiples on a schedule, with the goal of adding a bit of sanity and consistency to family life.  Three of our NEP liaisons—Xochitl Orona, Karen Herrick and Michele Seaton—briefly reviewed the various philosophies about and approaches to scheduling, including Babywise, The Baby Whisperer, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and Mothering Multiples.  The presenters wanted to leave much of the time for questions and there were many.  The main topic of interest: Sleep!  It’s the holy grail of parents of newborns, particularly parents of multiples.  Parents wanted to know when they could expect their babies to nap longer and when they would sleep through the night.  One woman’s babies were sleeping well at night but napping in only 20 minute increments, and she questioned whether tinkering with the daytime sleep would mess up the good thing she had going at night.  One couple’s daughters were almost there and were wondering how to get the girls from needing a two ounce bottle to get them through the night.  There were more questions than there was time.  There was a lot of back and forth with the presenters, who offered as much personal advise as possible and referred parents to Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child as their favorite sleep reference.  In terms of scheduling, attendees left with a list of tips (happily borrowed from last year’s NEP liaisons).   There is a strong possibility that a future NEP meeting will be devoted to sleep.  We’ll keep you posted.

The topic of the November meeting - coming up tomorrow, Wednesday November 19th, is Fitness and Nutrition (click here for all the details).  Just in time for Thanksgiving!  But seriously, we all know how important good nutrition is both pre- and post-birth, but we also know how hard it is to find the time to focus on mom with newborns around.  Gemini Cricket’s Toni Bloom, a nutritionist and registered dietician, has provided some wonderful handouts for the meeting.  Christy Li will be discussing and demoing some Pi-Yo Play mommy and baby exercises.  And NEP liaison Christine Green will be providing information about StrollerPower.  Blendz is donating yummy food. Be sure to join us! Babies are always welcome, as are prospective Gemini Crickets members.

What to Look For When Purchasing a Mobile: Guest Post by Elaine Farber, Baby Nurse

Please welcome our Guest Contributor, Elaine Farber, Newborn/Specialist/Consultant and author of Baby Lists: What to Do and What to Get to Prepare for Baby, who joins us today to lend a hand in finding and interviewing a nanny. (Elaine also gave us advice on finding and interviewing a pediatrician back in August and finding and interviewing a nanny in October.)

Newborns spend most of the time in their crib. Babies need some stimulation during the day, and mobiles are their first form of entertainment.  Soothing music and soft glowing lights are ideal for calming baby in her crib at night. Between six and eight weeks of age babies are ready for a mobile.  A mobile offers baby a close-up view of bright objects and friendly creatures that move to the sound of soothing music and dancing lights. A battery-operated mobile will run as long as you like; there’s no winding to be bothered with every two minutes. A remote control mobile means that mom or dad can stop or start the mobile’s motion with the click of a button.  When you get tired of the music, simply push the button or use the remote control to turn it off. Some mobiles can even be activated by your baby’s own voice.  When you’re purchasing a mobile for your child’s crib consider colors and dimensionality. Hold the mobile up for inspection. Get underneath the mobile and look at it from the baby’s point of view. Two-dimensional mobiles can be harder for babies to see than mobiles with three-dimensional qualities. With many flat, two-dimensional mobiles the objects seem to disappear when you look from the baby’s angle. The best mobiles are three-dimensional, in which case the toys stand out. Many mobiles also play music. Listening to the tunes available will help you decide between similar mobiles.

If you are having a single baby one mobile is all you need.  If you are having twins and

Being a Self-Centered Mom - Join us for our General Meeting on Wednesday, November 19th at 7:30pm

**In the spirit of being "self-centered" let's all meet for a drink after the general meeting at Rock Bottom Brewery in Campbell at the Pruneyard!

"The Self Centered Coach" Julie Van De Wyngaerde, Founder and CEO of Self Centered Moms, helps moms be supported, expressed, loved and fulfilled for the benefit of their families. Julie's presentation focuses on helping moms:

• Stop feeling overwhelmed in the role of mother
• Take more time for themselves without feeling guilty
• Learn where to get more support
• Speak up and ask for what they want
• Have the love they want and need
• Be fulfilled as a mother and in all areas of their life

This event is for all members of Gemini Crickets. Prospective members and babies (under 1 yr old only please) are always welcome! Dinner will be served, so please RSVP via our group on Big Tent.

Wednesday, Nov 19 at 7:30pm
Saratoga Library
13650 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 867-6126

Read more about Gemini Crickets General Meetings here.

Original Mad About Multiples post. Learn more about membership with Gemini Crickets Parents of Multiples of Silicon Valley here.

Join us for the New & Expectant Parents Meeting on Pre- and Post-Natal Fitness and Nutrition - Wednesday November 19th at 6:15pm

Looking for your pre-babies body??? Come join us for an information packed meeting on nutrition and fitness and how to fit it all into our busy lives!    

Our speakers for the evening are:

- Kelly Cornell, who has a B.S. degree in Nutrition and Food Science, and is currently a graduate student working toward her M.S. degree in Holistic Nutrition and certification in Holistic Health Counseling. She plans to begin her health counseling practice early next year. Kelly is a mother to four kids, including 15-year old twins, and has been a health and fitness advocate for more than 20 years.

- Christine Green, one of our NEP Liasons and Mom to 20-month old twins, will discuss her experience with StrollerPower, a local exercise class that allows you to enjoy a workout with your babies in tow!

- Christy Li, from Pi-Yo Play, is a personal trainer who focuses on pre and post-natal fitness. She will discuss and demonstrate her top 15 pre-natal and top 15 post-natal exercises. She will also lead a mini-session of her Pi-Yo Play Mommy & Baby class. So bring your babies! Also, please feel free to bring your exercise bands or tubing so you can join in on the Top 15 exercises and so Christy can check your form.

****We will be serving a healthy dinner courtesy of Blendz.  Yum!****

This event is for expecting and new parents (with babies under about 1 year old). Prospective members and babies are always welcome! Dinner will be served.

Wednesday, Nov 19 at 6:15pm
Saratoga Library
13650 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 867-6126

Read more about Gemini Crickets New & Expectant Parents Meetings here.

Original Mad About Multiples post. Learn more about membership with Gemini Crickets Parents of Multiples of Silicon Valley here.

Halloween Party at Themefest

The annual Gemini Crickets Parents of Multiples Halloween party is always an amusing event. A colorful blur of about 90 costumed kids (plus their parents) filled the party venue at San Jose's Themefest. Orange pumpkins clung like vines to their mothers, black cats accessorized in neon pink and a couple of Little Red Riding Hoods cut a rug on the dance floor like you woudn't believe. T  n 1 and Th 2 (Thing 1 and Thing 2) thought it would be fun to pick away at the lettering on their shirts, leaving people to guess what they were, like a game of Wheel of Fortune. Buzz Lightyear worked the room at rocket speed. Who knew he liked to play Pacman, sing karaoke, wolf down cupcakes and sail aboard pirate ships? The guy was everywhere.

Twins at the Pumpkin Patch

Oh how I love Autumn and children. There's something special about Fall colors and kids running around a pumpkin patch. Each year, I try to put aside a day for my twin girls and a pumpkin patch, such as Lemos Farm. This year, I thought what fun it would be to go along on a Gemini Crickets field trip to Spina Farms and take photos of several sets of twins running around a pumpkin field. I'm sure I'm not the only mommy that thinks there isn't much cuter than little tots, barely taller than the pumpkins themselves, wandering around rows of the orange fruit awed by the mere sight of so many in one spot.