Sunday, June 24, 2012

Raising Twins { Part 2 }

A lot has changed since I wrote my last post about raising twins. I no longer have infant twins, they are now TODDLERS! Where has the time gone? Here are the things I found helpful in the last 6 months :)



Some of the toys my boys loved from 7 months to a year included the Lion that they were able to sit or stand and play with. 


They love any and all balls! They especially love their ball pit. They would throw the balls out, flip it over, and have hours of fun.




They love their activity table and push it around the living room. My boys love music and this plays all kinds of music!


The boys LOVED to jump, so Jumperoos were a MUST! 


Making their baby food was the smartest decision I have ever made. It was easier than I ever imagined. I hate to cook. HATE IT. I never thought I would be making their baby food. I bought a Baby Bullet and it was perfect. I made all of their baby food. It was incredibly cheap and healthy. Hint, the best time to make bananas is right when they turn ripe. This makes them nice and thick! I bought containers here to freeze the food in. I would use it all within a week. I made their food every Sunday for the week, and it worked out perfect. Each banana fills 2 to 3 of the containers. Easy and saves $, count me in ;)


Bath time was becoming an issue because the boys were able to scoot. I always preferred to bathe my boys at the same time. I purchased the bath seat here! It was perfect, and I used site-to-store shipping which is free. The boys were able to sit up and they could play. I drain the water, and take one baby out. I wrap him in a towel and set him down. I wrap the other baby in a towel and take both boys into the nursery. Has one boy peed on the carpet while I am putting a diaper on his brother? Absolutely ;)


{edit: they have recalled these seats due to parents leaving their infants alone in the bathroom! If you would still like to purchase they are available on eBay! I've had several fellow twin moms purchase them from there because they are a God Send with twins!}


Hunter and Drake playing in their bath seats!

We were able to set up a bedtime routine at around 10 weeks that we are still using at 14 months. The boys get a bath around 7:30 or 8 PM. They get lotion from head to toe, pajamas, a bottle, and go to bed awake. They have a music projector in their bedroom that we turn on at all times when they are going to sleep. We are in the process of phasing out their night time bottle. They are doing well with it. 


Nap time has never been an issue for us. When the boys begin to show sign of being fussy. We lay them down with their music player on, and they go to sleep. The boys rarely cry when they are going to sleep. Do they cry sometimes? Absolutely. If it lasts longer than 10 minutes I go in and pick whoever is upset up. I hold him for a minute and soothe him. I then lay him back down and he goes to sleep.


I was SO ready to transition from infant carriers to convertible car seats. We switched on their 1st Birthday. I am keeping them rear facing, so it took me a while to pick the car seat. The boys had to forward face on our trip to Florida for a week due to the amount of space in the car. They did great going back to rear-facing when we returned! Thank goodness! :) I ABSOLUTELY love the car seat I chose. It looks so safe, and keeps their heads up when they fall asleep! It was the highest rated on Consumer Reports and the only one they recommended. It is the Graco MyRide 65 LX and I found mine here at Wal-Mart. I ran into issues the first time I wanted to take them somewhere alone. The boys were able to walk, so how would I load them both safely? The first time I went to unload them alone, I set them both on the driveway and they took off for the road. Absolutely terrifying! So, I now unload one boy. Carry him to the other side of the car and set him in the floor board. I unbuckle his brother. I then pick both boys up and we head inside. It has been working perfect!



Drake 


Hunter

They are really enjoying some of their toys that they previously showed no interest in. I was forwarded a blog recently that showed toys that 12 to 18 month old toddlers need for their development. Everyone is very aware that my home looks like Toys R Us! We have been blessed with a million toys. I was pleased to know everything on the list was in my home. The list included blocks and we have the Mega block table! My boys love that table and are starting to stack blocks often. It also listed having stackable boxes and we have these and the boys LOVE them. Watching them figure out which box can fit in which is amazing! Books with flaps was on the list and we were given these at their birthday party! They enjoy playing with books, but do not fully understand the flaps yet. The boys have an alligator that they can stack blocks on and they play with it often. They cannot stand for the block to stay on the alligator, of course ;) 


The snack that has been a lifesaver for us is Mum Mums. They come in a pack of 2, and make NO mess. I can give each boy one and it keeps them quiet. Perfect for in the stroller, in a restaurant, etc.




I could have never known the journey I was being given when my Dr. said I was having twins. It has been absolutely amazing. Easier than I ever could have imagined. More fun than I could have ever dreamed. 

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