Life with twins 3

[GibberingGinger]

Like some sort of film sequel, or a royal dynasty, welcome to Life with twins III, a thread for general discussions and sharing experiences of having (or expecting) twins.

Oh ALL - don't worry about the Downton reference... I watched the first series but not the second yet, and couldn't/didn't even remember the main character's name. I think it's a LOVELY name and very timeless.

Re. your DS's tantrums/hitting the side of the cot - I think it's a good tactic to say that he has to stop it, actually. They're starting to be of an age where they WILL understand you. Remember a few weeks back I was at the end of my tether with the girls not wanting to get in the car? I had a meltdown one morning and lectured them very sternly and crossly all the way to nursery about how it was NOT acceptable for them to behave that way and that I wasn't going to have it. Was embarrassed afterwards at 'telling them off' like that but - they haven't actually done it since. We have the odd little grumble, but nothing like it was...

I need to do a namechange but can't think of anything. Typical.

Yes I have started telling them off a bit too, it seems to be working so far. Think it was after Lottie said she had been in and roared at them (obviously not, I'm using poetic license) she wasn't having it and to lie down and go to sleep - have done similar twice now and they have complied.

I was actually nervous about picking them up from nursery yesterday in case M had savaged any of her peers but happily not. Jeez they have to go in fancy dress tomorrow for children in need - we've cadged off friends and managed to muster a Wonderwoman outfit for M which is a good 6months too small and bulges menacingly at the crotch, and a sort of spidery halloween outfit for R which involves a big pouchy black prosthetic stomach and a weird headpiece. Bagsy not taking them in the morning......

Ugh, you poor thing with the fancy dress tarti. Can I confess to having a personal hatred of fancy dress, not just for adults but also hate all those pumpkin outfits etc people put their babies in. (Apologies to anyone who does this.) So far I have been a resolute party pooper at all such occasions but know that sometime soon I'm going to have to get a sense of humour cave and get them togged up for something. Glad to hear there were no further bad reports anyway...

PS: Fancy dress pics on FB please....

I never do it either, hence having to beg borrow and steal the aforementioned ill fitting items. I did take some pics during try on tonight but they look rather, ahem, special so not sure they will make it to the public domain...

Am racking brains to think of a new name for you...

ALL how you doing? x

aaagh for fancy dress tarti. Why do all nurseries persist in doing this? I was always rubbish and forgetful and poor Cecily was never wearing the right thing on the right day.

My little munchkin daughter's 3rd birthday today - how time has flown!
Had a lovely day working from home which included a family meal out at a local Italian restaurant with DP, DTs and my parents too + nanny. Loads of fun.
PS - sorry for persistent absenteeism here.

LL - why are you being stalked? and what's going on with TW house??

Sounds lovely MM. Not much to say about the stalking except that it was a certain somebody who got very annoyed at my mentioning the girls' real names online

tarti - hope the girls got off okay this morning in their outfits. Agree with MM - why do nurseries insist on doing this?? Our only experience of similar was on holiday when the childcare place asked us to pack fancy dress outfits for the girls last day there when they would have a party. I had NOTHING apart from a couple of frilly pink ballet skirts, and even then I didn't put them in their bags on the day because I had nothing to go with it and I thought they'd look stupid.

All going well here this week so far. MM looks like we're not putting an offer in on my dream the house... DH got cold feet about trying to do it all at once. He's probably right but a bit gutting because so far I just haven't seen anything I like anywhere near as much. It's still on the market although their 'deadline for offers' expires in a week... wonder what they'll do if it hasn't gone by that point? They did - apparently - have an offer from a friend which they rejected; guess they'll accept that if they have to.

Am loosing my rag with J. He has started throwing food at mealtimes and although I know it's just another phase it infuriates me like nothing else. Not sure why it makes me so mad, and in the grand scheme of things not worth going bananas over, it't not like he is running away from me onto the road or anything dangerous (not that the boy is even walking yet - that's a whole other whinge) It just riles me like nothing else!

Anyway rant over - can you tell I've just finished dinner with them! Hope all well with everyone, especially baby ALL

Urgh GG throwing food really winds me up too. Big sympathy to you. We have had major tantrums today from both, if it makes you feel better! And the hitting (R) and biting (M) continues... although there have been some lovely moments too such as a little pretend tea party they had with each other at their new mini table - which lasted AN HOUR with both playing happily. Unprecedented.

Wow I really need to get organised for Christmas, have only got DH's present so far. Am not massively enjoying having to come up with present ideas for everyone else to get the girls (and for us too actually) - although actually IAB totally U as I would be whinging if people went off-piste and got crap for them. God I sound like scrooge.

DH away for half the week this week, again. At least it means I can get serious about the diet again - pounds are creeping on here.

How is everyone else?

We've only just survived our first week as a family of 5! Reckon I've been running on hormones most of the time cos I only managed up to 2 hours sleep per night until last night. DD is fab but has days / nights mixed up. She just feeds, sleeps & looks around & v rarely cries - a bit of a revelation really but I keep telling myself it could all change in the blink of an eye. She really objects to being put down to sleep so I've decided we're co-sleeping for the sake of my sanity. I was getting really worried about having the 3 of them on my own when dp goes back to work, but I think that was the fog of exhaustion. Could have cried the other day when I was pinned to the sofa feeding dd while reading with ds2 & the TV switched off (is on timer) with the remote safely out of reach, and then ds1 whipped off his nappy and peed on the floor and then proceeded to play a version of swingball with the toys on the playmat while dd was there & I was cleaning up. & of course he finds it hilarious to be told off & sees it as a challenge to continue doing the same. I found myself getting really annoyed with him & then with myself...

Ds2 has been ill again - he did a good job of throwing up all over both boys just as we were putting them to bed the other night & has been really off since then. & we had a night from hell with them on Friday night. We're thinking they're prob feeling a bit insecure with dd's arrival even though they seem ok so we're going to give them a bit of time before getting tough....

Had the ILs down this weekend to meet dd. Was lovely, but interspersed with the usual criticisms of our arrangements and revisiting the joy of breastfeeding in the presence of FIL, who finds it totally uncomfortable thanks dp for sitting us directly opposite at lunch today. & trying to keep the volume of Xmas tat purchases down. They just don't get thst we don't want loads of `stuff'..... My parents this week but they're staying in a hotel nearby as part of a coach trip.

We did the dressy-up for Xmas last year and we did Halloween at nursery too. I don't mind so much for children but hate adult fancy dress stuff. I did discover at Halloween that I like the idea of fancy dress much more than the reality of sorting out an outfit. In the end I got 3 costumes from Poundland & they're in general toy circulation now. Ds1 is v proud of his Wizard hat and vampire cloak combo. I bought big costumes & took them up with the aim of reusing them over the next 8 few years.

Uh oh.... we've just re-entered a food / bowl / spoon throwing phase GG. I think `generally infuriating' pretty much describes lthem sometimes. Just as well they're equally sweet and funny .

Lottie - what about J_andE'sMum

I'm going to start a dressing up box I think as they totally loved it. So that'll teach me. Will check out Poundland ALL
You are amazing, woman. Hope this next week gives you a bit more sleep.

Right, that's it, you've inspired me to think we ought to get one too. Although I might wait until we're within reach of a Poundshop...

ALL - hats off to you, I can just picture that scene of irritation you painted. As tarti says, you are amazing and I think we can all tell from your posts how brilliant you are at dealing with things. I mean, you barely mentioned your pregnancy despite working till the end and having the boys to look after too. I fear my stoicism is non-existent in comparison. My top tip - never let that remote control get out of reach whilst bf'ing again!

Re. food throwing - oh GG - totally feel for you. Dinner times are one of my most loathed times, if they don't go well. What is it about it that can make you just want to scream???! I'll never forget my mother coming to visit me in my 20s and us talking about the fact that I loved cooking. "Wait until you've done it every day for fifteen years for an ungrateful family and then tell me you enjoy it" she (very irritatingly at the time) said wearily. I'm only 2 years in and I GET IT MUM! We've never really had throwing of food, well a bit but only at the end of the meal when they're not hungry any more, bored or whatever. I have developed some shocking habits recently in order to get them to eat more... ketchup at every meal, anyone? Pudding half-way through dinner and then resuming and finishing their dinner afterwards? No, just me then...

Right, had better get on. Good weekend here, girls on top form and DH home for the weekend. What a change from last weekend when I could have driven off into the horizon never to return.........

PS: Cerubina and I are fighting a GF battle on another Multiples thread. Well, I thought it was going to descend into mayhem, but appears to be thankfully dignified.

Hello ladies! Been awhile. Congrats ALL on your little girl, lovely name!
GG I too am stopping here with my 3, I even had a nightmare I was pregnant again, awful to say it was a nightmare but I just would not be able to cope with another!
Boys all have colds still but I think they're over the worst of it.

Hope everyone is well and had a nice wkend?

ALL you are clearly coping amazingly well - you are superwoman indeed! I hope this week DD starts to give you a little bit longer sleep-wise. Regarding the out of sorts behaviour of your boys, I'm sure it is just a small reaction to the arrival of baby sis, and will no doubt settle down soon. My DD had a big shock when our DTs arrived when she was just 19 months, but now, you'd never know that they hadn't always been a threesome.

Aww , thanks tho I certainly don't feel particularly amazing. I've had a lot more sleep over the last couple of nights since co-sleeping so just feel jet-lagged now rather than knackered . With the added benefit of dp having to get up to the boys while i stay snugly in bed feeding dd. I wish I could have the remote handy though Lottie but it's not worth the ensuing scrap with both ds. & unfortunately ds1 is too good at pressing buttons about which I know nowt & making weird things happen which mean I have no idea how to resume normal tv activity. They long since got wise to the trick of stuffing the remote down the sofa cushions so it has to stay out of their/my reach.

We've just had another session of ds1 throwing himself around in the cot . First time for quite a few nights though. I think dp woke him when he came downstairs like a bull in a china shop went to the loo. I really hope it is just down to him being unsettled though I'm not sure dp going in to him helps.

I'm sure the boys think they're part of some medieval banquet at times. Anything not wanted just casually discarded to the floor. Not so bad these days dp evens questions if I've actually fed them some days with the lack of mess though ds2 is in a bit of a phase of putting his empty yogurt bowl upsidedown on his head. Just as well we do baths at night. A bit of jam in the hair in the morning is a little easier to get out before nursery. & we do the dinner-pudding-dinner thing too LL. Or at least, leftover dinner is still on the table when we serve pudding so it's not unusual to have chicken / kidney beans / veg dunked in yogurt or custard. My fav dinnertime phrase is `Grandma would not be impressed'. Mum is a stickler for proper order at the table.

Ooh a dressing-up box. Good plan - we have even aqcuired a suitable box this weekend! I think I'm going to get some hats (fireman / builder etc) cos the boys love hats (inspired by constant `hats on head' over the summer).

ILs gone... and my parents arrived. We surprised them by meeting their bus & we brought them home & got the boys from nursery early. Had a lovely afternoon & thought we were going to have to bring in the heavies to prise dd from Dad & get him back to his hotel!

ALL you're awesome! Glad everyone's well(ish)... LL, what thread are you and Cerubina waging war on? Will we all wade in mob-handed...?

I gots two questions today:

1 - DS is a thumb-sucker, which I don't mind at all, but since he got his bottom two teeth his favourite, tastiest thumb is getting a big sore red lump on it where they rub. I guess it doesn't hurt him, but it looks nasty and I'm worried it'll get infected. How can I stop him sucking it long enough to heal?? Mitts no good, tried that. |

2 - where do babies sit when they're too big for their more-money-than-sense BabyBjorn bouncy chairs? DS is HUUUUUGE for his age and pushing off the floor in his, but I need something safe to put him in when we're in the kitchen (he loves sitting watching the birds in the garden, they both do) and he can't be rolling around on the floor.

Cheers!

Foxtail a Bumbo style seat maybe?

Cerubina and Lottie I hoiked bosom all ready to wade into your thread but when I got there you had both done a beautiful job of eloquently and exhaustively dispatching the naysayers: I had nothing to add! must be a first

ALL alert us if you find any good hats.

My 18 month old girls are getting a second hand play kitchen for Christmas because a colleague is emigrating to Australia and wants shot of all his child's stuff. I had thought it was a bit early for it and that I should keep it until their birthday in May. Any thoughts anyone? Does anyone else have one?
Besides that I'm just doing them a stocking with stuff I would have bought them anyway; toothbrush, sponge, mini tubs of play doh, mittens if I can find any. We are away at the PiLs' for three days over Christmas so I won't be schlepping lots of stuff down there. Next year and every year thereafter I am INSISTING that we stay here

Play kitchen is perfect tarti - we bought one for the girls when they were about 18 months the spoilt little cherubs and they love it. Although it's yet another thing with lots of 'bits' whose location you have to keep on top of. I am USELESS at that and the girls toys are all over the place. I wouldn't have thought anyone would care but every time they play with one of their wooden puzzles they just stand pointing and wailing OH NO! at the space where the lost piece should go.

Not sure about Bumbos Foxtail - how old are they? We bought Bumbos and I'm not sure we got that much use out of them really. They are good for keeping them sat up, but it's not long before they want to move around more than they're able to. Ours had the trays and that did work as a good little 'high chair' when we first started weaning...

Oh great thanks Lottie. My favourite thing about the idea of a play kitchen is that it's potentially something they can both enjoy at the same time without too much pushing/wailing/biting over space/parts. Probably wishful thinking. Anyway shall let them have it at Christmas after all.

GG thought of you at teatime as M looked me straight in the eye and dropped every last piece of her teacake onto the floor. I kept my cool imagining you were going through the same!!

Lavita you are v quiet x

Hahahahahahahahahhahahaaaa re. them not fighting over it! Actually, ours are mostly fine unless they're tired and cranky, in which case they'd fight over a raisin...

H got a play kitchen for her 2nd christmas (so 23 months old) and she didn't really play with it that much. Though to be honest, there was so much crap with it (forks, plastic fruit etc) that I punted it out into the playhouse in the garden asap. I think she probably would play with it a lot now, maybe I should get it back in the house. I just can't stand all the bits that come with it.

Bumbos - H loved hers, used it for ages, D and J tolerated theirs, but only for about 6-8 weeks until they learned how to roll/move. Then they just arched their backs and tried to get out of them. But I think they are really useful, as they do help with that 6 weeks between bouncers and sitting unaided. Try and get one second hand if you can foxtail

Not much happening here. Taking J to the Dr on Friday to get his ankles and knees checked out. He still isn't walking, and I'm beginning to wonder if there is a weakness in his joints. He is VERY flexible. I know 18 months isn't that late for walking, but would like him checked out just in case there is something impeding him (over protective mother that I am)

Good luck at the docs GG. I don't think you're being precious at all, it's hard not to worry and always good to get your mind put at rest.

Eek, we have an offer on our house. I rejected it as the EA thinks we can get more out of them, and they're going round for a second viewing later, but fingers crossed with it - they're first time buyers so can move quickly... argghh!!

Hi all. Glad tidings from here for once as we seem to be emerging out the other side of our 4th cold in 8 weeks. Although R has awful nappy rash because I gave her pineapple numerous times without realising it was giving her evil diarrhoea and was too acidic.

tarti hope the hitting and biting has settled down. Easy to say now but I reckon most children go through a phase of this stuff, and it's by the grace of god somehow if your child is the victim rather than the perpetrator, so I am sure the other mums don't assume you are training them to be horrors and instead thanking lucky stars theirs aren't the ones doing it.

ALL more accolades from me for the calm way you are dealing with the hike in your workload and the weeing incident in particular. You must be made of stern stuff really.

LL surely you will have to make up some whole new online identity, not just a name change, or you'll be readily spottable to one who knows you. Or do you think it was an isolated incident? Good luck with the offer on the house, fingers crossed.

GG I don't blame you for asking about the walking thing either and hope the docs can provide reassurance. Not sure how I will keep my hair on when we get to food throwing or even refusal of stuff. At the moment it's a golden age where they eat almost everything I give them including evil pineapple but I'm not keen to get to the assertion of free will, even when they just want to hold their own spoons and feed themselves! What do you do then, just strip them naked before you start?

Foxtail how about putting them in high chairs in the kitchen with some spoons or unbreakable stuff to bang? I reckon you can usually get 15 mins peace or maybe more if you are lucky.

Glad the GF defence on the other thread met with general approval. It presses all my buttons when people criticise her for not being a mum and say stuff like "I could never let my child cry" in that judgemental way...

More developmental leaps here - R is now sitting unsupported for a couple of minutes at a time and S is a rolling maniac. Very sweet. Both are also making quite decent attempts to crawl so it's high time to do some furniture rearranging here and get a room divider up. 9 months on Saturday! Where the hell did that go?!

Hi everyone, sorry I've been lurking but too lazy to post. Will ramble in hand and will try and keep up this week.

So I've stopped Breastfeeding finally at 12.5 months, mainly because I had the temping offer of a weekend away with friends, but it was good motivation and tonight is the 2nd night of a bottle at bedtime, I dropped the wake up feed last week and am still recovering from the second bout of mastitis from that, so and hoping that the antibiotics should stop it happening again although I'm quite engorged and also quite worried about how bad my boobs are going to look post pregnancy & breastfeeding!

The girls don't really drink much milk though 2oz at each feed. I'm doing 3 feeds a day but they eat well, snack and have a varied diet so I don't think I should be worried (should i?)

I thought the GF debate was very written ladies, it didn't all work for me but I found it so useful interms of what to do and when, and think that we have such a good bedtime routine because of it.

I love toy kitchens, I think we are getting the girls rocking horses for Christmas and a few litle bits in very small stockings, couple of books etc. We got given a Le Toy Van tea set for their birthday, I love their stuff.

Will reply personally tomorrow but just wanted to say ALL Congratulations on survving your first week, you are an inspiration for you xx