Southern Utah Twin Moms

I'm the Conductor of the Potty Train

2012-11-25T22:11:00.001-08:00

So, it's far beyond time.

We've put this off long enough. They turn 3 in July. That's long enough!! In the next few weeks, I hope to report that the girls are officially potty trained.

Ady is taking to it quickly. While wearing panties, she'll urgently say "PEE PEE!" Then we all rush to get the bum sitting on the training toilet. She stands up and cheers for herself while pointing at the yellow puddle in the potty chair. We shout and parade to the bathroom and let her "dump and flush" - then she gets a treat. If we forget, she looks up at you and says "Treat?"

Chloe still just sits down but there's nothing to flush. We ask her if she went pee and she'll stand up and say "YAY!" but there's nothing there. She still gets a treat for trying.

I'm glad for summer coming so we can send the girls outside in swimsuits with no diapers and not feel bad about it.

Wish us luck.

EverydayPeopleCartoons.com

2010-09-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

What advice would you give....?

2010-05-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

If you met a stranger in a grocery store who was pregnant with twins, what advice would you give her?

Personally, I'd say "Welcome to the club!" and I'd hand her my phone number. I could chat her ear off. No sense in keeping her from a nap!

What are the Chances?!?!

2010-05-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2011296/

Daylight-Saving Causes Twin Arrival Pickle

Posted: November 6, 2007

Cary, N.C. — Everyone knows the pecking order in a family has everything to do with age. The oldest sibling usually rules the roost. But what if you get cheated out of the title because of Daylight Saving Time?

Peter Sullivan Cirioli was dubbed "Baby A" at WakeMed Cary when he arrived early Sunday morning.

“Yes, Peter was born first, it was at 1:32 a.m.,” mother Laura Cirioli said.

Thirty-four minutes later, Peter's twin sister, Allison Raye Cirioli, known as "Baby B," made her entrance into the world.

Because of Daylight Saving Time, Allison's time of birth was 1:06 a.m., which makes her 26 minutes older than her brother even though he was born first.

“We just never even thought about it until after he was born and then we realized it was going to happen. It was really kind of amazing,” Laura Cirioli said.

The proud mother and father said they don't really care who was born first, they are just glad to have two healthy babies. They do suspect the daylight savings predicament will be fodder for sibling rivalry.

“We'll let them work that out between themselves. I don't want to get into the middle of it,” Jason Cirioli said.

Peter and Allison were expected to leave the hospital Tuesday night.

Reporter: Amanda Lamb
Photographer: Terry Cantrell
Web Editor: Minnie Bridgers

Product Review: Baby Thermometers

2010-04-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

Baby Thermometers are a whole new ball of wax!

I thought I'd try something new and innovative, so I purchased a 'pacifier thermometer' - the only problem with that? My girls wouldn't suck on it long enough to get a reading.

So, I tried the traditional style with a digital readout. The only problem with that? No sick kid is going to have you hold a thermometer easily for the "Quick 10 second reading" - Can you hold a squirming, screaming child for ten seconds with one hand and a thermometer in the other? If you can, good for you. If you can, my other question is - can you actually hear the "beep beep" when it's done over the top of the crying? I couldn't do either.

So, I decided to take the monetary plunge and purchase a "1 Second Digital Ear Thermometer" - what a blessing this is.

You can buy one of these lifesavers anywhere for around $25 and they are well worth it.

This Looks COOL!

2010-04-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

I think this is exactly what I was looking for when my girls were on bottles.

They never did hold their bottles on their own.

This thing is GENIUS!

I'd still sit right by them if I had these, but my arms wouldn't be so tired.

Just imagine.....

It's almost worth having twins again....

*almost*

Found on JustMultiples.com

Strangers: "How Old Are Your Twins?"

2010-04-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

"We are going to be 3 in July."

Am I the only one that answers the question like that?

WE? "We" are going to be three.

I'm not one of them. Shouldn't I say "They are going to be three." THEY.

What's wrong with me?

2010-03-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Am I crazy? Sometimes I will be sitting with both babies nearby and I will hear (or imagine I hear) a baby-like sound somewhere in the house, and my first impulse is to get up and check on a baby. I literally have to stop and remind myself that I am within arm's reach of both my babies. Weird.

2010-03-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

I know I am being a jerk by feeling like the picked on one, since it is my husband who has been at deaths door sick, but man the last couple of weeks have been rough! Taking care of Ella and the twins and Seth is almost too much to handle sometimes! He finally seems to be on the up and up, so here's hoping that after two months he'll finally be back to himself. I haven't been the best caregiver to him, poor guy.

Hey twins moms, how did you all do feeding? I usually lay both babies side by side on the floor and shovel it in, but the carpets have been suffering from that method. Maybe lay a tarp down first or something! And I don't think Marley is getting as much fluid as Monet. They are both still nursing, but Monet is good with bottles and sippys while Marley will still only take me. As I wean them, how can I get Marley to take a drink from other sources? Any ideas?

Helping Out

2010-03-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've been trying to not be annoying, but I've really wanted to help Misty in her new experience. We all know how overwhelming newborn twins can be. I tried to think about the early days and weeks with my girls and what would be the most helpful. Some food came to mind. It was always so hard to find something quick to eat. All the laundry and dishes get pretty overwhelming. And I never seemed to get a nice, long shower.

I decided to head over one morning and bring her some juice and muffins. I offered to let her take a nice long shower. While she was in there, I folded some laundry and did a few dishes.

Misty expressed thanks - like I did SO much to help her. I really didn't in my mind, but I'm sure glad it helped. We've all been there.

I also stopped by the next morning. I brought a few microwave dinners that I've really enjoyed. I don't usually make yummy food for my family so making a whole meal besides macaroni and cheese would be an extra step, but I'll buy a few frozen dinners and hope she likes them.

Good luck Misty Louella! Let us know if we can do anything to help!

Diaper Dilema

2010-03-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

Ever since I found out there was a large recycling plant just down the street from us here in Cedar, I have been more aware than ever of my carbon footprint. My husband and my cousin (our SUU student roomate) have had to endure all my plans and projects centered around recycling and reducing waste. The latest burden on my conscience has been the billions of disposable diapers my twins are sending to the landfill. I researched a little on hybrid diapers, which seem to combine environmentally friendly with convenient, but are also the most expensive... by quite alot. What do I do to reconcile my desire to protect the environment with my ultra skinny pocketbook?

Congrats to Misty & Family!

2010-02-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Update. Babies, mom, and dad are doing great. Jocelyn Mae is the oldest. She was 5 lbs. Ivy Lynn was 5 lbs 8 ozs.

Born February 26, 2010

Product Review: Baby/Toddler Gate

2010-02-12T23:44:00.000-08:00

I never knew I'd care SO MUCH about kiddie gates until I had crappy ones. You know the ones: they only cost $10 and you have to be a wizard to get them to work properly and stay in the doorway. Those cheap gates are basically a hurdle for a mom or dad to hop over. Then when kids start standing up on their own, they learn to put their toes in the little diamonds and climb up the gate. Then when the kids are tall enough, they just reach over and bump the mechanism so it unlocks and the gate falls over. What a pain!

I got a "walk-thru" gate as a gift from my sister. I really loved it. Then the little plastic part that kept it closed broke but we improvised because the idea of going back to the hurdle gate was unappealing. Once the girls got smart enough to figure out how to unlatch that first walk-thru gate, I went in search of a better baby gate. I found the Evenflo Summit.

This gate ROCKS! It is so completely awesome, that we have TWO now (one for the kitchen, and one for our bedroom/bathroom). And I'm thinking about getting a third (for Ryan's office). Every time my Dad was in town, we had to re-explain how to get through it. If it's that adult proof, it's for sure twin-proof!

It's a double action deal where you push buttons in on the handle and then cock it back like a gun (or press down the handle on newer models). It's still a one handed operation, but I'm never worried that the kids are gonna figure it out. Maybe when they are 5 or 6 they'll have the coordination to do both actions as needed, but I foresee this gate will be in use at our house for quite a while. I'm very pleased with it!

Realize there is a difference between a baby gate and a toddler gate. Honestly, I STILL want my kids out of certain areas, so I can't imagine dealing with a baby gate that they could get through by the time they turn a year old or so. What a hassle!

You can buy this gate online from Amazon.com for $40 and free shipping. I originally got ours at Target for about $45, but I just saw several at the Hurricane Walmart for $34.

Bedtime, my favorite time of day...?

2010-02-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

I wish I could just skip the hour between 6 and 7 PM. It seems like every night both babies and Ella choose that hour to flip out. We are always trying to get dinner cleaned up and Seth in bed (he works graves). Ella always seems to choose that hour to start tugging on my shirt asking for one thing or another. And both babies decide, at the same second, that they are dying of hunger and need to scream their guts out as if they have never been fed in their lives. After the hour of craziness, things settle down and one by one the kids are sent off to bed. The other night I actually stayed up until 1:00 AM watching movies not made by Disney and just enjoying a quiet house. It was heaven.

Product Review: Bath Chair

2010-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

Once the kids are too big to bathe in the kitchen sink, we've got to move on. My girls didn't like laying down in the tub - the echo noises freaked them out. But they loved the baths in the kitchen sink. Holding them up to sitting position while I'm leaning over the tub was out of the question to do a "fun bath" and it was still a long process to do a "quick bath" for each kid separately.

I started looking into ways to prop up your kid in the tub while you were supervising them. I found a few different styles of "bath chair" and this one seemed the safest. There are a few that just suction to the bottom of the tub, but I don't want to depend on suction cups for safety if they can't even hold up interior Christmas decorations.

I didn't want to spend $25 a piece on these chairs - I'm way too cheap for that. I went to my local Kid to Kid store and found two of them on the first try! One was marked at $10, the other was marked at $12. I asked to have the $12 reduced to $10, but they wouldn't budge: lame. But for $22, I got my 2 bath chairs.

We used these from about 6 months old (should have and could have used them earlier, maybe 5 months) until the girls were trying to climb out of their bath chairs around 11 months old. Even well after they were sitting up on their own, it was nice to know they wouldn't slip and dunk their face under, etc.

The chairs swivel around and can lock in place. Front face, rear face, whatever you need. Easy to clean. Nice and sturdy. Very secure on the side of the tub. I'd buy them again!

Product Review: Musical Crib Mobiles

2010-02-03T04:34:00.000-08:00

I fell victim to it like so many women. I bought the cutsie matches-your-bedding-set mobile that you have to hand crank. It was the perfect little nursery, arranged in their room just like in the movies - but movie nurseries don't FUNCTION like real life needs them to.

I'd hope that with my new-found knowledge coupled with common sense, others can benefit!

Don't waste your time with these hand crank models - the music only lasts about 45 seconds to a minute - just long enough for you to get to the bathroom and be in the middle of your business before your twins start freaking out again.

What you need is the super deluxe, thank goodness for technology, I'm sure a mom invented this musical mobile. The one I got is actually no longer available for sale, but they have improved on the one I've got by leaps and bounds. Of all the current market mobiles I checked out, I'm pretty impressed with all of them. I think it comes down to price and theme in the end.

"It slices, it dices, makes julienne fries in seconds!" That's what we need! A crib mobile infomercial!

My top suggestion for something to look for is a battery operated TIMED mobile. Something that can play music continuously for 15 heaven sent minutes or so. That, dear friends, is a life saver!! Your cranky infants can be somewhat entertained by whirling thinga-mabobs overhead, while you get caught up on laundry.

It actually became a routine for us. When it was time to take a nap or sleep for the night, we'd set the mobile to "on" and we'd have 15 minutes of music. Sometimes, the kids would even be asleep by the end of 15 minutes.

Once the kids are pulling up and standing up, they start yanking on the dangling parts. Most of these mobiles can partly detach, leaving the music part on the crib - just no overhead grabby parts.

Some new features I saw while looking around: night lights, self start up when baby cries continuously, and choose your songs.

Most musical crib mobiles with these cool features start around $30 at Walmart.

Great Product: Magnetic Safety Locks

2010-01-31T04:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write a little about some of my favorite products for babies and toddlers - so far, that is. It's ever changing as our needs change.

At first, we bought the stupid plastic drawer locks. Well, when little Chloe wants in, she's gonna yank and pull and pry until she gets in - even to the point of tipping over furniture.

I heard about "magnetic locks" and thought it sounded cool, but unnecessary. Now with mechanical and into everything Chloe, I'm realizing that there is no "child-proof" only "child-resistant" - and it just buys you enough time to think to yourself, "Hey, the kids are quiet. I wonder what's wrong!?"

I have to say, these are pricey, but for greater peace of mind than plastic, it's worth it. I've had them on the "chemical areas" and knife drawers. I can't say if they are easy to install or not, Ryan did that part. They seemed a little tricky, but well worth it.

Safety 1st Tot Lok - Starter Set = Unlocking magnet and 4 locks - $17.50 @ Walmart

July 2007

2010-01-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

My twin girls at one day old

32 Weeks Today!

2010-01-26T13:40:00.001-08:00

At my first ultrasound, my perinatologist Dr. Gonzales, gave me three goals to meet. The first goal was to get to 24 weeks, the second goal was 28 weeks, and the third goal was 32 weeks. He said that by 32 weeks there is a 99% chance of delivering twins that will not suffer any long term problems as a result of being born prematurely.
I'm so happy that I reached that goal TODAY!
I can rest a little easier knowing that if they are born at this point, they may still have a little time to spend in the hospital but that they have almost 100% chance at surviving and thriving.
You go girls!

Pregnant Belly

2010-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

This is me at 36weeks 2 days, right before we left for the c-section

2010-01-26T10:19:00.001-08:00

Just found diaper beads in the washer. That's what I get for trying to hurry! What a mess!

My Twins Ultrasound Pic

2010-01-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

Okay Ladies!!! Let's BLOG!

2010-01-26T08:36:00.001-08:00

I'm fairly delusional from graves, etc - so I don't have much to say, but I wanted to start this thing!! Please invite other gals you know!!