traveling with multiples!!

[dmillerdmd]

My twins are now 9 (yikes!) but even when they were little, I had just the opposite happen. From preschool on, parents have always invited BOTH of them. I have often said,"Oh, you don't have to do that" etc,etc. But they were insistant and both of them ended up going. I will say they still are very close and being the same age have the same interests. I think from being twins they are are much better at playing with/ interacting with the opposite sex. Just last weekend after a swim meet, another family invited my son to go to a video arcade, game place. As they were getting ready to leave from the Y, the dad said to my daughter,"Well,get your stuff ready-let's go!" This family has 3 boys under the age of 8. Again, I said "Oh no, it's OK" Actually , I was looking forward to having her all to our own! Anyway, a "PLEASE MOMMY?" later, off they both went. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that most of our kids' friends' parents are close friends of ours! Such an advantage to going to a small school.
Good luck to all!!!

 

[kritter]

My twins are now 9 (yikes!) but even when they were little, I had just the opposite happen. From preschool on, parents have always invited BOTH of them. I have often said,"Oh, you don't have to do that" etc,etc. But they were insistant and both of them ended up going. I will say they still are very close and being the same age have the same interests. I think from being twins they are are much better at playing with/ interacting with the opposite sex. Just last weekend after a swim meet, another family invited my son to go to a video arcade, game place. As they were getting ready to leave from the Y, the dad said to my daughter,"Well,get your stuff ready-let's go!" This family has 3 boys under the age of 8. Again, I said "Oh no, it's OK" Actually , I was looking forward to having her all to our own! Anyway, a "PLEASE MOMMY?" later, off they both went. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that most of our kids' friends' parents are close friends of ours! Such an advantage to going to a small school.
Good luck to all!!!

I think that is nice that they include both kids...That way neither one feels left out...

 

[mom2rb]

I just found this thread. So here is my story. I was sent to have an emergency ultra-sound. I was in alot of pain at 8 weeks. They asked if a girl that was training could practice on me first and then they would do the real one. Well that poor girl. She said " oh, I am really bad at this, I see either 2 or 3. I'll go get the real tech now." Turns out I had two babies and one empty sac. I went almost 35 weeks and the boys weighed 6.1 and 6.8. They spent one week in the nicu.

My boys are now 7. I have a blond and a red head. One is a dancer, one is a chess player. Both do gymnastics. They have just started going their own way a little bit. One had a sleep over without the other last week. We had the state chess tournament. It went well but they are in no hurry to do it again.

 

[mom2four1]

We are leaving in the morning for our first trip to Disney in 10 years. We have b/g twins that will be 2 on the 27th, a 6 year old dd and 17 year old ds. We are hoping everything goes well and the kids have fun. We did get two umbrella strollers (thought it might be easier than the double). This will be the first time that we have stayed on sight-I hope that it makes it easier with the kids. Any tips from those of you that have been there with young twins?
Thanks
Tracy -this is probably what I'll look like on the way home(we are driving)

 

[kikakeko]

We are leaving in the morning for our first trip to Disney in 10 years. We have b/g twins that will be 2 on the 27th, a 6 year old dd and 17 year old ds. We are hoping everything goes well and the kids have fun. We did get two umbrella strollers (thought it might be easier than the double). This will be the first time that we have stayed on sight-I hope that it makes it easier with the kids. Any tips from those of you that have been there with young twins?
Thanks
Tracy -this is probably what I'll look like on the way home(we are driving)

Let me know how the umbrellas work out we too are driving should take up around 14 hours to get to WDW...and not taking our double ...it takes up my whole trunk ( I drive a 2 door grand prix... don't ask ) I just figured if they didn't work out we would rent a double...

 

[kritter]

Mom2rd--WElcome and we are so happy to have you join us....What a great story thanks for sharing....


Mom2four1--have a great trip we can not wait to hear all about it......


We took our umbrella strollers and even got the clips to hold htem together they worked ok....But the umbrellas worked great....
Kristin

 

[2poohbears]

We just got back from WDW on Mon, FEB 6th. I wish I was still there! We had so much fun. I am so glad we braved it and took our 2 y/o twins for the first time. Although it took a few days for them to get into the "groove" and understand what was going on, once the "lights came on" they had a BLAST! Every day they ask to see "mickey mouse", meaning they want to watch our vacation video. They were a little afraid of the characters up close at first, but by our 3rd character meal they were all over Mickey Mouse! They sing "yo ho pirate's life for me" and "it's a small world" now, too! We got lucky---Buzz Lightyear ride opened early so we got to ride it - around 5 or 6 times! One of the boys was afraid of the 3-D movies due to the loud sounds, so I would take him outside and we would play or eat ice cream while my hubby stayed inside with the other boy. We also had to leave Fantasmic, but that's no big deal...we've seen it before and we'll see it again, I'm sure.

BTW-We used umbrella strollers and it worked out fine. I think it's easier to get around with singles instead of a double anyway. It was a little annoying trying to close 2 umbrella strollers and get 2 children on the buses at the same time, but still worked out fine. Oh--and thank goodness I brought stroller rain covers because it rained all day long on FRI and all morning on SAT...we would have had a lot of trouble getting around without them. Thanks to everyone for all the advice! Now I have to start planning for next year's trip!

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I just wanted to chime in to all of you young mothers with multiples. My twins will be 25 in just 10 days. They are identical boys. I also have 2 daughters that are 17 months and 2-1/2 years younger than my twins. Yes...I was nuts! I dressed my kids alike when they were young and they LIKED to dress alike for years and years. Even in High School they would sometimes come out in the same clothes (without planning it). I never forced the issue...they decided once they were old enough to voice an opinion. But to this day they are the closest twins I have ever seen. They each are married and each have one son and one daughter. They bought homes that are back to back. Their back yards would adjoin if not for the church parking lot between them. (They live only 6 blocks from me). They work together, drive together every day and truly enjoy being twins. Actually all 4 of my kids are extremely close. They have many very close friends so they aren't totally in their own world. There are many challanges to being a parent of multiples. Just make sure you do what you feel is best for your own kids. Nobody knows them as well as you do. Don't let others force their own opinions on how you should raise your children on you. Enjoy them and take as many trips to Disney World as a family as you possibly can. You won't regret one minute of it. Many days I wish I could go back and enjoy my children when they were young all over again!

 

[kritter]

2poohbears --oh I am soo glad that you had a great trip..what was their favorite part???

sounds like you had a wonderful trip and the kids loved it...Glad it all worked out..with the strollers and all....Do you have any pictures that you could share with us...???

Karlag4kids--great to meet you thanks for sharing...it is nice to hear stories of twins when they are older and that you can survive the multiples when they are younger and when they grow up it all didn't seem so hard...thanks..


Kristin

 

[Twingle]

YAAYYY! I'm so glad that I've found this thread! I have a 6 year old DS and my twin DD's are two. I've really enjoyed reading all of your multiple stories, so I thought I'd share mine.

Our twins were a total shock to us. There had never been twins in my DH family, and none in my family for over 100 years. I thought I might be pregnant, took a pg test on Saturday, and I swear, on Monday my pants wouldn't button at the waist. I called my doctor and told him that I knew you showed faster with the second pregnancy, but this was nuts! He told me to come in for a ultrasound to confirm my dates (they thought I was just futher along then I thought). When they started doing the ultrasound I was watching, and there were two little circles on it. I asked the tech what that was and she says, "Oh. That's the other baby." !!!Other baby!!!! What do you mean that's the OTHER baby!!! How many babies are in there?!?!?!? Needless to say, I was shocked. I found out when I was five weeks pregnant.

Now, there is a freaky part of this story. For Christmas, 2002, when we had taken our son to see Santa at the mall, the Santa asks my son, "What do you want for Christmas? Would you like a train, or maybe a truck?" and my son says, "I REALLY want my mom to have a baby, and I would REALLY like her to have two." My husband and I were dumbfounded. How did DS know you could have two babies at a time? We didn't know anyone with twins, so I have no idea where he knew this from. When I found out about the twins, we told DS right away, thinking it would help him to get used to the idea of two babies. Well, he immediately says, "It must have gone from my mouth to God's ear when I was talking to Santa." Three years later, it still gives me chills.

My pregnancy with my son was very, very bad. I developed toxcemia in my third month, was put on bed rest for 23 weeks, and then, because of seizures was put into a medically induced coma for two weeks. My son was born via emergency c-section at 37 weeks, and weighed 7lbs. 7 oz., totally healthy. I, on the other hand, was not. My doctor put me on bc pills immediately after delivery, and told me that I could not get pregnant for a minimum of three years to let my body heal. Well, when they found out I had a twin pregnancy, I was immediately listed as high risk. Know what? My pregnancy was fine! I had no complications whatsoever. Now, my girls were born at 34 weeks because Olivia's placenta ruptured, but other than that, the pregnancy was fine. Ella was 5lbs, 11 oz. and Olivia was 5lbs, 10 oz.

The twins first Disney trip technically, was when I was pregnant! I felt them kick the first time at Alfredo's at Epcot - you could watch the water in the glasses move, my husband compared it to the scene in "Jurassic Park".

But, we all went December 3 - December 11, 2005, SSR. It was a pretty good trip, I must say. We all lived to tell the tale, at least! The one thing I had to laugh at was the post a few pages ago about someone that had used the stroller rain covers. We had those too, but didn't have nearly as good results from them! My girls were TERRIFIED in them. It was like a scene from a scary movie! They screamed and clawed at the covers, fogged up the inside of the plastic and in the five minutes we had them on the strollers managed to work up a good sweat! Needless to say, we didn't use them again!

I'm so glad that so many of you have older twins - there have been several times over the last two years that I really thought I wasn't going to make it with two babies and an older child. It's just a different experience then only having one baby.

What are some of the strangest things people have said to you about your multiples? One of the tops is when I told another mom at my sons school that I was having two babies, she says "Twins are never as intelligent as single babies. Everyone knows they share a brain." And she was SERIOUS!

 

[kritter]

YAAYYY! I'm so glad that I've found this thread! I have a 6 year old DS and my twin DD's are two. I've really enjoyed reading all of your multiple stories, so I thought I'd share mine.

Our twins were a total shock to us. There had never been twins in my DH family, and none in my family for over 100 years. I thought I might be pregnant, took a pg test on Saturday, and I swear, on Monday my pants wouldn't button at the waist. I called my doctor and told him that I knew you showed faster with the second pregnancy, but this was nuts! He told me to come in for a ultrasound to confirm my dates (they thought I was just futher along then I thought). When they started doing the ultrasound I was watching, and there were two little circles on it. I asked the tech what that was and she says, "Oh. That's the other baby." !!!Other baby!!!! What do you mean that's the OTHER baby!!! How many babies are in there?!?!?!? Needless to say, I was shocked. I found out when I was five weeks pregnant.

Now, there is a freaky part of this story. For Christmas, 2002, when we had taken our son to see Santa at the mall, the Santa asks my son, "What do you want for Christmas? Would you like a train, or maybe a truck?" and my son says, "I REALLY want my mom to have a baby, and I would REALLY like her to have two." My husband and I were dumbfounded. How did DS know you could have two babies at a time? We didn't know anyone with twins, so I have no idea where he knew this from. When I found out about the twins, we told DS right away, thinking it would help him to get used to the idea of two babies. Well, he immediately says, "It must have gone from my mouth to God's ear when I was talking to Santa." Three years later, it still gives me chills.

My pregnancy with my son was very, very bad. I developed toxcemia in my third month, was put on bed rest for 23 weeks, and then, because of seizures was put into a medically induced coma for two weeks. My son was born via emergency c-section at 37 weeks, and weighed 7lbs. 7 oz., totally healthy. I, on the other hand, was not. My doctor put me on bc pills immediately after delivery, and told me that I could not get pregnant for a minimum of three years to let my body heal. Well, when they found out I had a twin pregnancy, I was immediately listed as high risk. Know what? My pregnancy was fine! I had no complications whatsoever. Now, my girls were born at 34 weeks because Olivia's placenta ruptured, but other than that, the pregnancy was fine. Ella was 5lbs, 11 oz. and Olivia was 5lbs, 10 oz.

The twins first Disney trip technically, was when I was pregnant! I felt them kick the first time at Alfredo's at Epcot - you could watch the water in the glasses move, my husband compared it to the scene in "Jurassic Park".

But, we all went December 3 - December 11, 2005, SSR. It was a pretty good trip, I must say. We all lived to tell the tale, at least! The one thing I had to laugh at was the post a few pages ago about someone that had used the stroller rain covers. We had those too, but didn't have nearly as good results from them! My girls were TERRIFIED in them. It was like a scene from a scary movie! They screamed and clawed at the covers, fogged up the inside of the plastic and in the five minutes we had them on the strollers managed to work up a good sweat! Needless to say, we didn't use them again!

I'm so glad that so many of you have older twins - there have been several times over the last two years that I really thought I wasn't going to make it with two babies and an older child. It's just a different experience then only having one baby.

What are some of the strangest things people have said to you about your multiples? One of the tops is when I told another mom at my sons school that I was having two babies, she says "Twins are never as intelligent as single babies. Everyone knows they share a brain." And she was SERIOUS!

WELCOME I loved reading your story and thanks so much for sharing it with us...Your story gave me chills....

One of the strangest things people have said to me, "Are you sure they are twins??" Uh yes I did carry them both of them...Why would someone ask that?? I also had a lady in walmart ask their names after asking if they were twins..I told her Hanna and hope she said oh it would have sounded better if it was Hope and Faith...Ok lady...People will say the craziest things.....

 

[skent10]

Welcome to the board, Twingle, and thanks for sharing your story!

One of the tops is when I told another mom at my sons school that I was having two babies, she says "Twins are never as intelligent as single babies. Everyone knows they share a brain." And she was SERIOUS!

Some people are such idiots! I would have been tempted to ask her if she was a triplet?! But then, she probably wouldn't have gotten the implied insult.

The obvious dumb ones I would get include asking if my DD/DS were identical. Someone asked me how I could tell them apart (if you'd just look at them, they've NEVER looked like each other in any way) and I told her I just take their diapers off. You could practically see the wheels turning in her head trying to figure that one out.

I also had the receptionist at the pediatrician's office ask me for DD's date of birth after I already told her DS's date of birth--when I called to schedule "a check up for my twins." She immediately realized how stupid she was though, and made fun of herself.

I've had another ask how far apart in age they are, and when I replied, "Fifteen minutes," then ask me if one of them was adopted?! Yeah, like I called the adoption agency and asked them to find a baby boy who was born the same afternoon as my baby daughter!

The one that stunned me the most is someone asking me if I took fertility drugs to get pregnant with the twins! To me that is way too personal a question to ask a stranger (or even casual acquaintance). And really--in addition to the newborn twins, I had a 1 yo and a 2 yo. Who in their right mind would take fertility drugs to try to get pregnant again so quickly when they were still dealing with an infant and toddler?! (Okay, having typed that, I'm sure I've just stuck my foot in my mouth and somebody on this board probably did exactly that. But that's certainly not an assignment I'd volunteer for!)

 

[kikakeko]

Is it me or do a lot of our stories sound alike in many ways... it is so nice that we can have this common denominator and be so very far apart. It is also nice to know that I am not the only "crazy" mom of twins. I must be very emotional right now because I have teared up reading about these older twin stories.

now that I have that out of my system....

I went to the girlie dr today and we had the discussion again about hysterectomies. As in he wants me to have one or atleast start considering the idea. I have had all kinds of problems with female issues since my first pg. And after uterine ablation in 2003 it is not any better. Any one else feel comfortable talking about this if they have/ problems let me know.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

kikakeko, I don't know much about it but am always willing to listen.

Twingle, welcome.

 

[kritter]

Is it me or do a lot of our stories sound alike in many ways... it is so nice that we can have this common denominator and be so very far apart. It is also nice to know that I am not the only "crazy" mom of twins. I must be very emotional right now because I have teared up reading about these older twin stories.

now that I have that out of my system....

I went to the girlie dr today and we had the discussion again about hysterectomies. As in he wants me to have one or atleast start considering the idea. I have had all kinds of problems with female issues since my first pg. And after uterine ablation in 2003 it is not any better. Any one else feel comfortable talking about this if they have/ problems let me know.

I am soo not uncomfortable about talking about this..I too have problems...Periods all of the time etc...I have been thinking for a while about having my tubes tied but I do not think it will help with any of the problems.....

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thought you guys might want to see this if you like to cruise: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1029839&referrerid=70088

 

[huey duey & luey]

Hi everyone
Happy Valentine's Day.
I officially registered my kids for pre-k. I can't believe they are actually going to school 5 days (1/2 days) next year. definitely mixed emotions.
I too am so sick of some of the stupid comments . I once had a lady in the mall tell me, after asking me if they were "natural", that maybe God had not intended me to be a mother, let alone one of a litter
Tara

 

[kikakeko]

I think that there are some people that "mean well" they are just uneducated on multiples and how they come about.
Some people just have diarrhea of the mouth and can't control what comes out.
My girls are little they are 4 and are still wearing a 2t/24 months in some things. They are 34 lbs and 35 inches I get comments all the time from family and strangers alike asking if I feed them? " Nope only on Sundays when we let them out of the cage" is what I feel like telling them. But I smile and say the right thing.

I wanted to let you all know also thanks for the support...
I am considering the surgery this fall. Maybe by then my brain will convince my emotions that my uterus is NOT my womanhood... we will have to see though. I am having abnormal uterine bleeding and that is the reason for it. I have already had my tubal so I am not sure what the big deal is...

ETA: I think my TUBAL made things worse for me... heavier bleeding, more PMS, and cramps. IMHO I would really think about it and maybe use a IUD if I had to do it all over again.

 

[huey duey & luey]

kikakeko

 

[aterriq]

Where to start. Found out at 20 weeks during the ultrasound. The tech asked if there was a history of twins in our family. My wife said no. The tech said matter of factly in a monoton, "There is now." Well we were shocked. Got an ultrasound weekly after that so our phot album has 4 pages of ultrasounds.

Wife is a trooper and went 36 weeks and two days. First girl was 5lbs 2 oz and 18 inches and second was 6lbs and 10 oz and 19.5. Doctors prediceted they would be within 2-3 oz of each other.

The girls are fraternal and are now 7. We did not dress them alike when they were babies, but we bought similiar styles of clothes in different colors except for shoes and jackets. Family members usually bought matching outfits for the girls.

Have gone to WDW twice and the last we had a difficult decision. The youngest(by 66 minutes) is about 3 inches taller than her sister. She was over 48 inches and could ride the RnR coaster but her sister was 47 inches. One inch too short. So we didn't ride the coaster. Trying to make sure daughter eats well too grow that last inch before September. (For the record she will be good as long as she wears shoes since she has grown a half inch). We want her to eat a more varied diet since she is so picky.

To us they are very different in appearance but some people think they are identical.

We put them in preschool at 3 1/2 years and separated them. It was hard at first. They would wait at recess for the other to come out to play together. After a few months, they had their own friends and would greet each other at recess but continue playing with own friends. The preschool also had 3 other twins which made it easier for the girls to be separate.
Now they are in the same class in 2nd grade only because we use the track system for year round school. The girls are in school for 9 weeks and off for 3 weeks and the cycle begins again. It would have been too difficult for the girls to be in different tracks. The track is the reason we are going after Labor Day. There 1st 3 week break starts the 9 of September.

Having to explain the fraternal twin can be fun and frustating. I had to explain to a "nurse" why her husbands family history of fraternal twins would not affect her when she became pregnant. I just asked her how that would cause her to drop two eggs at once before the light went off. She then acknowledge she should have known that.

Its been great except latelty they have started to bug each other. Its hard not to sound as if your taking one side over the other.

I have a question for those with older girls. Do they make girls clothing sizes smaller than they use to in the past? I ask because my youngest daughter, who is 7, has to wear size 10-12 for her clothes to fit. Yes we expect to be taller than her father.