When my twins were born at 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and 6 pounds, 9 ounces, I was told that they were very large for twins. After all, more than half of all twins are born before 36 weeks (an "average" singleton pregnancy is 40 weeks), and therefore twins are usually on the small side. But my twins now seem like "preemies" compared to the Maynard twins of North Carolina. Sean William and Abigail Rose had a combined weight of 23 pounds, 1 ounce at birth on June 20, 2008. Abigail weighed 12 pounds, 3 ounces, and Sean weighed 10 pounds, 14 ounces. Surprisingly, though, they aren't the biggest twins on record. A pair of twins was born in Arkansas in 1927 with a combined weight of 27 pounds, 12 ounces! The Maynard twins are both healthy and doing well after their Caesarean section birth.
By Susan M. Heim
These are some of the funniest or cutest T-shirt slogans I've seen for twins!
by Susan M. Heim
Multiples pose a unique parenting challenge, whether they're in the womb or in high school! These quick tips can help parents survive and, yes, even thrive during their multiples' many ages and stages. Click to read the rest of this entry
By Holly Engel-Smothers
As your twins move into the preschool years, songs and fingerplays become exciting, happy ways to increase vocabulary, teach rhyming, and practice fine motor skills.
Children's minds are actually not able to have memories until around age 3. (My twins don't even remember the humongous double stroller we used several times a day!) That means that your three-year-old twins may now be able to remember trips to the zoo, library, and park. But just because babies don't have actual memories before age 3, their minds are still working on growing, learning how to manipulate their gross and fine motor skills, talking, eating, etc. During this period, their minds will recall the "feelings" in their environment, such as the sense of security they feel when they are hugged, kissed, read to, and played with. Your babies' minds will not achieve optimal growth without these loving feelings. Click to read the rest of this entry
Reported by the Social Security Administration
1 Jacob, Joshua
2 Matthew, Michael
3 Daniel, David
4 Isaac, Isaiah
5 Ella, Emma
6 Madison, Morgan
7 Taylor, Tyler
8 Landon, Logan
9 Brandon, Bryan
10 Christian, Christopher
11 Gabriella, Isabella
12 Andrew, Matthew
13 Faith, Hope
14 Joseph, Joshua
15 Ethan, Evan
16 Jacob, Joseph
17 Mackenzie, Madison
18 Alexander, Benjamin
19 Caleb, Joshua
20 Hailey, Hannah
21 Isabella, Sophia
22 Madison, Matthew
23 Emily, Ethan
24 Joshua, Matthew
25 Nathan, Nicholas
26 Andrew, Anthony
27 Jayden, Jordan
28 Madison, Mason
29 Elijah, Isaiah
30 Alexander, Nicholas
31 Jeremiah, Joshua
32 Emma, Ethan
33 Olivia, Sophia Click to read the rest of this entry
by Vikki Stark
Family therapist Vikki
Stark interviewed hundreds of women, teens, and girls all over the world for
what she termed "The Sisters Project." Her goal was to explore every aspect of
the participants' relationships with their sisters, both as children and
adults. This passage is excerpted from a chapter entitled "Wombmates: Twin
Sisters" in her book, My Sister, My Self: Understanding the Sibling
Relationship That Shapes Our Lives, Our Loves, and Ourselves.
Twins are well known for having
private means of communication. The women in The Sisters Project described that
special interchange in two ways. Click to read the rest of this entry
Twins: Getting Out and About
By Anik Giguère-Biollo
One of the most frustrating things I’ve found about being the mother of twins is that getting out of the house alone with them can be very difficult. I’ve often longingly thought back to my leisurely outings with my first child and wished life were still that easy now! Nonetheless, however challenging it may be to get out and about with two babies, with a little planning and flexibility, it is entirely possible to go do errands, visit with family and friends, or just get outside for some fresh air. Click to read the rest of this entry
by Susan M. Heim
BATON ROUGE, LA (April 24, 2008) - Gemini Greetings LLC (www.geminigreetings.com), specializing in greetings cards for families with twins, triplets or quadruplets, announced today the addition of Mother's Day and Father's Day cards to its exclusive line.
These distinctive cards offer a unique way for families with multiples to recognize their parents' special days. Whether the cards are from twin boys or triplet girls, Gemini Greetings has specialized cards available that cannot be found anywhere else. "As a mother of twin toddlers, I know that finding greeting cards that reflect our family is nearly impossible," says Angelice Tyson, President of Gemini Greetings. "I wanted to create a line of cards that not only work for families with multiples but also for those that love them." Click to read the rest of this entry
By Carrie Kauffman
I'm a member of a local Moms of Multiples group. We meet once a month, and it's a great time to get out with other moms who have twins and more. Our multiples group has several outlets for sharing new ideas and helpful hints. We have a monthly newsletter that includes good articles, and we share what's going on for the month. We have several activities throughout the year for our families and their children. We have a Halloween hayride, holiday party, egg hunt, and a family picnic. Click to read the rest of this entry