Lately I've had toys on the brain... Can you blame me? It's practically Christmas, and I have yet to finish shopping for my boys! Figuring out what to get the boys can be challenging for me. As a twin mom, it's so easy to be inundated with toys--ALL THE LOUD, NOISY TOYS, that we mamas just love. We decided long ago that two of everything wasn't going to work for us. And we agreed that our boys need a ton of toys, we'd like them to value the ones they do have. So we've carefully selected toys that have a good lifespan, meaning our boys can't {easily} destroy them and that they will hopefully enjoy playing with for a long time.
**This post contains affiliate links, which
means if you click on a link and make a purchase I'll receive a small
commission at no extra charge to you. To learn more you can view my full disclosure here.**
Honestly, this has been a tall order so far. Some duds have definitely slipped past our radar. Seeing as I'm probably not the only one who has a tough time finding quality toys for this age group, I thought I'd share with you the toys that have been hits with our now 17.5 month old twin boys.
Toys we own and love:
1. Melissa & Doug Caterpillar Gear Toy**. This is BY FAR my boys' favorite toy. If I took everything else away and left them with this, they'd still be two very happy boys. This is one of the very, very few toys we actually have two of. We take it with us on trips to grandma's and hotel stays. They love it that much!
2. Fisher-Price Classic Infant Trio.
There's a reason this is a classic. I remember playing with all of
these as a kid. My boys love sorting the blocks {and chewing them}. They
love the stacking the "donuts" as we call them, and they really love balancing
them on mama's head. BUT their favorite is definitely the xylophone.
Yes, it's noisy, but they are making their own music. I love that the
cord on the xylophone is short, so that they can't bang each other with
the stick.
3. Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze. My boys love things that spin! We actually earned one of these by saving up and redeeming our diaper points. Score!! I love that it has suction cups on the bottom. We suctioned it to our french doors, to encourage the boys to practice standing.
4. O-Ball Infant Rattle.
This was one of the very first toys they actually played with. Those
little holes are perfect for little hands to grasp and shake. My boys
still love playing with these. They are great for throwing and rolling
practice, because they are flexible and light. I don't have to worry
about them hurting each other or damaging things in the house. This is
another product we have two of.
5. Melissa & Doug K's Kids Pull-Back Vehicle Set. These little cars are adorable. My boys haven't quite mastered the pull-back idea, but they love pushing them around the house. They think it's hilarious when we adults pull-back and let them go. I love that they are soft, I don't have to worry about the boys falling on top of them as my wobbly new walkers do often.
6. Early Years Roll 'n Swirl Ball Ramp. This one is prefect for teaching cause and effect. My boys love dropping the ball down the ramp and hearing it plunk-plunk-plunk down the ramp. They love playing together with this one, thankfully it comes with 3 balls- one for GummyBear, JellyBean and Mommy.
7. Bright Starts Lots of Links Accessory. Technically this isn't a toy, but my boys have been playing with these since they could grab them. We used them to attach extra toys to our play gym and infant chairs. But our boys loved grabbing them and waving chains of them back and forth. They also happen to be my boys preferred teether {haha}. Bonus use! They can still be found in our play room. In addition to chewing them {molars, anyone?}, they love collecting them and putting them into containers. They also love when mama helps them make long chains of them.
8. Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Workbench. Another big time favorite in our house. This is the toy that encouraged both my boys to sit up on their own, just so they could play with it. This one has all the bells and whistles, but the volume can be turned down or off. Also there are three settings that change the songs, so that you aren't constantly hearing the same song over and over. I actually find the songs to be cute and some are even educational (ABCs, counting, size, colors). I appreciate that the boys can still enjoy it when mama turns the sound off, since all of the moving parts still work without power. I'm going to be honest here... my boys were super rough on this toy, because they loved it so much. I mean they literally spent hours ramming that poor little drill press lever up and down very rapidly, multiple times a day for extended periods {they would sit there and take turns with it, giggling away}. And between the two of them it was just too much for that poor little drill press lever to handle. A spring in the mechanism broke, and the drill press stopped spinning. I honestly think it was a freak thing, because I've read many reviews and I haven't heard of this happening to anyone else. Fisher-Price customer service seemed surprised too. They were great and sent a check to pay for a replacement. We definitely bought a new one, because my boys just adore it! We'll let you know how this one holds up!
9. V-Tech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker. Okay, let me start by saying this was not my favorite toy to begin with, but it's grown on me since my boys LOVE this thing. Initially we used it in the "sit" mode, and basically it's your typical noisy and flashy toy, with very repetitive songs {thankfully they can be turned off} and some "educational" toys (shapes, gears, and a piano}. My boys liked the moving parts but it really didn't hold their attention for long. When they started cruising, we switched it to "stand" mode. That's when they absolutely fell in love with this toy. In fact they love it so much, that their first and only biting incident was because one of them tried to steal it from the other! We were lucky to a have friend who offered to let us borrow a second one, but we definitely would've purchased a second one if she hadn't offered. It has been such a great tool for encouraging walking and for their independence. They love racing around the house and following us around too- it's so much faster than crawling.
And just for you a bonus idea!
10. Books. They're not technically a toy, but my boys LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading. They love when we read to them and they love to "read" them independently. Seriously nothing melts my teacher heart more than peeking into their room and hearing them "read" aloud. Those little babbles as they turn the pages are so, so precious to me. Now, I could link to a million books, but I'll limit myself to our top 2- Little Blue Truck and Peek-A Who. These are the ones we all go back to over and over. Currently they are also loving touchy-feely texture books and flap books, some of the best are from Usborne Books and More. {I'm not a consultant and I'm not being compensated for linking, I'm just a big fan}.
So there you have it, our twin-tested, mom-approved toys!
I hope you found this list helpful, if you did I would appreciate you sharing it with your friends. Comment below with your must-have toys for 1 year-olds!
**Disclaimer** This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a
small commission through when purchases are made by using the link.
Regardless, all product reviews are my honest, unbiased opinion. If I
share it, it is something I have honestly used and loved. Otherwise I wouldn't share it!
This post is a part of my series "Becoming Mommy," if you would like to read part 1 click here. The following blog post was written by me and originally published on whatthehellp.com.
________________
On an
uncharacteristically dreary Thursday in late May of last year, I woke up
much earlier than I wanted to. People who know me well know that I am
not in the least bit a morning person. But being pregnant with twins
means you always get the early morning appointments. So I hauled my big
ole pregnant self into the bathroom to get ready. Once on my feet I knew
something was off. My back and head were KILLING me. I figured it
probably had something to do with being 5'2" and measuring 45 weeks
pregnant already at just 33 weeks and 3 days. Or maybe it was because I
scrubbed the showers yesterday (nesting makes you do really strange
things). I didn't know for sure why I was in pain but I knew I had to do
something about it. So I took a bath (which I never do in the morning)
and the pain melted away.
Eventually
I drove myself to the hospital, checked in at 8 am, and waited a bit.
As I waddled to the maternity ward, following one of the hospital
registrars, I wondered why the heck she had to walk so fast. Nothing
makes you more self-conscious than a much older lady pausing to wait for
you to catch up. When we finally we made it to my room, I got hooked up
to all the monitors. One for me, one for Baby A, and one for Baby B.
And then began the nearly impossible task of monitoring both boys for 30
minutes straight. This was my 3rd time being monitored, so I knew that
it could take up to 5 hours to get clear readings. I watched helplessly
as each boy kicked his monitor out of place and a nurse rushed in to
reposition things. Finally 2 hours later we got a clear reading. The
nurse looked at me funny and asked if I was feeling any pain. I told her
that I was uncomfortable from laying on my back. To my surprise, she
told me I was having contractions and said she'd be right back. She came
back with a pill (Procardia) that would stop my contractions. After
taking it, we waited 30 minutes and I was rechecked. They were waning,
but still concerning, so they gave me another dose. Thirty more minutes
passed and she checked again. Almost gone, but I got another
precautionary dose (the max daily dose, I was told). Thirty more minutes
passed and they were all but gone. I was being discharged.
As
I got up out of the bed I got very lightheaded and realized just how
much my back hurt. Clearly I didn't look well, because the nurse asked
me if I was ok. I said I just needed to eat and that my back hurt from
laying down for nearly 4 hours. She got me a snack and water and asked
if I wanted to stay a bit longer. Definitely not, I wanted lunch and a
nap in my own nice comfy bed. So I told her I'd be fine, and waddled my
way back to the car.
By
the time I got to the car I was spent. And by the time I was half way
home (a mere 7 minutes later), I knew I should've stayed at the
hospital. The pain was mounting quickly, I could hardly take it. I was
dizzy and oh so very, very nauseous. I could hardly see straight, but I
knew I had to get myself home. And when I did, I projectile vomited.
Twice. I grabbed my phone and called my husband, Ben. He told me he was
on the way and to call my doctor. The nurse said to come in to the
clinic and get checked. Two minutes later she called to say go straight
to the maternity ward. Ben got home in record time. He rushed me to the
hospital. I felt like my back was ripping apart, every little bump was
like a knife to my spine.
We
made it back to the hospital just 30 minutes after I had left. I could
barely speak or stand. I was huffing and puffing. The registrar from
earlier saw me and came out of her office. Concerned she decided to find
me a wheelchair. It felt like it took her 10 years. And it felt like an
eternity while she pushed me to maternity. How could this be the same
lady I struggled to keep pace with?
We
finally made it and the nurse from earlier in the day got me setup in
my room. My doctor, came in to tell me she had been monitoring me all
morning. She was concerned. Especially when she found I was dilated to a
2 and 50% effaced. And there was blood. They immediately started me on a
magnesium sulfate drip. It was like fire through my veins. I remember
everyone being a bit frantic, but I was strangely calm. I still couldn't
feel the contractions and my back pain was subsiding. The magnesium was
making me more nauseated. After an hour on the magnesium with little
change, my doctor decided I needed to be airlifted from our small
hospital to a better equipped hospital. Unfortunately the weather was
bad that day. It took her 4 hours to find a way for me to get out of our
hospital. No one would airlift me unless I went to a hospital a 6+ hour
drive north instead of just 2 hours south (where I had been seeing a
specialist). Ben and I had to choose between the short flight north
(with him having to drive 6 hours alone) or the 2 hour long drive in the
ambulance (with the risk I'd deliver on the way).
I
remember feeling so sure that everyone was making a bigger deal of the
situation than was really needed. I wasn't at all concerned that I'd
deliver in the ambulance, honestly I thought they were all nuts. I
didn't even fell like I was in labor, I had no idea until later that my
contractions were less than a minute apart at this point! Ben and I
decided on the ambulance ride. Once we made the decision everyone
started rushing. They prepped me to leave-- I had more blood tests, new
IV ports placed, switched gurneys, met hospital administrators, was told
that it was unprecedented that a doctor and nurse would volunteer to
ride with me, met the transport team, and was rolled to the ambulance.
Somewhere
in the jumble Ben asked what I need from home. I told him some clothes
and my glasses, and added "you should maybe grab the car seats and
diaper bag just in case". I was convinced that bigger hospital would be
able to stop my labor and we'd be back home the next day. It was the
weirdest thing, everyone clearly thought this was an emergency. Everyone
but me. I remember time passing so slowly, it felt like I was in a
dream.
In
the ambulance they asked my doctor if she agreed we should run a "code
3," puzzled she asked what he meant. He explained that a “code 3” was
the highest level of emergency transport with lights and sirens the
whole way. She agreed it was necessary. Again I felt like they were
making a big deal out of nothing. I felt fine, my pain was completely
tolerable at this point. My doctor prayed for me and off we went.
We
finally arrived at the hospital at 7 pm, 11 hours after my day began.
As I was wheeled in I saw my sister in the waiting room. My parents were
on their way from 6 hours away. And I still had no inkling of how
serious things actually were.
I
was hooked up to monitors, had my IVs replaced yet again, and was
checked. Still 2 cm, still contracting. They switched my meds, because
the mag sulfate could cause damage if taken too long. More tests. No
answers. The babies were beginning to showing signs of distress. This
was when doubt began to trickle into my mind. Maybe the babies were
trying to tell us something. I decided all I could do was breathe deeply
and pray.
At this
point I started singing to myself (in my head...lest people think I'd
lost it completely). One song replayed over and over in my head, "You
call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail, and
there I find you in the mystery in oceans deep... When oceans rise my
soul will rest in your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine..."
(Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED, listen below). It was God speaking softly to me, telling me everything was in His hands. I prayed fervently.
Finally at 2 am we got answers. I had HELLP Syndrome-
H: Hemolysis (my red blood cells were being destroyed) EL: Elevated liver proteins (my liver was shutting down) LP: Low platelets (I was losing the ability to form blood clots)
The
resident who’d been overseeing my care apologized over and over for not
catching it sooner. She said none of my symptoms indicated
preeclampsia, which is typically (but not always) a precursor of HELLP.
My blood pressure was perfectly normal, and there wasn't any protein in
my urine. Nothing indicated the underlying issue until one of the blood
tests finally revealed the symptoms of HELLP. Later I found out I had
the most severe form of HELLP, and that I had been well on my way to
liver and kidney failure. After her apologies, the resident said the
only cure for HELLP is immediate delivery. This is the moment I finally
got scared. Not for me, but for Ben and my boys. I remember looking at
Ben and seeing him register that he was very close to losing me. That's
when I started to pray that God would give Ben the courage to get
through this, even if I didn't. I prayed that God would take care of Ben
and my boys no matter what was about to happen. I prayed that their
little lungs would grow quickly. I thanked God that we had made it to
one of the best NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) in the area. I
honestly never felt the urge to pray for myself, I was completely at
peace with whatever God had in store for me. I just wanted Ben and my
boys taken care of.
My
platelets were so low that it was too dangerous to do the surgery right
away, I’d likely bleed out on the operating table. But it was also too
late to get my natural labor restarted... (This is where things get a
bit fuzzy for me, these are details I've pieced together from my broken
memories and from others who were there...)
Before
my surgery I was given two platelet transfusions to bring my counts up
(it may have been more than 2... normal platelet count is 150-400 bil/L,
mine was 35). Once I reached the minimum for surgery, I was prepped. I
remember my mom and Ben being with me. Ben said we needed to pick Baby
B's name before I went in (Baby A's name had been chosen weeks ago). We
settled on one of our choices, which meant laughter. And boy did we need
some laughter just then. I was put under general anesthesia and the
boys were delivered at 9:05 and 9:06 am Friday morning. Just 25 hours
after I had arrived for a routine appointment.
I
remember waking in recovery. I felt as though I'd been hit by a truck. I
was in and out of consciousness, never fully aware of what was
happening. I was vomiting and crying out for pain medication. My mom was
frantically pushing the pain pump button for me. Nurses were scrambling
around me. My husband was splitting his time between me and the twins.
The pain was UNREAL.
I
didn't know it but I was hemorrhaging BADLY. I've been told I lost at
least 3 liters of blood. To put that in perspective, women on average
have a total blood volume of a bit less than 5 liters. I received at
least 6 units of blood. I remember the team of doctors joking about my
"six pack" as I was being prepped for surgery- my "six pack" being a
cooler with 6 units of blood matching my blood type just in case I
needed it. More than enough, they thought (boy were they wrong).
Apparently at some point while I was hemorrhaging, some of my "six pack"
even went missing and they had to scramble to get me more blood.
When
I next remember waking, I was in my own room. The awful magnesium
sulfate was burning through my veins again. I was so very thirsty,
begging for water and ice (you're not allowed fluids while on mag
sulfate). My family was there. I remember being surprised to see my aunt
had come all the way from Texas. I was still struggling to stay awake.
Honestly I don't remember most of that day. I got to see pictures of my
boys- pictures that broke my heart. They were in the NICU-- so tiny and
covered in wires. My body had failed them, they weren't ready for this. I
remember feeling extremely disappointed that I wasn't the first person
to meet them. I don't even quite know how to put into words what it
feels like to be a mother unable to hold or even visit her own babies. I
felt utterly disconnected.
I
remember waking the next day, feeling more coherent. I had a really
"busy" nurse that day who I hardly understood due to her broken English.
She was appalled that I hadn't been taken to the babies. I told her
they didn't want me moving while on the magnesium. She requested that
the doctor stop the mag drip. Once I was off it she wheeled me to the
NICU. Ben was confused because he knew there were specific protocols,
and he wasn't sure they were being followed. But he assumed she knew
what she was doing and went along with it. As we scrubbed in and rounded
the corner, I remember hearing the alarms and thinking that the NICU
was much louder than I expected. Little did I know that I was hearing
the alarms for my own sweet little ones. We got to the room they shared
with 6 other babies. It was frantic. I was confused. A nurse recognized
Ben and told us we needed to leave. It hit me...Our babies were the ones
crashing. Their doctor explained something to us, but her words fell on
deaf ears. I was completely numb.
I
felt apart when we returned to my room. This was so not the plan. I had
had a great pregnancy. Both boys were in prime position for a natural
delivery. I was planning to try to avoid pain medications. I was just 3
weeks away from my induction date. But somehow it all went wrong. I
FAILED. I prayed so hard for those little boys. I asked God to spare
them and to prepare us for what lay ahead.
Later
(that night, I think) I was finally able to meet my boys. They had
recovered from their unexplained heart issues. But they were on
breathing tubes and in isolettes when I met them. So fragile, so
helpless. It was too much to take in. I was overwhelmed and heart
broken. All I could do was apologize to them. I was so afraid to touch
them for fear that I would make things even worse
Sunday
was a blur of visiting with family, pumping milk for my boys, and
visiting the NICU. I was starting to feel myself again, and was
recovering fairly well. Monday morning I got a treat, the AWESOME nurses
arranged for me to hold both boys at the same time. They got the miles
of cords and piles of monitors situated so that my boys could meet each
other again. It was such a precious moment. And it finally sunk in...
they were ours, our sweet boys --and by God's grace we were all going to
get through this.
That
day all the family left to return to their homes and it was just Ben
and I. Reality was slowly sinking in... I had been so, so close to
death. But quite miraculously I recovered very quickly. The doctors
couldn't explain why I was doing so well despite still having very low
iron and platelets. When I was released both were still quite low, but I
was showing no signs of lingering complications. And I was discharged
on Tuesday afternoon. Nothing stings more than seeing the empty car
seats in the back seat as you leave the hospital. I wept for hours.
My
boys were just 33 weeks and 4 days when they were born. They were so
small and having a really hard time keeping their heart rates up. They
also had some breathing issues, but thankfully that all passed within a
few days. The graduated to being "growers and feeders," once they could
eat on their own and showed steady growth they'd be released. After 19
days Baby A was released, and two days later so was Baby B. We were
finally headed home.
And
now with just days to go before their 1st birthday, you would never
know my boys had such a dramatic entry into the world. They are happy
little bundles of energy. We've definitely had bumps along the way, but
we are so very thankful to God that we all made it through. He has been
faithful and has healed my guilt and feelings of failure. I may never
understand exactly why this happened to us, but I know that God was
there with me, and I am thankful for the perspective it's given me.
Things like nap troubles pale in comparison to wondering if your babies
will survive the night…
