Top 10 Popular Twins Baby Names in 2008
Choosing your baby’s name is not picnic. But choosing twins babies’ names is even more daunting.
A child’s name can be so significant in their identity, their personality, their popularity, etc.
With twins, it’s even more difficult. Do you name them similar names to celebrate the fact that they are twins or do you name them completely different names to underline their individuality? Well, the answers to these questions are completely subjective. But here is a list from the Social Security Administration on the Top Twins Baby Names for 2008. Now you can get a glimpse of what other people are doing.
| Rank | Names | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob, Joshua | 69 |
| 2 | Daniel, David | 59 |
| 3 | Jayden, Jordan | 56 |
| 4 | Ethan, Evan | 50 |
| 5 | Taylor, Tyler | 43 |
| 6 | Gabriella, Isabella | 42 |
| 7 | Isaac, Isaiah | 40 |
| 8 | Madison, Morgan | 38 |
| 9 | Elijah, Isaiah | 36 |
| 10 | Ella, Emma | 35 |
Product Watch: Rock-a-My-Baby on a Door Top
We love ingenuity around here at Gigi’s Crib and this new crib by Swedish company Mawok has definitely met our high standards! It seems babies would naturally embrace this bed… smooth rocking motion to remind them of momma’s belly, soft padded mattress and the added convenience of hooking up right next to your bed for nightly feedings and cuddling. Ahh…who could ask for more?
Here is the product description from the company:
“Soft hammock
A soft and enfolding hammock is a prerequisite for the baby to lie safely when Mawok smoothly rocks up and down, and in addition we know that babies like sleeping snugly. Furthermore, although no known cure for SIDS exists so far, pediatricians recommend back sleeping, and in Mawok babies lie safely on their back, the SIDS recommended position. The mattress is made out of styrofoam, measuring 29 x 78 cm, with a cotton canvas cover (washable at 60 degrees Centigrades).
Suspension
Two new modes of suspension are offered, one permanent which is attached to the wall and one mobile which is simply hung over a door. The mobile solution is a safe and neat solution which is easy to suspend in new places, a solution unique to Mawok. The hammock is easily and quickly alternated between the two modes of suspension. This means that your baby always sleeps in its ”own” bed, day and night and even if the place changes.”
My only concern would be what if someone opens the door and you have the baby hooked up on the inside? It’s not very idiot proof and I am not sure if this will get approved in the US. No pun intended, but I can just see how this can go wrong if unattended or if attached to unsafe locations.
I wish they would come up with one of these for adults! And it even comes with a mosquito net so you can hang your baby from a tree for a good nap in the park. 
What do you think about this product?
If you own one, what can you tell us about it?
Are Your Children TV Addicts?
Some days I wish my daughter WOULD WATCH TV all day!!! Does that make me a bad mother???? I try to FORCE her to watch TV – but no luck??? Am I the only one who has a child who won’t watch tv??? Even when I absolutely need her to? I should be embarrassed to admit this but if you knew my daughter, you would understand. She epitomizes the energizer bunny. She just doesn’t ever stop. Most days I cant even cook her breakfast without witnessing the terror attacks on our cat with the laundry hamper (she traps the cat underneath it like a cage and tries to be “nice”), the stampede on our 13 year old pitbull (Most days she tries to see how long she can stand on the poor dog while she flips around on the swivel chair–thank god our dog is docile), the destruction of every piece of furniture and wall in the house and soooo much more!!! She is out of control.
I feel like I have to pick my battles most days. If I dont, I end up SCREAMING at her all day and my vocabulary consitsts of — NO, dont do that. DOnt do this! Stop it!!! Im warning You!!! Come here!!! NO NO NO!!! We dont eat crayons!!! NO NO NO, we dont take off our diapers!!! And so on and so on!!!
There are times I BEG her to watch TV!!! Just for 30 minutes! Doesn’t work! Go figure!
Anyway, this new study by the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, indicates that television may reduce speech in the home and, in turn, could hinder a young child’s language development.
Researchers at attached a small, business-card-size devices to 329 children from 2 months to 4 years old on random days each month during a two-year period to capture everything a child heard and said. They found that while the average adult speaks about 1,000 words an hour, that number goes down by 25 percent to 50 percent when a television set is on.
“This builds a pretty strong argument that television delays language development,” said Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “And the effects of learning words is not just about language development but also cognitive development.”
Christakis suggests eliminating TV for children under 2 years and limiting television time to two hours a day for older kids. He also said parents should keep the television off during meals, avoid using TV as a reward, keep TV out of the bedrooms and turn off the tube when a chosen program ends.
Now, this is coming from just one mother of a two year old, but I have not noticed any delay in her speech development from watching TV. In fact, I’ve noticed she picks up new words and songs. She can even sing her ABC’s now, count to 10 and sing the Barney Song. She knows a lot of other songs also that we didn’t teach her that she picked up from the Sprout channel – The Happy Birthday Song, Twinkle Twinkle and a bunch more! And she is 22 months old. She knows a lot of colors and other things they include in the shows and when we play together, her Dad an I reinforce those things as well. We read books, sing songs, count to 10, do puzzles, and pretend play but COME ON — how much of that can you do in a day???
Obviously, if you left your child in front of the TV all day and didnt interact with him/her at all, OBVIOUSLY, that would impair social skills and cognitive development. They learn from copying others around them and speech is best learned through real human interaction.
Have you ever tried to learn to speak another language through DVD’s and books??? Not so good right??? But what if you moved to that country and actually interacted with the natives??? Language skills and fluency jumped through the roof, right?? You pick up the meanings of sooo many more words and expression simply through observing and communicating with a human being. Things like that you can’t pick up from TV, a book or a class. However, they can reinforce what you’ve learned through repetition and further practice on your own.
Children are the same way. They learn from actual real life communications with their parents and TV, books, etc. can reinforce that k nowledge. Leave them in front of the TV all day and you only get half the recipe.
I am not sure how these researchers came to the conclusion that children should not watch ANY TV at all. In my humble opinion, everything in moderation can be useful, healthy and even further your child’s development. But don’t take my word for it. I’m no certified scientist or child development researcher.
What do you do during the day with your children?? What kind of activies do you participate in? Do you let them watch TV??
Are you Making a Mockery of Parenthood?
Ok …. so we’ve been making a mockery of motherhood at Gigi’s Crib for a few years now, and I thought it was interesting to read that the New York Times is just finally now reporting on a trend away from being a Helicopter Mommy!
Apparently, people are beginning to understand that trusting our instincts and intuition is not such a bad thing when it comes to raising our children. That we don’t have to compete with the Joneses and show off what a perfect parent we are. We can be nurses, marketing managers, designers, doctors, wives or whatever first and then mothers. We don’t have to wear motherhood like a crown/identity everywhere we go. It’s OK to be YOU!
You are not a bad mother if you don’t give your children violin lessons, Michael Douglas’ nanny, private kindergarten, private French lessons, 4 home-cooked meals per day plus a special snack, or whatever it is you think you need to give them.
The current revolution in parenting seems to shy away from smothering your children.
I wonder how long this trend will last and what the next will be?
What do you think? What is your parenting style?
Potty Training Mommy
So I sat down to write something about some relevant news topic, and realized I have to pee. Really bad. And you know I have no idea why but I just continue to hold it. I have no idea why I am doing this because frankly it is really uncomfortable. And really going to the bathroom is not some long task, some Olympic sport. I mean what ? I have to walk 10 feet, unzip my jeans (okay okay you got me – I am wearing sweats – even easier than unzipping pants!!) and I will feel completely relieved and 100% better?! Yet I continue to make myself suffer.
It is not as if I have to use an outhouse or I am driving on a high way or in the middle of a stadium where the bathroom is hazardous to my health. I am not a fireman or cop in the midst of saving some one’s life where there is literally no time, or an action hero in some movie that has not been scripted to pee. (Ever notice how in those suspense movies NO ONE EVER goes to the bathroom? I mean in the show 24 we are supposedly following crime fighter Jack Bauer for 24 straight hours yet the guy NEVER pees. What is up with that?)
There is a bathroom just a mere 10 feet away, it is clean and stocked with all kinds of toilet papers, and wipes and nicely scented sprays and such. Yet, I am so what? Lazy? Sadistic? Focused? that I insist on holding it?
The funniest part of all?! I know I am not alone. Half of you reading this are probably doing the same thing. I know this is true because every single time I announce I have to go to the bathroom another mother/friend will go “Me too!! I really have to go too!” as if they needed to be reminded their bladder is about to burst. Seriously, think about it. Do you have to pee right now?
Hey on a bright note, maybe if I wet my pants and someone reads this I will get to do a product review for Depends. Okay, this is ridiculous…I have nothing to say because I can’t even think of anything but my bladder and now my legs are crossed so tight they are starting to hurt. (Hey wait. Is this technically a thigh exercise that I can loose weight from?) If someone turns on a facet I am in serious trouble. Oh the sound of running water, not good. Okay I have to go……..I am going to ………..oops……um, too late. So warm and what a relief………..(HA HA JUST KIDDING!!) Now go pee before we BOTH have an accident.
