☆Malauhouse 100Q☆

『100 Questions to moms of twins』～ Malau Mother version

This 100Q has been translated by Malau Mother with a permission from the original author, Ucchi at 【TEA ROOM Ichigona Futago】
（ URL：http://www.geocities.co.jp/SweetHome-Ivory/3912）
If you decide to use thiese questions (English version), please cleary mention in your website (on the page you have your 100Q) following sitenames and URLs:

sitename	URL
Malauhouse	http://www.geocities.jp/malauhouse/index.html
TEA ROOM	http://www.geocities.co.jp/SweetHome-Ivory/3912

*** Please note ***
Although I have tried my best to preserve as much nuance as Ucchi's original presents,
some of it may have been lost during the translation. Also, please dismiss minor grammatical errors,
for I am not a native speaker of English, nor professional interpreter/translator.

Ucchi's request
Ucchi, raising then 6-month-old twins, would like to ask fellow mothers of twins about the following 100 questions. These are the questions that she wanted to ask other moms of twins while pregnant with her twins. The questions ask mostly about how your twins were when they were several months old. If your twins have already passed that age, please answer the questions remembering back in those days. If you decide to use these questions on your website (for describing yourself for your "profile" and so on), Please cleary mention the name of Ucchi's site " TEA ROOM Ichigona Futago" and its URL ( http://www.geocities.co.jp/SweetHome-Ivory/3912) on the page you have your 100Q. Notification of the usage of 100Q, and a link to Ucchi's site, though not required, would be greatly appreciated.

Ucchi's request

Ucchi, raising then 6-month-old twins, would like to ask fellow mothers of twins about the following 100 questions. These are the questions that she wanted to ask other moms of twins while pregnant with her twins. The questions ask mostly about how your twins were when they were several months old. If your twins have already passed that age, please answer the questions remembering back in those days.
If you decide to use these questions on your website (for describing yourself for your "profile" and so on), Please cleary mention the name of Ucchi's site " TEA ROOM Ichigona Futago" and its URL ( http://www.geocities.co.jp/SweetHome-Ivory/3912) on the page you have your 100Q.
Notification of the usage of 100Q, and a link to Ucchi's site, though not required, would be greatly appreciated.

１　What's your handlename?
Malau Mother （or 1hime2taro）

２　Date of Birth? Address? (Please answer to the extent that you feel most comfortable.)
Year of dogs, Ohio, USA

３　Describe the layout of your house.　 If you live in an apartment, does it have an elevator?
4bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, individual home

４　When is your twins' birthday? How old are they now?
June, 2003. Just turned 2.

５　Are your twins your first & second?
no, they are our second & third.

６　Are they girl-, boy-, or mix- twins?
boy twins

７　Identical or fraternal?
Identical, told by the doctor.

８　What are your twins' names? (Please answer to the extent that you feel most comfortable.)
Chuck & John (Handlenames only)

９　When did you find out you are having twins?
19 weeks

10　What did you think?
"What the...??!!" "Did you just say two?????"

11　What was your spouse's reaction?
Immediately said, "we need to by a [bigger] car...,"
with a puzzled but delighted face expression.

12　What about your family and friends?
purely surprised

13　have you had twins around while growing up?
a couple pairs of twins throughtout middle & high schools.
Never in my family, but my husband's uncles are twins.

14　What was the word made you happy while pregnant?
"Congratulations!" "You are very lucky!"

15　What was the worst word?
"They'll definitely arrive in May [earlier]."
"Isn't that great that you will have one labor, and get two babies?"

16　How was your morning sickness? Light? Severe?
I practically had none. Lucky me☆

17　When did you notice that your belly was getting bigger?
around 22 weeks, I think...

18　When did you feel the fetal movement?
16 weeks on

19　Did you have any trouble during the pregnancy?
No, except for the extremely itchy skins.

20　Did you get hospitalized for observation? (If "yes" how long?)
no

21　Did you develop stretch marks?
no, none whatsoever!

22　What did you enjoy the most while pregnant?
I got to do lunch with my husband before each check-up.
(We had someone watching for our daughter.)

23　What was the hardest thing while pregnant?
nothing I can think about. But, probably the size of belly. Hard to deal with.

24　What did you wish to do most while pregnant?
lying on my belly. Swimming exercize for expecting moms.

25　Please tell us about an episode unique to carrying twins.
fetal movement after all. One moves, then the other starts, too.

26　Was there any items that was very usefull while carrying twins?
Belly supporter(?) The belly was too heavy without any support.

27　Did you replace anything because of the pregnancy with twins?
Stroller

28　What was your overall high on the circumference of the abdomen?
Don't know. It's not a part of the routine items to check on a regular visit in US.
Wish I'd taken the mesurement myself...

29　How much weight have you gained overall?
9 kg (20 lbs)

3 Whad did you do knowingly that you were not supposed to do while carrying twins?
Went skiing, down the slope with my (then) 14-month-old on my back.

31　How did you decide which hospital to go?
It wasn't exactly my choice.
The hospital was predetermined by which doctor I choose.

32　Did you go back to your hometown to give birth? (If so, for how long?)
no

33　Type of delivery?
vaginal birth (no drugs)

34　How far along were you?>
37weeks 6days

35　Was delivery the way you wanted? Or, was it the way recommended by the doctor/hospital?
The type of delivery was ultimately what I hoped for, but...

36　How were the twins positioned before birth?
both head down(4 days before delivery)

37　How did your labor start and progress?
started suddenly, and progressed extremely fast

38　How long was your labor?
less than an hour

39　How much did the twins weigh?
Chuck: 6lbs 5oz (2867g)
John: 5lbs 11oz (2580g)

40　Were they placed in the incubators?
mmmm, they did, but not really...
They didn't stay in them any longer than few hours.

41　What did you think when you first saw the twins?
Holy, cra_! They're already out!!!

42　What was the hardest thing for your postpartum body?
I don't recall anything that hard physically...

43　Did you have postpartum dipression/stress?
I suppose I did as an average...? Don't remember much.

44　How many days were you (mom) and the twins at the hospital?
2 days for all three of us.

45　Who named the twins?
My husband and I did.
(I was in charge for "sound" and my husband was for "Chinese characters")

46　Did you name your twins considering the similarities/closeness of each name?
Though we did, to certain extent.

47　If there is a special reason on naming your twins, please tell us.
Tried our best to accomodate three languages, Japanese, Cantonese, and English.

48　Did you go back to your parents' or someone came to help you? For how long?
My mother came.
For 2 months, and another month with 1 week inbetween.

49　Do you have anyone helping you with the twins during the day?
nope

50　How long were you able to breastfeed?
Until weaning when twins were almost 9 months.

51　Do you use cloth or disposal diapers?
disposable only, of course.

52　How many bottles do you use?
Didn't use bottles.
maybe 4 during the very first few weeks when we added some formula.

53　How did you sanitize the bottles (and other items)? For how long?
cold sterilization, or boiling.
up to about 1 month (after that I didn't use bottles)

54　Did you try simultaneous feeding? If yes, how?
Throughout their first 9 months. One on each side, football-hold.

55　How are you washing/bathing the twins? Who does it?
When the twins were little, we used babybath. One at a time.
Now, we put both of them (plus their sister) in the tub at once.
Sometimes myself, sometimes my husband. Or both of us.

56　When did you start feeding solids?
About 5 months

57　Do your twins have night cries/terrors? How did you get by?
sometimes.
Made my husband, who has a talent to go back to sleep in 3 seconds, to deal with it.

58　How do your twins sleep? (Bed? Futon? or with you?)
In one crib.
Used to be cuddling close, now running each other over.

59　Since when do your twins sleep through the night (without feeding)?
Around 7 months, I think...

60　Name 5 items that are essential to raising twins.
pacifiers, bouncers, boppy pillows, safety harness, double stroller

61　Items that you are glad you have two. Items that you could have gotten by with one.
Need 2: High chairs, car seats
OK with 1: crib (we only prepared one)

62 How much does it cost you for formula & diaper per month?
We got away with not paying a dime on formula.
Used the free samples sent to us.
Diapers on the other hand, about $50 per month.

63　Did you get back to the pre-pregnancy weight & figure?
Weight had gone back at one time, but... figure is out of question.
Now, straight to the middle-age-spread phase.

64　Oh, boy! They both started crying! What would you do?
When the twins were very little, holding one and put the other on a bouncer.
Double holding at one time. Now, either group hug or double on lap (sitting).

65　What type of stroller do you use?
Double stroller, tandem. Haven't been using it much lately.

66　How do you get your grocery done?
My husband usually takes care of it on his way back from work or so.
But, sometimes all 5 of us go out for shopping.

67　How do you take the twins on a day out?
Automobile society America, by driving, of course.

68　Tell us the layout of your child seats in your car. The make of the car?
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
One on the 2nd row (passenger side) for our daughter
(driver side seat is usually put away underneath.) two side by side on the 3rd row.

69　What time does your husband come home?
Around 6:30 ish??

70　Out of 100, what's your husband's score for his contribution to raising kids? Why?
90
-5 for dropping everything and anything for TV.
He really can't hear, nor can he see things around him when TV's on.
-5 for not thinking about being a good role model for manners, attitude, language, etc.

71　Looking back, when would you say was the hardest time?
Till the twins turned one..., it was really tough physically.

72　Lokking back, when would you say things started to get better?
Just recently. Twins started to play with each other more.

73　When you look at your twins, do they look alike?
From the back, yeah. I can't differenciate them from the back.

74　Do your twins have similar personalities? How are they different?
Completely different.
Chuck does things on his own pace and very stubborn.
John is easily elated, and very playful.

75　Does one cry if the other starts crying?
Not always. But, sometimes.

76　Are there any gap in the twins' growth/developing pace?
some

77　Do you have a moment that you favor one over the other?
Of course, I do. It's not always the same one, though.

78　Have you ever wished it weren't twins that you have?
Of course, I do.

79 Do you start conversation when you find other moms of twins?
Yes, as long as she doesn't emit "Do not talk to me" aura.

80　Do people talk to you when you go out with twins? What do they say?
Yes, very much so. "Are they twins?" " They are so cute!"

81　Tell us the words that you felt touching.
Not really words, but in their own considerate ways,
many older ladies make positive comments to my daughter
who often feels left out without that.
I'm grateful for their warm thoughts.

82　Now, let's get it out. What was the worst comment?
Can't think of any.
I guess I haven't had really bad experience, or simply don't realize it...?

83　Where was the farthest you took twins to? How old were the twins? What kind of transportation?
Going back to visit family and friends,
we used trains to go across Japan from Tokyo southwestward, and northward.
Twins were 9 months old.

84　What public service or support do you wish there were for families with twins?
Silly things like, free samples from companies should be "per kid" not "per pregnancy"
It doesn't do any good when we have only one set of, say toddler plate & mug set.

85　How do you spend your weekends/holidays?
Going out, shopping, parks, events, etc.

86　What do you do to get rid of your stress?
internet, creating my website/weblog, gathering & talking with friends, crafts

87　Where do you obtain information and/or solution regarding raising twins?
get advise from fellow twin moms through internet, or from the local twins' moms' group.

88　What is your biggest concern regarding your twins right now?
All kinds of mischief from "the terrible two" escalating, and possible injuries with it.

89　What are you interested in besides raising kids right now?
Making website, dieting

90　Ok, we'll give you one week of freedom! What would you like to do?
Go on a trip with my husband

91　When do you feel you've changed by having twins?
All three of my children started to cry, scream, shout...,
and I can still keep my sanity. (only happens once in a great while...)

92　When do you think "I'm glad I have twins!"?
When they both run up to me with big smilesm,
and give me big hugs and kisses from both sides.

93　When do you feel like crying, "Being a parent of twins is so hard!!"?
When there are troubles, and I have literally not enough hands
to deal with twins and something (someone) else.

94　Have you had any episode that made you feel, "Twins are mysterious...?"
Yes. They are talking to each other with the language nobodyelse would understand.

95　Tell us the latest, funniest episode regarding twins☆
Whe I was putting Lum's(big sister) hair up,
one of the twins were trying to tell me by holding his fist up on his head.
I didn't understand it first, but he was asking me to have his hair done, too.
Once he was done, the other one came up to me with the same gesture.

96　What kind of persons do you wish your twins to be?
caring and kind

97　Please, any comments or a good cheer for those twins' moms & expecting moms of twins☆
To fellow moms of twins!  --> "To moms raising twins without much of help
from outside of their immediate family, especially for those in Japan...
I have a great respect for you all, and wish the very best♪!!"

To expecting moms of twins  --> When I was carrying my boys,
my husband and I attended a class for expecting parents of multiples,
at which I found relief on the words the lecturer gave us.
So, here it is...
"You are NOT "just" pregnant. You are pregnant with TWINS!"
With those words, I was able to control my feelings around those who don't understand.

98　Do you wish to be the mother of twins if you are born again?
Yes, for Chuck & John！

99　What comments do you want to give yourself?
Hang in there ~~~ ♪

100　Last, but not least, what do "twins" mean to you?
Very interesting and mysterious beings, AND two of my precious kids!

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