:: ying + yang ::

After having boy/girl twins, I am a firm believer that boys and girls are BORN fundamentally different. C1 (boy) is impulsive and assertive, while C2 (girl) is thoughtful and laid back. Same womb, same parents, same home. Totally different realities. Not exactly a politically correct idea, but scientifically supported.

During our "date night", Architectdad indulged me with a trip to the book store. I searched the new non-fiction display and found "the Male Brain" by Louann Brizendine, MD. I also picked up her early book "the Female Brain."

I found the chapters about fetal and child brain development the most interesting. By week 8 of pregnancy, the differentiation between the girl brain vs. the boy brain begins. After birth, the maturation process of neural connections is affected greatly by chemical differentiation as well as nurture. For instance, a baby girl is more likely to make eye contact with her parents because she is better than picking up emotional cues in facial expressions and voices than her male counterpart. Her parents then reinforces this trait by making funny faces to make her smile or laugh. This nurturing further strengthens the neural connections responsible for emotional sensitivity and social adaptability.

Fascinating read...

:: spring forward ::

Spring is officially here! Here are some of my favorites for girls and boys:

GIRLS

1) Tocca Bambini dresses -- dresses from their spring/summer '09 collection are currently 70% off (!!!) on the Tocca website.

2) Saltwater Sandals -- leather sandals that are breezy and durable, with secure nickel buckles that keep the sandals on the feet.

3) Crewcuts (by J Crew) dresses and separates -- perfect for special occasions and everyday wear.

4) Hunter boots -- for April showers.

5) Urban Baby Bonnets -- for May flowers (and sun!).

BOYS

1) Wonderboy separates -- handsome button-through shirts and graphic tees.

2) Glug baby -- gorgeous tees for boys and girls

3) Saltwater Sandals -- there are also great styles for wee and big boys.

4) Old Navy madras/plaid shorts -- Love, love, love these inexpensive shorts to pair with Wonderboy or Glug!

5) Kik Kid hats -- for boys and girls; I have not found an American website that sells this brand...too bad Sons & Daughters NYC is no longer in business :-(

:: cheap foam ::

We've been using Kiehl's baby foaming wash exclusively for years. At $19.00 a pop, it is definitely a luxury. In an effort to stop the madness, we then tried the Method Squeaky Green gel wash. It is inexpensive and smells delicious, except it leaves a slippery residue that is hard to rinse off. Nevertheless, it is supposedly 99% natural and toxin-free, hypoallergenic and tear-free.

There is one product that is both a foaming wash and a bag of chips. It's Johnson's Head-to-Toe foaming wash. Yup, you read it right. For the same price as a Grande NO-FOAM soy latte, this product is all you need! It is a yummy, tear-free, foaming shampoo and body wash that is super easy to rinse off.

We are still using the Kiehl's baby lotion and rash cream. I still swear by those products. The baby lotion is great for dry skin and minor skin irritations. The rash cream not only protects the baby's bottom, but also helps heal the rash faster.

:: sit still ::

Ever since we started dining out with the twins, we've always had trouble with high chairs. We either can't get two at the same time, or the safety strap buckles are broken.

My friend V suggested the travel high chair by My Little Seat. It is a sling-style fabric high chair that folds down to the size of a diaper. It can be adapted to fit onto any style chair with a back.

I like this concept because of how portable it is (it comes with a matching travel pouch). Can you imagine toting two full-size high chairs with us whenever we dine out? However, I am a little uncertain about its adaptability -- does it really fit onto any chair??? Anyone uses this and would like to share your experience? Also, the fabric choices are not the best. Out of the four available patterns, I like Cocoa Snow the best.

The high chair is available for purchase in the My Little Seat online shop. The price on their website is $24.99 -- whereas on another website, it is for sale for $37.00. Not sure why, maybe hyper inflated markup?

:: flintstone style ::

Grandpa R is a biking enthusiast. He can't wait to take O biking on one of the beautiful trails around the area. To teach her how to balance on two wheels, I started looking at the various balance bikes on the market.

The balance bike concept has been very popular in Europe for a while. A balance bike has no pedals. Essentially, your child starts "walking" with the bike and, as their motor skills and confidence grow, they will naturally start "running" with the bike (imagine Fred Flingstone in his prehistoric car). A child as young as 2 and as "old" as 5 can have fun on this bike.

Like A Bike is one of the most popular balance bike brand. These cute little wooden bikes were designed with safety in mind. There are no sharp edges, and gaps are filled with felt material so that little fingers don't get stuck accidentally. HOWEVER, and this is a big "however" -- the L-A-Bs do not have brakes! I don't imagine O using the brake at all in the beginning, but somewhere down the road -- as she becomes more adept on the bike -- it is surely a necessity. For the $$$ ($315 for the Mountain model), I'd like some brakes please!

After some more research, I realized that most balance bikes do not have brakes. The only one I found with a handbrake is the G-Bike+ by Kick. This Swiss-designed balance bike is made from lightweight aluminum and features polyurethane wheels that do not need to be inflated. The G-Bike+ is also fitted with safety hardware to keep little hands from getting hurt. Kick also offers the regular G-Bike, which features smaller, scooter wheels.

Overall, the G-Bike+ is a superior bike with a decent price tag. At $149.99, it is a much better value with generally better features:

1) WHEELS
Like A Bike = black pneumatic (air) tires that require regular pumping and could be accidentally punctured
G-Bike+ = transparent polyurethane tires that require very little maintenance and can be used indoors (no black marks on the floor!)

2) WEIGHT
Like A Bike = 7.7 lbs
G-Bike+ = 5.5 lbs

3) SEAT HEIGHT (adjustable)
Like A Bike = 12.5" - 16.1" (age 2-5)
G-Bike+ = 13" - 15" (age 3-5)

I do like the fact that the L-A-B seat height can be adjusted within a greater range -- conceivably allowing longer usage as your child grows.

Amazon.com sells both Like-A-Bike and G-Bike+. Search for "balance bike" and you will find even more choices. You should also check out the Kick website for their amazing Mini and Maxi scooters.

:: new look ::

* stay tuned for b+n's new look... *
please check back in the next couple of days for updated and NEW! links.

:: dino apps ::

I've had my 1st Generation iPhone for about 3 years now (although I've had to replace it twice during the first 6 months). It still works fine and it suits my needs. However, after playing with architectdad's iPhone 3GS, I decided it was time to upgrade.

Important new features for me: 1) video recording function 2) sending/receiving photos/videos with text messages 3) more memory for music, photos, videos and movies (8G vs. 32G). Also, I started downloading apps for O in order to keep her busy in case I'm in a bind (thanks for the intro, babysitter B!).

With her current fascination with all things dinosaurs, I searched for apps that include dinosaurs. A couple of her favorites are: 1) Dino Mixer (mix and match dino heads, body and tails) 2) Dino Match (memory game with 20 dino cards). There is also a neat app from IDEO called Balloonimals that allows your toddler to blow up a balloon, shake it, and voila! -- a balloon animal (T Rex, unicorn, dog, crab, kangaroo and joey, fish) that reacts to a finger's touch. I also downloaded toddler spelling, geometry and puzzle apps that O loves.

There are some really good kid apps that are completely FREE, but they are usually a "lite" version of the full version. The full version costs between $0.99-$2.99/app -- not bad at all.

:: ruh roh ::

I can't believe this. After many months of absence, my first post upon my return is about strollers. It's a problem and I think Baby Jogger has finally found the solution to my neurosis.

I -- along with thousands of Bugaboo parents -- have been b*itching about Bugaboo's inability to produce a double stroller. How many times have you Googled: "Bugaboo double stroller"??? When I found out we were having twins, I think I must've checked the Bug website at least once a week!

Ok, so I'm not really a fan of Baby Jogger City strollers -- although I've heard that they are super easy to fold and transport. However, The City Select stroller has captured my obsessive attention. This Bugaboo-look-alike can be configured into 16 (!) different seating combinations for two children of same or different age(s). I wish they had this stroller when the twins were infants, because it can be used with two carseats (although not two bassinets). The City Select second seat kit is the same size as the first seat -- unlike the P&T and the Uppa.

I think I'm still in shock. Time to hit craigslist. Anyone need a Mountain Buggy Double, or Maclaren Twin Triumph, or P&T Vibe with doubles kit?!?!?! Ahhh!!! The City Select is not available until April/May...plenty of time to unload the other strollers :-) At $499 + $170 (second seat), it is not bad considering its versatility. Architectdad, please don't freak out...I promise I will consolidate and you'll be happy in the end :-)

:: UPDATE ::
In an attempt to convince myself that this is a good idea, I went to a local store to test drive the City Select. I've got to say, it is not what I expected. It is NOT as smooth as the P&T's Vibe. --the 8" front wheels wobbled considerably when I made sudden turns. The wheelbase is MUCH longer than I expected -- with two full-size seats attached, it felt like I was pushing my big ol' double snap-n-go again! Also, I would not get two different color seats (comes in black, red, off-white) -- it makes the stroller look piecemeal and cheap.

Needless to say, I am not sure I like this stroller enough to have it join our fleet of strollers.