aka weekly wrap...
Sometimes I really wonder where the heck my head is... in the clouds, on the floor, in my washer, or the shower, somewhere other than on my shoulders. This week I have been a little overly, uh, i hesitate to say obsessed but maybe I was. Anyway... on baby research. I have all of the sudden this week been in the mode of "what do I need... we're having TWINS". So I registered for and researched baby gear and diapers and read twin mommies forums. I even went INTO Babies R Us yesterday to check out some of the gear I had registered for online to make sure it was... you know... real. I got a little lost in there... wow that place is big and has EVERYTHING. I do know for sure that the ONE infant seat that will work in our van so that both captain seats will flip forward with the bases in so the boys can get to the back.
Thank you Thank you to all you mommies that gave suggestions and comments. I was wondering if anyone would comment because you would all think "she has 4 kids... she doesn't need any advice" We ALL need advice and there is always more to learn. :) Like.... that bouncy seats would be a good idea? I honestly thought that I didn't want them and would just use a swing. Hmmm.... I did end up registering for 2 bouncy seats. We'll see if we get them.
random thoughts that have been running through my head this week...
I'm planning on using a changing pad in the laundry room, just setting it beside the washer and then laying it on the counter or washer to change the babies
I defiantly don't want highchairs... take up too much room and they grow out of them. I would LIKE to get a wood chair that serves as a highchair and then a regular chair. Does anyone have one of those??
We have 2 possible crib offers from friends so we'll use one for sure and keep the other one in the 'wings'.
I really think we need a video monitor so I can see the babies and see if one is waking the other one up or is they are having trouble sleeping together.
I AM getting the bumbleride indie twin stroller. I know no one will buy it since it's $589 but if we get some money I will put it towards that. We walk a lot and a good stroller is a MUST HAVE.
I am defiantly going to make note on the shower invites that we would like to have gift certificates for clothing rather than buying them ahead. Especially since we don't know what we are having. Anyone know of a good place to ask for certificates from... I would REALLY like to dress the babies identical or at LEAST coordinating. I was thinking Carters (used to hate... now it's actually cute) & Old Navy. Any other ideas? All of my boys wear Gap and Polo for the most part... but IF these are girls I don't like Polo or Gap as much for girls.
For sure using bum genius diapers... I am going to buy a bunch of Smalls and then a few more Larges. I will use 7th generation disposables for the first few weeks until they fit into the smalls and then go to Larges. Ozzie wore a Large at 5 months and still does.
okay... that's about all I can think of now. Weeew!
Oh I went to Kroger's and to Trader Joe's this week and spent $500 on food. OY! I guess there are worse ways of spending money. :)
have a great weekend everyone!
Sometimes I really wonder where the heck my head is... in the clouds, on the floor, in my washer, or the shower, somewhere other than on my shoulders. This week I have been a little overly, uh, i hesitate to say obsessed but maybe I was. Anyway... on baby research. I have all of the sudden this week been in the mode of "what do I need... we're having TWINS". So I registered for and researched baby gear and diapers and read twin mommies forums. I even went INTO Babies R Us yesterday to check out some of the gear I had registered for online to make sure it was... you know... real. I got a little lost in there... wow that place is big and has EVERYTHING. I do know for sure that the ONE infant seat that will work in our van so that both captain seats will flip forward with the bases in so the boys can get to the back.
Thank you Thank you to all you mommies that gave suggestions and comments. I was wondering if anyone would comment because you would all think "she has 4 kids... she doesn't need any advice" We ALL need advice and there is always more to learn. :) Like.... that bouncy seats would be a good idea? I honestly thought that I didn't want them and would just use a swing. Hmmm.... I did end up registering for 2 bouncy seats. We'll see if we get them.
random thoughts that have been running through my head this week...
I'm planning on using a changing pad in the laundry room, just setting it beside the washer and then laying it on the counter or washer to change the babies
I defiantly don't want highchairs... take up too much room and they grow out of them. I would LIKE to get a wood chair that serves as a highchair and then a regular chair. Does anyone have one of those??
We have 2 possible crib offers from friends so we'll use one for sure and keep the other one in the 'wings'.
I really think we need a video monitor so I can see the babies and see if one is waking the other one up or is they are having trouble sleeping together.
I AM getting the bumbleride indie twin stroller. I know no one will buy it since it's $589 but if we get some money I will put it towards that. We walk a lot and a good stroller is a MUST HAVE.
I am defiantly going to make note on the shower invites that we would like to have gift certificates for clothing rather than buying them ahead. Especially since we don't know what we are having. Anyone know of a good place to ask for certificates from... I would REALLY like to dress the babies identical or at LEAST coordinating. I was thinking Carters (used to hate... now it's actually cute) & Old Navy. Any other ideas? All of my boys wear Gap and Polo for the most part... but IF these are girls I don't like Polo or Gap as much for girls.
For sure using bum genius diapers... I am going to buy a bunch of Smalls and then a few more Larges. I will use 7th generation disposables for the first few weeks until they fit into the smalls and then go to Larges. Ozzie wore a Large at 5 months and still does.
okay... that's about all I can think of now. Weeew!
Oh I went to Kroger's and to Trader Joe's this week and spent $500 on food. OY! I guess there are worse ways of spending money. :)
have a great weekend everyone!
I don't have twins, but I've had kids pretty close and I agree that a quality stroller is a LIFESAVER! I have a mountain buggy urban double and can't imagine not having it!
ReplyDeleteSince you are educated on suplements, do you know anything about quercetin? (I think that's how you spell it) I have this annoying problem that seems to be oral allergy syndrome. I basically can't eat any uncooked fruits or veggies without having a terrible itchy feeling in my mouth, lips, ears, throat. I am wondering why this is happening- it started with a couple of fruits when I was pregnant with my first. Now that I'm pregnant with my 5th it is WAY worse! I really want to eat healthier so I'm wondering if there are any supplements/natural remedies I can take. Any ideas? I am going to an allergist in a few weeks, but in the past I've just heard that since it's not safe to take my usual allergy meds when pregnant or breastfeeding I have to live with it- which means I've been "living with it" for the past 7 years!!! Sorry this is so long :)
Sometimes being obsessed for a little bit can be a good thing! So glad you made some good headway this week on "twin stuff."
ReplyDeleteI have a swing that was given to me, but never have ever used it for any kid. It's so BIG and I don't like the idea that my baby is always moving. So, I got a bouncy seat and that is what we used a lot of in the early days. Definitely a wonderful, practical, great baby item in my opinion.
And, I was never a stroller mom with Kieran, and rarely with Cullen, but the more kids you have, you really DO need a good one and I totally agree that spending money on a GREAT stroller is totally worth it. I hope you are able to get the one you want!
No good ideas for where to ask for gift certificates from...I'll be curious to hear what you go with. You know I like Gap and Oink for my boys and Oilily and some Gap for my girl. Today she is wearing Oink but I don't care for much of their girl stuff.
Good luck!!
I agree on buying a good quality stroller, I've never regretted it.
ReplyDeleteAs for clothing gift certificates... I like BabyStyle personally. I am picking for clothing too, but for girls I like Gymboree (the cute little night gowns) and H&M, if you have one of those locally.
Love the reading pictures below!
ReplyDeleteI went simple by the time we had the 4th. The only things that we used were a bouncer, so the baby didn't get run over! Double stroller and food mill. With twins I bet it's a different story! Whatever makes it easier!
It's fun to register! Fun to plan...look.
Clothes for girls. I haven't liked Gaps stuff for girls either. Some Old Navy stuff is okay for girls.
Janie and Jack. I love their girl clothes! And yeah, Carters has some good stuff now!
Have a great weekend!!
Whoa...said the word 'stuff' way too many times there ; )
ReplyDeleteWay to go in the researching department! I always feel better when I have researched - and it sounds like you did awesome.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aleah - Janie and Jack has incredibly sweet clothing - but expensive!
We have a wooden high chair, but I don't believe it's the kind you are talking about. Daniel had one of those type of wooden chairs as a child - it was from Germany, and was incredible. I hope you find one - I know one of the toy stores in Burlington (VT) carried it - Kid's Town is the name of the store. They have online shopping - if you look on there you may be able to at least find out the name of the chair.
Have a great weekend!
-Andrea
I agree...Gymboree is great for girls. I actually love Gap too...I just had my second daughter and I love the onsies for them and the tank onsies they have...soo cute and they are soft. Not a fan of Carters when I buy clothes but I've been given a few items that are actually kind of a cute. For boys, I'm not really a fan of Gymboree though for my son. When he was little it was great, but now that he is older I don't buy alot from there..love Gap for boys. Old Navy I love for both boys and girls...and a huge plus is they are reasonably priced if that is a concern..where Gymboree and Gap are ridiculously high to pay full price for..their clothes are more then what I pay for my clothes! So I usually hit their sale racks and can find some good things!
ReplyDeleteOh- and my sister just got a high chair at Babies R Us that is wood and shows that it works as a regular high chair and converts to a chair to use at the table. It's a Graco and has a cherry finish. She hasn't had her baby yet so I haven't actually seen it out of the box so I'm not sure how the arms of it would work as far as trying to push it close to the table. Might be worth checking out?!
ReplyDeleteI have all boys like you, so I don't know about girl things. I wish I had the video monitor:) When we have one more I will get one.
ReplyDeleteCheck Craig's List for the stroller. You can get gently used strollers for a lot cheaper than buying one new.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've thought of everything! :-)
I'm not a big fan of high chairs either but we have the kinderzeat/tripp trapp and love it. Will work from babies on up and converts into a normal chair, it is pricey but I don't know anyone who hasn't love it, plus it will be you little one's chair for life. I came across this one recently too but don't have any personal experience - http://tinyurl.com/5fpxha . Arianne has the Guenther too, which converts if you get a chance to ask her about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course you'll need a sling that can accommodate two, and I think I know just the one for you ;)
I have three boys under 5 and they all love to match their clothes! Although I haven't done a great deal of shopping here-The Children's Place always has matching outfits for all different ages. I often get gifts from family that have matching clothes for the 5,4 and 22 month old-and if I did have a girl, she could easily match too! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI used a highchair with all three, but have discovered that if we have another we won't have room for one. Right now, since the youngest is 22 months he is not in a highchair or booster. he sits on a regular chair with a KABOOST under him! he loves it(feels like a big boy) and has no trouble climbing up. (obviously this is for when yours will be prob yr&1/2-ish). Haven't seen too many of what you were looking for, although I have to say both grandma's just used a booster seat(that strapped to the chair) for our kids and they did fine.
hope you are feeling well, and just have to say I absolutely love your blog and enjoy visiting. Your boys are sooo handsome! (I don't even know you, but am very excited for you and your family!! God Bless!
Danielle
thecrazybus.blogspot.com
Hey there. We got a video monitor for our twins, too. It really is SO helpful when you don't want to blow a nap by not knowing if you should open the door or not.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby did a lot of research and we got this one and love it:
http://tinyurl.com/59xtzb
He says to get the black and white one. The color one is pricier and uses a frequency that gets lots of interference and makes people cranky.
Also, I agree with the Children's Place recommendation. Awesome clothes and SUCH good prices! You may give up the Gap completely!
Oh my gosh...loved the post and reading all the comments. Always a good way to learn about stuff.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you'd be interested in avoiding the 7th gen sposies, since you already have them planned, but you could maybe get premie or infant sized prefolds and use them for the first few weeks and then move them to burp rag duty when you move onto the bumgenius. They wash up super easy and honestly, early on we found we could go coverless a lot (the flood was yet to come, haha). Just a thought; your plan sounds good too! =)
I know little about the clothes issue, but gift certificates sound like a reasonable plan.
If you find the high-chair alternative you're looking for, you'll have to post about it. You got a bunch of good leads it sounds like. We have a graco travelite table chair that hooks onto the table and LOVE it. We even take it to restaurants and such. Of course taking 2 might be a bit much... ;)
Have fun with all your continued research!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat delete was me...got impatient I guess and clicked twice. ;)
ReplyDeleteIKEA has great, small, wooden high chairs...but they have no try so they really are just tall chairs. They are great. Our house is very tiny and ours has worked gre at. It can push right up to the table!
ReplyDeleteand, if you DO like swings, I have a little travle swing. They are wonderful b.c they ARENT big and they can fold up for storage. Just a thought...
Do you have Children's Place where you live? They have great stuff for great prices and usually a sale. If you have 2 more boys it's a good place to get matching stuff. I can even match my boys that are 3 years apart. Gotta love that.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all your shopping (it is fun, isn't it?) : )
You inspire me!
ReplyDeleteHow about Visa cards for gift certificates? I'd find your local mother of multiple club and find out when their annual sale is and load up on matching outfits there. You may also find a great friend who will just hand it down :)
I love Boden for clothes (bodenusa.com) they are a bit expensive, but hold up great and your kids don't look like everyone else. Consignment became my best friend after my first one. Trade in the old for something new (to me) and felt way better about not spending! With 4 boys I'm sure you have lots :)
I just saw this post today and saw that you were asking about this... http://karenroadchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/05/busy-work-before-ellen-comes.html
ReplyDeleteI have never regretted my $179 expedition double stroller either ;-)
We had two full size swings where the seats were removable bouncy seats. I believe it was graco. Two for the price of one. We never actually used the swings though...they just didn't need them.
Mine spent most of their time while not being held in the pack n play.
I can't believe how fast your pregnancy is going. Mine took FOREVER!!! HAHA
With my twin girls, we did one bouncy seat and one swing. A little variety for them both, but in the end, one really favored the swing and the other really favored the bouncy seat so it worked well without ending up with a house full equipment. Also, the Toys R Us/babies R us in our area offers a 10% "multiples" discount for any gear that you do buy more than one of. The best thing you can do is ask around to see if there is a local Mothers/Parents of Multiples groupone in your area and connect with them. They can offer a world of advice and support! I love my MOMs group. Another great resource of info is Pamela Prindle Fierro at multiples.about.com.
ReplyDeleteGod's continued blessings on you as you prepare for the arrival of your babies!