Two under two!!

Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10, 2005.
And I'm pregnant again! I just found out this morning. I'm about
four weeks along, and the baby will be due April 7, according to one of
those internet calculators.

I am going to have two babies under two. I am breastfeeding one, while
pregnant with the other. I may end up tandem nursing. Oh my goodness.
I'm in shock.

We need a bigger car. We need a bigger house. We need a bigger bank
account!!! Oh my goodness.

My first baby is doing great - she's very smart, very verbal, very
curious, and is so funny! She's learning how to walk, and is going to
take off running any minute now. She has beautiful light brown, curly
hair, and brown eyes. She's the light of my life. The first few
months were rocky, but we're doing super now! I think part of the
problem was that I thought it was always going to be as hard as it was
the first 6 weeks, but now I know that it gets a lot easier and a lot
more fun.

So here are my questions:

1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going to
lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll have
what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital, which is
only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here). What stuff do
I need?

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
three!!

Oh my God, what if it's twins? Eating for four?!? Three under two????
I feel faint... I need to go lie down!

Actually, I'm just kidding, I feel great. I probably won't be around
as much as I was before, because I didn't have a toddler to chase
before, but I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about my
questions, above.

Good to "see" you all again!
Amy

PS - Jamie - I was so glad to read that Taylor is doing well!!! Your
mom was a Jeopardy question the other night, and I thought of you!

On 2 Aug 2006 11:49:22 -0700, "Amy Austin"
wrote:

Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10, 2005.
And I'm pregnant again! I just found out this morning. I'm about
four weeks along, and the baby will be due April 7, according to one of
those internet calculators.

I am going to have two babies under two. I am breastfeeding one, while
pregnant with the other. I may end up tandem nursing. Oh my goodness.
I'm in shock.

We need a bigger car. We need a bigger house. We need a bigger bank
account!!! Oh my goodness.

My first baby is doing great - she's very smart, very verbal, very
curious, and is so funny! She's learning how to walk, and is going to
take off running any minute now. She has beautiful light brown, curly
hair, and brown eyes. She's the light of my life. The first few
months were rocky, but we're doing super now! I think part of the
problem was that I thought it was always going to be as hard as it was
the first 6 weeks, but now I know that it gets a lot easier and a lot
more fun.

So here are my questions:

1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going to
lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll have
what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital, which is
only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here). What stuff do
I need?

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
three!!

Oh my God, what if it's twins? Eating for four?!? Three under two????
I feel faint... I need to go lie down!

LOL, good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor :-)
No advice since I don't have 2 in that age range, but you have my most
sincere wish of luck.

Nan

Hi Amy,

In misc.kids.breastfeeding Amy Austin wrote:

: Remember me?

Who can forget you! Remember me?!!? :-)

: So here are my questions:

: 1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going to
: lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll have
: what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital, which is
: only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here). What stuff do
: I need?

Order the birth kit from Cascade.
Plan it as a homebirth so you won't have to move a the last minute.
Relax and enjoy it.

: 2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
: kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
: at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
: What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
: have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
: something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
:J car?

You already mentioned tandemning?
A second sling. That's one for DH! :-)

: 3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
: babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
: should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
: soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
: when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

Clara was 22 months when Niel was born.
O think we "told" Clara as soon as we knew. I know she went to all
the midwife appointments. First I suggest a book of photographs called
Giving Birth. Try Amazon. You can also show your daughter some birth
videos so she will understand what is going on. That is another reason
to choose a midwife, as they tend to have this kind of resources.
Finally, plan to have your daughter attend the birth if possible.
Reread the part of Niel's birth story where Monika is pushing and Clara
is "announcing" the progress, and he actions immediately after the birth.
Yes, they understand, sometimes better than adults! :-)

: 4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
: requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
: is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
: now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
: lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
: I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
: I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
: to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
: three!!

You really don't have to eat that much more. Eat healthy, eat fresh,
avoid processed foods and fast food. You don't have to give your
daughter cow's milk. After all, it isn't designed for humans! :-)
I don't think Clara started on it until 15 or 16 months. DON'T eat
more. Just eat healthy!

: Oh my God, what if it's twins? Eating for four?!? Three under two????
: I feel faint... I need to go lie down!

Pregnant fantacies!

: Actually, I'm just kidding, I feel great. I probably won't be around
: as much as I was before, because I didn't have a toddler to chase
: before, but I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about my
: questions, above.

: Good to "see" you all again!
: Amy

Welcome back, good luck, and congratualtions,
Larry

In misc.kids.pregnancy Nan wrote:
: On 2 Aug 2006 11:49:22 -0700, "Amy Austin"
: wrote:

Geez, Nan, you quote her WHOLE post to insert a 3 line response at the
end? Maybe you can trim?

Thanks,
Larry

"Amy Austin" wrote in message
Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10, 2005.
And I'm pregnant again!

Congratulations.

I am going to have two babies under two.

I had two under two and then went on to have three under 5 yrs old, with the
2nd and 3rd being 19 months apart.

I may end up tandem nursing.

Just be aware that your milk may dry up well into the pregnancy. It's not a
given, but does happen.

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).

I never froze meals, so you are ahead of me. I think I used the crock pot a
lot, but I also don't remember it being that bad. My kids took naps and the
newborn slept a lot in the beginning, so I know I had time to put something
in the oven.

What kind of equipment do you recommend?

Probably nothing more than what you have right now. I do recommend a play
pen though, for putting the newborn some place safe and/or for the older
child to play in once the other baby gets mobil. I used to put small toys in
the play pen so the older child could play without the babys' getting into
their stuff.

I have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

I'm sure you can get a side car thingy, but I liked my double stroller and
used it quite often. When the 2nd baby came, I transitioned the older one
out of the crib well before the new baby came and then once the 3rd baby
came, my mom gave me another crib so I didn't have to take the 2nd baby out
of her crib.

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

She probably won't understand exactly what is going on, but she will
probably feel the stress and/or excitement of the household. Read books,
talk about the baby, let her feel the baby. My 2nd child was 19 months when
the 3rd was born and it saddened me to no end that I had missed so much of
her babyhood because I was pregnant, tired, and busy and then she didn't
understand; however, she didn't seemed phased by it at all and it was more
my anxiety than anything.

Should I start giving her cow's milk now?

Sure, if she is a 1 yr old, then you are able to start cow's milk if you
like.

Once the baby is born, make sure you give time to your older child every day
and try to include her as much as you can. Nikki will pipe in I am sure, but
I have always liked her advice on telling the newborn that they have to wait
a minute while you tend to the older child (when you can of course) so that
the older child isn't always left out. You will soon find out that it won't
hurt if someone has to cry a bit while you tend to the other. It's a little
hairy in the beginning, but it gets easier as you settle into a routine and
everyone gets used to the dynamics.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

Amy Austin wrote:

Congrats on your pregnancy

I am going to have two babies under two. I am breastfeeding one, while
pregnant with the other. I may end up tandem nursing. Oh my goodness.
I'm in shock.

I have 5 under 6 years of age (my oldest will be 6 in Oct)


So here are my questions:

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

I found my tandem stroller a real life saver. I was able to walk
anywhere with them even if it was far. Now i have triple stroller that
i use almost all the time. Stocking up on food is a good idea, that
way you won't have to run to the market so often. What I do is 2 huge
food shoppings a month and do light shopping in between for fruit,
veggies, etc. Buying stuff on sale in bulk is a good idea too.

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

she will understand on some level. when it gets closer to the big day,
talk about having a brother or sister, etc..My oldest was 19 months
when I had #2. He didn't understand a lot about what was going on, but
he knew he was getting a sibling.


congrats again on your pregnancy

"Amy Austin" wrote in message
ups.com...
Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10, 2005.
And I'm pregnant again! I just found out this morning. I'm about
four weeks along, and the baby will be due April 7, according to one of
those internet calculators.

Congrats! I remember you, but I think mostly because I was pg with DD the
same time you were - I remember just beating you, as DD was born August 4th.

I am going to have two babies under two. I am breastfeeding one, while
pregnant with the other. I may end up tandem nursing. Oh my goodness.
I'm in shock.

BTDT, will BTDT again real soon lol...
DS1 and DS2 are a year apart in age - 1 year, 1 month and 2 days apart,
actually... We're also pg with #4 - DD and this baby will be 15 months apart
in age. At least, though, there's 4 and a half years between DS and DD.

We need a bigger car. We need a bigger house. We need a bigger bank
account!!! Oh my goodness.

So do we, actually... Our car, that we JUST replaced in March, won't fit us.
We barely squeeze into it right now as it is. It's like a chore to get kids
in and out of the car... Put one in, do up seatbelt. Put second in, do up
seat belts. Shove first and second over so you can get the third in, and if
you can do up that belt without smooshing your hands between car
seats/booster seats, it was a good experience. Getting the car's doors
closed is another issue... Bigger house? Oh my... I know that feeling... No
idea what we're going to do, AFATG. Also, you don't need a bigger bank
account, really... You just need more of them with lots of money!
Actually, from 1 to 2 isn't too bad, I didn't think

My first baby is doing great - she's very smart, very verbal, very
curious, and is so funny! She's learning how to walk, and is going to
take off running any minute now. She has beautiful light brown, curly
hair, and brown eyes. She's the light of my life. The first few
months were rocky, but we're doing super now! I think part of the
problem was that I thought it was always going to be as hard as it was
the first 6 weeks, but now I know that it gets a lot easier and a lot
more fun.

Haha wow... That's good to hear! Beware when she takes off because then
she'll be gone for good... DD has been up and walking for a couple weeks
now, and walking long distances without falling, gets heself up from
sitting, all that stuff... Caught her climbing up the stairs a little while
ago, and she was almost half way up when I caught up to her. Gar... Not
fun! It is fun, though, to be on your feet constantly lol

So here are my questions:

1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going to
lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll have
what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital, which is
only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here). What stuff do
I need?

Nooo idea... I have always had fast labors with all of mine, and yes, they
did get shorter and shorter with each one (knock on wood!) I have really no
suggestions for this question... With DD, we lived about a 5 min drive from
the hospital. Took closer to 15 mins with waiting for a cab and fighting
traffic down the road at 8am on a Thursday morning lol

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

Any type of sling or carrier is handy, IME. Baby swings are also real nice,
if you don't have one already or still. I had a double stroller a few years
back, but for me, it was more of a pain than it was worth. It was just too
darn big to fit in the car or store in the house. Also, the stroller I had
before did not have the ability to have an infant seat snap into it. This
time around, I'm debating on if I will pick up a tandem stroller or not.
There's one I really like and really have my eye on, and it does have a
matching infant car seat that will snap into it. I really like this one,
but I'm not sure if I'll go for it right away. I might just opt to keep
using the stroller I have for DD and put the baby in a sling or Snugli of
some sort. I have no idea if you can get side type attachments for
strollers!

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

I don't see how it would hurt to start mentioning another baby some time...
She's definitely too young to really comprehend that kind of stuff... Pick
up a little baby of her own that she can have, maybe. Also, just always
spend time with her so she doesn't feel left out. She could feel resentful
if she feels that someone or something else is taking HER time with you
away, and yes, like it or not, another baby will take up her time, and she
won't be old enough to understand. I didn't have a problem with DSs,
though, but then again, DS1 was waaaay too young to really understand, or
really care,

4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
three!!

If she's a year, there's no reason to not put her own cow's milk, if you
want. Any time after a year is generally fine. Sometimes, I've heard,
there can be supply issues while pg. If this is the case, which doesn't
always happen, then you do have the option of regular cow's milk.

Oh my God, what if it's twins? Eating for four?!? Three under two????
I feel faint... I need to go lie down!

If it's twins, at least you could always eat one lol Or put one up and
away in storage for backup. :P

Actually, I'm just kidding, I feel great. I probably won't be around
as much as I was before, because I didn't have a toddler to chase
before, but I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about my
questions, above.

Good to "see" you all again!
Amy

Well, welcome back, anyways! It's really not all that bad. You'll see!

PS - Jamie - I was so glad to read that Taylor is doing well!!! Your
mom was a Jeopardy question the other night, and I thought of you!

Amy Austin wrote:
Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10, 2005.
And I'm pregnant again!

Congratulations!

1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going to
lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll have
what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital, which is
only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here). What stuff do
I need?

There are lots of homebirth supplies out there. You could
likely google on "homebirth kit" or something like that and find
lots of stuff. However, don't bank on the fast labor. My second
was 2.5 hours, but my third was a nice 5-ish hours with plenty
of warning. You could have another fast one, so it's good to
prepare (why not plan a homebirth? ;-) ), but there really
isn't a whole lot that you need. What would you do with an
unplanned homebirth? Would you call in the ambulance and
then go to the hospital? If so, they're going to come with
everything you need, really. You'd just need some towels,
and maybe a big bowl to catch the placenta in.

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

There are attachments that go on the back for a
toddler to stand on, and some have a little seat in
case they want to sit. There are (or were, anyway)
strollers with that feature built in if you don't want
to go all the way for a double stroller.

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

Not really, but don't worry about it. When it gets
closer she'll be much more verbal than she is now. Later
on read her books and talk a little about it, but it really
won't become very real to her until the baby is here
anyway.

4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
three!!

Again, don't sweat it too much. The additional
caloric needs really aren't all that much at this stage.
Eat decent food and eat to hunger and you'll be fine.
I think Bridget Swinney's _Eating Expectantly_ is a good
book with all sorts of detail about nutrition in
pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10, 2005.
And I'm pregnant again! I just found out this morning. I'm about
four weeks along, and the baby will be due April 7, according to one of
those internet calculators.

oh, wow Amy, congratulations, I was just thinking of you today and wondering
what you were up to!

I am going to have two babies under two. I am breastfeeding one, while
pregnant with the other. I may end up tandem nursing. Oh my goodness.
I'm in shock.

very exciting! I was keen to tandem nurse, but my son weaned in pregnancy
when my milk dried up, he was a little older so not nursing as much, so you
probably won't

We need a bigger car. We need a bigger house. We need a bigger bank
account!!! Oh my goodness.

hmm, not necessarily, we have a titchy car and a fairly tiny house, the bank
balance has improve (hubbie got a new job shortly after number 2 arrived)

My first baby is doing great - she's very smart, very verbal, very
curious, and is so funny! She's learning how to walk, and is going to
take off running any minute now. She has beautiful light brown, curly
hair, and brown eyes. She's the light of my life. The first few
months were rocky, but we're doing super now! I think part of the
problem was that I thought it was always going to be as hard as it was
the first 6 weeks, but now I know that it gets a lot easier and a lot
more fun.

so glad to hear this, Ada is doing great too (another 10th of the month
baby, but June)

So here are my questions:

1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going to
lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll have
what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital, which is
only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here). What stuff do
I need?

plan a homebirth then, but as for what you need, old sheets, old towels
(possibly a new one if you want to purposely catch the baby in something
special) something to catch the placenta in (small washing up bowl),
something to tie or clamp the cord (and I guess something to cut it unless
you would be calling someone).

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend? I
have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

food sounds like a good idea, I have the saving dinner book and I love it, I
think I may subscribe when we move to the US in the autumn. Sling and bjorn
will be very helpful. We ended up getting a tandem stroller, but that was
mainly because of my joint problems, without those, I'd have been fine
carrying one and pushing/holding the hand of the other. There are some
fairly cool side things available now, but they are quite expensive, you'd
have to be convinced you'd use them, in the end it's all about what you do
in your life and that's very personal, mine are now 1 and 3 and I can't
remember the last time anyone used a stroller. You might have to get a
second cot, but that very much depends on what you do with the new one and
where the older is sleeping and when you expect her to transition to a bed
etc.


3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She loves
babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6 months,
should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a little baby
soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be 20 months old
when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's going on?

just keep talking about it, I expect she'll understand more than you expect,
but she may not be able to tell you that. I would start talking now, telling
her you are growing a baby in your tummy, she will almost certainly notice
your tummy growing.

4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
three!!

I've not done it, so I'm not very clued up. I think personally just right
now I wouldn't introduce cows milk because I would be keen to ensure nursing
continued and to do that you need the stimulation. Larry's two were fairly
close together, so I'm sure he'll be able to pass on tips from Monika on
this stage of nursing.

Oh my God, what if it's twins? Eating for four?!? Three under two????
I feel faint... I need to go lie down!

ha lol, don't even think about it!

Actually, I'm just kidding, I feel great. I probably won't be around
as much as I was before, because I didn't have a toddler to chase
before, but I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about my
questions, above.

Good to "see" you all again!

nice to see you too, it's feeling a bit wierd, there are a few people now
who had babies around the time I had Ada, or later who are now pregnant
again, we weren't planning another baby at this time, even if things hadn't
gone pear shaped, but even so I'm feeling a little broody!

Anne

Amy Austin wrote:
Remember me? I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on August 10,
2005. And I'm pregnant again! I just found out this morning. I'm
about four weeks along, and the baby will be due April 7, according
to one of those internet calculators.

I am going to have two babies under two. I am breastfeeding one,
while pregnant with the other. I may end up tandem nursing. Oh my
goodness. I'm in shock.

We need a bigger car. We need a bigger house. We need a bigger bank
account!!! Oh my goodness.

My first baby is doing great - she's very smart, very verbal, very
curious, and is so funny! She's learning how to walk, and is going to
take off running any minute now. She has beautiful light brown, curly
hair, and brown eyes. She's the light of my life. The first few
months were rocky, but we're doing super now! I think part of the
problem was that I thought it was always going to be as hard as it was
the first 6 weeks, but now I know that it gets a lot easier and a lot
more fun.

So here are my questions:

1) I had my first child in 3.5 hours - start to finish! I am going
to lay in supplies so that if we have an unplanned homebirth, we'll
have what we need (in other words, if I can't get to the hospital,
which is only 20 minutes away, in time, we have the stuff here).
What stuff do I need?

I can't answer what you may need if you birth unexpectedly at home...how
about a midwife? It seems like since your first labor was fast, you know
that as soon as you think you may be feeling a real contraction, you get
your hiney over to the hospital and get checked out. You live close enough
that if they send you home, it won't be a long trip.

2) Any advice for someone who is about to have two under two? What
kind of preparations can I make (I'm going to do the mega menu mailer
at www.savingdinner.com!! - we'll have food put in the freezer, then).
What else do I need to do? What kind of equipment do you recommend?
I have a sling and a Bjorn. Do I need a tandem stroller? Can I get
something that will attach to my current stroller (Graco), like a side
car?

I found the double stroller very useful. We have the Graco Duo Glide, which
is front/back, rather than side to side. Taylor still happily sat in the
stroller, and it was nice to keep her contained at an age when they are
thrilled with their walking and running and independance, and yet not quite
capable or able to listen and stay close on command. I also had my bjorn
left over from when Taylor was a baby, and would wear that while pushing
Taylor in the stroller. You can get some ride along attachements, but the
older child has to stand on it, and they often get tired and fall asleep at
the end of a long day, which is hard to do standing up.

3) How am I going to prepare my daughter? She's so little. She
loves babies, loves to look at pictures of other babies. In about 6
months, should I just start telling her, "We're going to have a
little baby soon!" or what? She'll be one on August 10, so she'll be
20 months old when the baby comes. Will she even understand what's
going on?

We watched a lot of episodes of Sesame Street where Little Bear's momma had
a new baby, named Curly Bear. You can get it on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=404272
For some reason this lists the year as 1969, but it's not. Maybe that's
when Sesame started, but the episodes may be 5-10 years old. We also have a
few books about new babies, like Joanna Cole's "I'm a Big Sister". I'd make
sure that you hold a baby around your daughter, and talk about babies, to
get her used to seeing you with other children.

4) Any advice for tandem nursing? What kind of nutritional
requirements do I have now that I'm pregnant and nursing? My daughter
is on solids, obviously, at one. Should I start giving her cow's milk
now? How much? I still haven't lost all of the weight from her (I
lost it, then gained a little back). I'm not skinny, not even thin,
I'm not average, actually... So, being underweight isn't a concern...
I could probably exist for the next 9 months on fat stores, if I had
to. So, what do I need to think about, now that I'm eating for
three!!

Oh my God, what if it's twins? Eating for four?!? Three under
two???? I feel faint... I need to go lie down!

Actually, I'm just kidding, I feel great. I probably won't be around
as much as I was before, because I didn't have a toddler to chase
before, but I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about
my questions, above.

Good to "see" you all again!
Amy

PS - Jamie - I was so glad to read that Taylor is doing well!!! Your
mom was a Jeopardy question the other night, and I thought of you!

Waving! Hi Amy! Congrats! I'm so happy for you. My girls are 21 months
apart, and although there are times when it's been hard, it's been doable.
Honestly speaking, the first 6 months or so were the easiest, as far as
Taylor is concerned. It helps that she's very independant and not clingy,
so the new baby in the house didn't really phase her. Since she didn't feel
usurped from my lap, we might as well have gotten a new plant, as far as she
was concerned. It became more problematic as Addie got older, and now that
they are 3.5 and almost 2, there is more sibling rivalry, more tensions over
who goes first, or who gets what toy, or whatever. Typical
toddler/preschooler stuff.
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

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