Can I join you all???

[todzwife]

I have been lurking for a few months, and have posted a couple of times and I think that this group is great! Let me introduce myself...right now I am a nanny for twin boys born 5/18/02. Their mother works full time, and I have been with them since they were born. (Yup I do it by myself and LOVE it!)DH and I are TTC, he graduates from Dental school in May. After he graduates we will be paying back loans so I am trying to get stuff now while I am still working. The woman I work for is 44 and isn't going to have any more children, so she is giving me their clothes in return for me scrapbooking the baby pictures. I have a TON of clothes. I also have a FP SIV car seat that I got from Big Lots (Thanks to those who responded to that post.)I am so ready to be a mom, but we've had to wait till now because I have to work. Los Angeles rent is rediculous. Well, that's about it. I am glad to have found some women who are nutty like me. DH thinks I am crazy for getting stuff when we aren't even pregnant, but I told him he would thank me later. :)
Shandelle :)

[Rachels]

Welcome!!!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[KathyO]

And welcome! Yep, the best cure for your husband's skepticism where stockpiling baby stuff is concerned is to tot up how much $$ you are saving thereby... I still remember the look on mine's face when I showed him DD's second-hand OshKosh outfit ($3.99) new at the store for (urk!) $53.99!!! Now I don't get ANY flack for my hoarding and bargain-hunting! (And keep this saved-money tally for ammunition when you fall head-over-heels in love with a $400 stroller!)

Cheers,

KathyO

[mamahill]

Just wanted to say hello! Good luck with TTC -- I'm impressed you're taking care of twins. The twins mommies around here never cease to amaze me. I don't know HOW they do it!

[todzwife]

Twins really are hard, but so fun! I love it! One baby is going to be a peice of cake! LOL!

[jojo2324]

Hello! Welcome to our zany little world! Good luck with TTC!

[aka_mama2be]

Shandell,

YOu are doing what I did but you have an advantage in that you atleast know what children really need...but I too bought stuff for baby way before hand, infact even before we were TCC. My hubby is similiar to KathyO's in that once he realizes how much I save he actually enjoys it too...

Welcome to our group, so nice to have you join us!!!

[nigele]

Hi Shandelle!

Welcome to our group and good luck with TTC!

[gour0]

Fun! I think twins are amazing (not that I think I could ever handle them!). Dh's are funny. I would say that they should have their own message board to talk about us, but guys don't DO that, do they? :) Oh well, gotta love 'em! My dh was upset that I wanted to turn the office into the nursery 'ALREADY' when we're not due until March. He called it a waste of space, but I sit in there every day and rock in my glider and read to ds. Anyway! Totally off topic! Welcome, glad you decided to say hello.

[twins r fun]

Hi Shandelle,

Welcome! You are getting great mommy experience being a nanny for twins. I'm a SAHM to twin boys (Caleb and Jacob) who are 14 months. They keep me running, but it's the best thing in the world. When you don't know what it's like to have just one, two is not so hard! Plus you get twice the joy! The one drawback I'm finding as they get older is that it is very hard to sit and work with just one of them on something. Like if I want to sort shapes, build blocks, read a story with one, the other one comes crashing in and takes over. It's frustrating for me and the other baby. My husband and I have been trying to split them up more when he's home so we can actually calmly play with them and hopefully let them learn something without being interrupted by their brother!

Good luck trying to conceive-maybe you'll be lucky enough to get twins!

Nicole

[nohomama]

Welcome!

[Shirale]

Hello and welcome!!! :-)

[spu]

Hi Shandelle!
Welcome!

I have twin girls - they're 5 mos. old. We'll have to share tips! I'd love to hear how you manage the twins!

susan

twin girls 7.20.02
charlotte & else

[kathsmom]

Shandelle,

Welcome to the boards! You will find that there is a great group of ladies and gentlemen on these boards. I have been so glad to have everyone's help!

Good luck TTC!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[todzwife]

Wow! Thanks for the responses everyone! I forgot to mention that I am the oldest of 7, so I had a little bit of experience before I dove in with my guys. Nicole, as much as I love twins, I don't want to have me own! I am too tired! LOL! I actually have twin brothers who just turned 18! Funny stories about that too! LOL! If anyone wants to email me my email is [email protected] Thanks again! I feel so welcomed!
Shandelle :)

[atlbaby]

Hi,
I know I didn't start this post, but the sentiment is the same so I thought I might jump in if that's alright? I too have been reading for a little while (I recently de-lurked on the Layette site but I think my post got lost in the thread!) I just wanted to say I think you all are so nice and helpful, and am amazed at how whatever question-of-the-day I have it seems someone else is wondering about it too! A bit about me: I am a SAHM of a 14 month old daughter, Arielle, taking a break from my masters in child psychology, and my husband is in the midst of his residency in Emergency Medicine. Anyhow, I hope to get to know you all and join in your group!

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[gour0]

You're more than welcome. We're not cliquey. :)

[twins r fun]

Welcome! Your daughter and my sons have the same birthday! They were born at 6:30 and 6:31 PM. How about Arielle (pretty name, by the way)?

Nicole

[Rachels]

The more the merrier! We're glad to have you!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[atlbaby]

Hi Nicole,
I *wish* Arielle had been born at 6:30PM!! She was born 11:26PM after 18+ hours of active labor--not to mention the early labor...but you carried twins so I really can't complain! So funny, I read up in this thread one of your boys is named Jacob and that's what Arielle would've been if she were a boy! Maybe next time :) , DH and I are going to begin TTC next month. What are your boys like? Arielle just loves to walk around anywhere and everywhere--we live in a small apartment at the moment so I am always worried that the lack of space bothers her because when we go other places she gets so excited! Hopefully Spring will come soon and we can be outside more...
Thanks again for the welcome!
-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[atlbaby]

Thanks for the welcome! I am looking forward to getting to know everyone :)

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[atlbaby]

Hi Rachel,
Thanks for the warm welcome :) Your daughter's middle name (and first name too of course!) is beautiful! I love using Arielle's middle name, though I distinctly remember being quite upset at my own mother's use of my middle name when I was in preschool and I pretty much flat out refused to let her use it when I entered kindergarten. Oh well, apples don't fall far from trees as they say... :)
-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[kathsmom]

Hi, Rachel!

Welcome to the boards! I love the name Arielle. I was supposed to be named Jill, but my father told my mom after she had me that he did not like that name (I have no idea why!). Of course, he doesn't say anything until after I am born and then you have to come up with names quickly, before you leave the hospital. So, my mom named me Toni - at times I wish she would have stuck to her guns and named me Jill. I have been addressed as Mr. so many times. With DD, when I signed up at the OB's office to get all that free stuff from Similac and Enfamil, one of them sent things to MR. Toni Miller, and talked all about my pregnancy!LOL!! I joke with her and tell her that she must have seen a Toni Home Permanent commercial and decided that's what my name would be!

Again, welcome!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[atlbaby]

Hi Toni,
Thanks for the warm welcome! That's so funny that your father waited till you were *born* to tell your mom he didn't like the name that they'd chosen (and so like men! :P ) I always wished I had an original name though (sigh) but we always want what we don't have, right? DH and I were thinking of Jacob Andrew if she'd been a boy, but we weren't really set on boy names and kept changing our minds up until the end. I chose the name Arielle though on our honeymoon! LOL! Does Katherine love having a little brother to 'play' with? I say that in quotes bc he's probably not ready to play quite yet I assume :) I've heard the change from 1-->2 is easier that 0-->1 (hope so!), have you found that to be the case?

Thanks again for the welcome, everyone has been so nice!

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[twins r fun]

Rachel,

Complain all you want! My pregnancy was pretty rough but my "labor" was a quick c section with no problems. I went out shopping for crib matresses the day I got home from the hospital! I love this age-how about you? They just seem to be learning something new everyday and it's more cognitive as opposed to physical-talking into the phone, trying to put the key into the front door,etc. Caleb has just started walking well (and loves it) and Jacob just took his first steps a few days ago. Good luck trying to conceive. I very recently got to the point where I really want another one, but not yet! I just can't see two 2 year olds and a newborn-I think I'll have to wait until the boys are at least 3.

Nicole

[atlbaby]

Hi Nicole,
I'm glad your labor was so successful--and shopping the day you got home, wow :) Was your pregnancy hard bc you were carrying the two boys? I had yucky morning sickness for just over 20 weeks, but I honestly, that seems like nothing compared to carrying twins, esp at the tail end when I felt so ready to explode! Of course I want to do it all again and have completely forgotten all the 'little' annoyances like no sleep, not being able to bend down normally etc (see, I can't even remember the others! :) ) I agree though, 2 yr old twins and a newborn sounds a bit hard--but I'm sure you are so skilled with 2 already so whenever you have your addition you'll find the newborn stage easier than you recall!

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[kathsmom]

Rachel,

When I was little, I actually thought I would change my name as soon as I was 18 - my list included: Jill, Candy, Jessica, Tracy, Jamie, and Cindy. I know there were others, but I just can't think of them right now. Needless to say, I never got around to it, and at 38 years old, I don't think I need that change in my life (talk to me in a few years when I have my midlife crisis and I might change my mind!).

Katherine does enjoy having a baby brother. She wanted to take him for show and tell at kindergarten when he was first born. The closest we came was the first time DH went out of town for a week when DS was 3weeks old. We were 15 minutes late to school, and I had to walk her in to her class (I had not showered, had slept in my clothes, had not brushed my teeth, etc). Katherine enjoyed showing him off to all of her classmates. He is at the point where he is starting to play with some of his toys and is not just a blob that eats, sleeps, cries, and poops. She loves to try to make him smile and he does that quite often. Her new thing that she likes to do is take a bath with him. I put him in the tub with her last night and he seemed to like it, until I started to wash him - she was upset when I took him out of the tub, but I did get a cute picture of the 2 of them together in the tub.

As far as it being easier going from 1-->2 than from 0-->1, it all depends. We were at the point that DD was independent and we could do a lot more things, and we thought we were not going to be able to have anymore children, so Andrew was a complete blessing. It has taken a lot of getting used to having a baby around the house again. It might have been a little easier if DD had been 2-4 years old. On the other hand, she has been a great help to me. She will entertain him so I can shower, make dinner, etc. She loves to feed him his bottle and she smothers him with hugs and kisses so much that he gets upset, because she can get a little too exuberant! Sorry this is so long, but just wanted to let you know a little about my kids.

Again, welcome to the boards!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[lj11]

I think I'm ready to join the group too! I started reading posts right after I purchased the Baby Bargains Book, way back in August of 2001!! After doing research on whatever item I was ready to buy I would get on the boards and see what you all really had to say about it. You've helped me make some important decisions, and I haven't regretted any of them.

My beautiful little girl - Cooper Simone - was born on Feb. 28th, 2002, and I've found that the boards are even more useful now. I've even checked them before calling my doctor if I had a question that I knew didn't really require an office visit (or even a call) but I still needed a little reassurance. Thank you all!!

I know this is getting long now, but I'm going to share just little bit about me and my little family. My DD will be one in just over a month; I can't believe how fast time flies! I'm lucky enough to only work part-time. And also lucky enough to have my mother and MIL/FIL available to babysit while I'm at work.

I guess that's it for now. Thanks again for all the help you've been to me over the last 1 1/2 years!!

Lisajoy

[gour0]

Wanted to tell you... I'm the youngest of seven. What's the age difference for you? My oldest sister is 13 yrs older than I am.