This time, we have only one picture, repeated twice. It's of Baby B:
21 weeks!
He's looking straight at us in this picture. His head's slightly tilted in the middle, forehead on the right and dark eye spots on the top and bottom.Baby A had his face hidden the whole time. Shy little feller. But the two boys had their heads right up next to each other- they're already scheming! I'm done for!
They were moving a whole heck of a lot, so it took them a while to complete all the measurements. I too can attest that they've been very fidgety- it's so wonderful to feel them moving all the time. Now they kick and punch in series, rather than the random jab I used to notice. That makes it a lot easier for Sean to run over and feel their movement because they keep doing it over and over!
They're still looking great on weight, no signs at all of twin-to-twin transfusion. They weigh a pound each! Keep it up, boys!
And now, a question:
We've been trying to figure out all the stuff we need to buy, such as a stroller. I had originally wanted a travel system, for the ease of transporting them out of the stroller in a car seat. But... I can't find a double stroller travel system anywhere. All I could find are some strollers that accept infant car seats, meaning I'd have to buy the stroller and two infant car seats seperately. But apparently babes grow out of infant car seats in 3 to 6 months, so regular car seats will need to be purchased as well. So my question is this: Are infant car seats worth it? Should I buy the stroller, the two infant car seats, and the two "older child" car seats (am I right that "convertible car seats" are the only options?)? I have a feeling I know what people are going to say, but I thought I'd still ask. Give me thine knowledge so that I may judge!
Finally, I'll leave you with this text message that my sweet 6 year old niece sent to me several months ago:
" Hi tell me wen your babbys are out of your tummy"
:-)
No double travel systems? That seems strange when there are so many twins/multiples being born. In any case, infant car seats are a must! All my babies used it until they were well past 12 months old. Some babies hit the 20 lb mark more quickly than others. It's hard to foresee if you'll have skinnier or chunky babies, I know. But, infant car seats are soooo nice to keep babies sleeping. You pop them in the car and they fall asleep. And you pull them out and they can stay sleeping no matter where you are! I actually had Noah sleeping in his infant car seat for 2 months after he was born at nighttime. Lots of babies like being all squished up and he didn't like laying flat out in a bed. And you can rock them in it. Then when they outgrow it, you hang on to it for the next child/children (hee hee). Welcome, to the new world of storing-baby-things-until-I-need-it-again!
ReplyDeleteUgh. I hate this question! Infant car seats are SOOO heavy... especially adding in the growing baby! I hate them and love them all at the same time.
ReplyDeleteWe found our infant car seat to be especially wonderful at church, because Leila will sleep in it and that means that our arms aren't falling asleep from holding her for three hours.
The most important thing is to keep your babies rear-facing for as long as possible, a minimum of 12 months. The best infant seats go rear-facing up to 35 pounds, and the best convertible seats go rear-facing to 35 pounds and forward-facing to 65 pounds. It is not recommended that you keep your babies in a car seat for much other than driving, because it's bad for their spines and neck strength. Although, the wonderful thing about infant seats is that you don't have to take them out to go shopping, to and from the house, or while they're sleeping (like at church).
ReplyDeleteAs for the stroller, I plan on using a sling until Caleb is too big (they love being close to you), and then just get an umbrella stroller. With twins, though, that wouldn't work as well.
I don't know what to tell you about a stroller, but that's what I know about car seats!
I have this but the "single" version:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2958408
It's super light and easy to whip out of the car (which is handy for me with it being freezing right now). And 95% of the time whenever I drive anywhere, he's asleep and will stay sleeping if I just pop the carseat out and put him in it. Like Jenny said, carseats are good til they're 20 lbs, which is past a year. By that point they won't be napping nearly so much so then I'd get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Teds-Green-Stroller-Double/dp/B000V85BSW
Later you can get the car seat attachment for it with your next kid (if you decide you want more) :).
I bought the phil and teds last summer at REI but returned it recently b/c I haven't used it yet and we needed the $$. But I plan on getting it when baby #2 comes along (in a couple years!) b/c that's what it's great for. The double seat is removable and it's probably the smallest/least bulky thing you can get for a "double stroller".
Hey Riley and I check your blog sometimes and whenever a new mom asks these questions i am always happy share my learn as I go knowledge. (I didn't read the other comments so sorry if this repeats). My daughter used an infant carseat until she turned 12 months. She was usually big on the charts those things last until they are 22 lbs. So for a normal baby that is about 12 months. And Yes totally worth it. I can't even imagine having two babies at one time. You will need these to even get to the car from your house. How would you strap baby A in while holing baby B? And when you go places like walmart with carts, they can't even sit up in them until 6-7 months old so you will need somewhere for them to be. Just thought I would share. Also they often fall asleep in the car, this would be easy to just remove the car seat without waking the baby-very important:) The stroller is great for walks and the mall, if you do those things often. other wise you can wait and get a cheaper stroller that just has two seats when they are 3-4 months old. We use a Jeep brand side by side and my baby could handle it when he was 3.5 months old I think.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!!
I didn't read the other comments but infant seats definitely come in handy...you can move them from the car, into the store, into the stroller, into the house and keep the babies sleeping. Plus you can stick them in the grocery cart which makes shopping easier. I also feel like the convertible carseats are SOOO huge for a new born that although they are approved for infants I never thought they looked like they were really safe in them. The good news is after the infant carseats, the next seats will last forever. Ella still uses the one she had since she was one...you just take the straps out to use them as a booster. And they have GOT to have a travel system for twins! I know my friend has a Combi...it didn't come with the car seats but it is a stroller that the infant seats snap into and can be used for older kids too. Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteI bought a Graco double stroller on Craigslist.com for $60, and got two infant car seats separately. They last until the babies are about 22 pounds. And since twins are usually a little smaller to start off, I figure it should last at least through the first 10 months. After that, the stroller that I have works so that the infant car seats snap onto it, and has seats underneath that can be used up until 3-4 years old. Personally, I really want to be able to get around on my own as soon as possible, so the stroller/infant car seats are a must for me!!
ReplyDelete