The days are going by fast as we near the end of April. Soon we will know the sex of the twins, prenatal classes start in May, soon after that, the baby showers and then we start running on fumes.
Yesterday, while waiting at dim sum, we saw two good friend of ours. They happen to be proud parents of twins. If someone would have good advice, these guys would be the ones. They spotted us first and we began to talk:
"Hey, congrats, I heard the news you are expecting twins."
"Yeah, we were were surprised." my wife replied.
"We have so much stuff we can give you. Our twins are 4 now."
I wanted to ask how they made it thru the first couple years and hopefully get some words of wisdom from my friend but before I had a chance, he left me with these encouraging words before heading for lunch.
"Oh by the way Jay, you are in for the ride of your life! Good luck buddy."
That was it? From one twin parent to an expecting twin parent....you're screwed up the bum....that's the reticulating theme. It can't be that bad can it? C'mon, I got thru engineering, I can get thru anything! Crap, who am I kidding? Engineering was 4 years this is for life. I don't know a thing but it's because I don't know anything....I accept your challenge. That right... LIFE.. I accept your challenge and I will succeed. I will excel at this challenge....so God help me.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I did it 6400 times
Can you think of something you did 6400 times in a span of 2.5 years? I'll be the first one to tell you, not to burst anyone's bubble, that it isn't sex. Trust me. No one is that lucky. 6400 times is the average number of times a baby's diaper gets changed over 2.5 years. Can you believe that? I sure in hell don't believe it but wait....there could be some truth to it. I need your help.
Let's break it down...nerdiness starts now.
I need the help of all the expert mothers, fathers, grandparents, caregivers, in answering this question: How many diapers did your baby go thru in a day? Don't be shy, it's just a number. From my research the average is 10-12 diapers in a day for the first 3 months. Some say between 8-15 but most have concluded 10 is the average. Would you agree?
Then from 3-12 months, I have read the diaper usage drops to 8-10 diapers per day. From 12 months to 30 months, a further reduction to 6-8 diapers. Are these numbers within range? We have also assumed that one baby on average is in diapers for 30 months (2.5 years)
Here's the data:
(10 diapers /day) x 91 days = 910 diapers for the first 3 months
(8 diapers /day) x 274 days = 2192 diapers for the next 9 months
(6 diapers /day) x 548 days = 3288 diapers from 12months to 30 months.
Total number of stinky diapers = 6390.
And remember, that's taking the most conservative numbers. If you calculate worst case, the total number of stinky diapers is now:
(12 diapers /day) x 91 days = 1092 diapers for the first 3 months
(10 diapers /day) x 274 days = 2740 diapers for the next 9 months
(8 diapers /day) x 548 days = 4384 diapers from 12months to 30 months.
Total number of stinky diapers = 8216.
Actually that isn't even the worst case because we've calculated for one kid only. Better multiply those numbers by 2 for two kids and you get the idea. I'm not even going to calculate the total diaper cost because with twins...forget about it. Better get the defibrillator 'cause I'm going to have a heart attack. The question for everyone is: Are these numbers accurate? I'd like to hear from y'all.
Let's break it down...nerdiness starts now.
I need the help of all the expert mothers, fathers, grandparents, caregivers, in answering this question: How many diapers did your baby go thru in a day? Don't be shy, it's just a number. From my research the average is 10-12 diapers in a day for the first 3 months. Some say between 8-15 but most have concluded 10 is the average. Would you agree?
Then from 3-12 months, I have read the diaper usage drops to 8-10 diapers per day. From 12 months to 30 months, a further reduction to 6-8 diapers. Are these numbers within range? We have also assumed that one baby on average is in diapers for 30 months (2.5 years)
Here's the data:
(10 diapers /day) x 91 days = 910 diapers for the first 3 months
(8 diapers /day) x 274 days = 2192 diapers for the next 9 months
(6 diapers /day) x 548 days = 3288 diapers from 12months to 30 months.
Total number of stinky diapers = 6390.
And remember, that's taking the most conservative numbers. If you calculate worst case, the total number of stinky diapers is now:
(12 diapers /day) x 91 days = 1092 diapers for the first 3 months
(10 diapers /day) x 274 days = 2740 diapers for the next 9 months
(8 diapers /day) x 548 days = 4384 diapers from 12months to 30 months.
Total number of stinky diapers = 8216.
Actually that isn't even the worst case because we've calculated for one kid only. Better multiply those numbers by 2 for two kids and you get the idea. I'm not even going to calculate the total diaper cost because with twins...forget about it. Better get the defibrillator 'cause I'm going to have a heart attack. The question for everyone is: Are these numbers accurate? I'd like to hear from y'all.
Monday, April 18, 2011
I Survived the Baby Show!
Let's get the facts straight, I know nothing about raising kids, I never grew up with infant kids, and I never changed a diaper in my life. I'm the whitest blank paper you have ever seen. After attending the baby show, I'm surprised at how much I was able to learn and how much more questions I have now.
The baby show would have been heaven for people who have a fetish for pregnant women. All the baby bumps, together, under one roof . Or if you didn't know better, it could have been a baby stroller convention. Aside from the expecting mothers, and strollers, I was bombarded by brand names never seen before. Medela, similac, snuggle bugs to name a few. We also picked up a lot of free samples and pamphlets seen below. When all the smoke had cleared, there were two things I found useful.
The first was learning about safety and infant car seats. I was shown the proper way to install a rear facing one. It was also pointed out to me the possible UAS connector locations in my car. Finally we were given a DVD with additional safety information. Very helpful I found.
The second is regarding cloth diapers. Possibly more economical than disposable, and more ecofriendly, it really made us think. I'm not going to debate cloth vs. disposable here but rather save it for a future article.
Before the days end, my wife reconnected with some old massage therapy classmates who were giving out complimentary massages. After a well deserved massage for herself, we headed home but not before making a purchase...
Bouncey chair number two now. We have one from the twins sale earlier this month, so we are set for bouncers...more to come soon.
The baby show would have been heaven for people who have a fetish for pregnant women. All the baby bumps, together, under one roof . Or if you didn't know better, it could have been a baby stroller convention. Aside from the expecting mothers, and strollers, I was bombarded by brand names never seen before. Medela, similac, snuggle bugs to name a few. We also picked up a lot of free samples and pamphlets seen below. When all the smoke had cleared, there were two things I found useful.
The first was learning about safety and infant car seats. I was shown the proper way to install a rear facing one. It was also pointed out to me the possible UAS connector locations in my car. Finally we were given a DVD with additional safety information. Very helpful I found.
The second is regarding cloth diapers. Possibly more economical than disposable, and more ecofriendly, it really made us think. I'm not going to debate cloth vs. disposable here but rather save it for a future article.
Before the days end, my wife reconnected with some old massage therapy classmates who were giving out complimentary massages. After a well deserved massage for herself, we headed home but not before making a purchase...
Bouncey chair number two now. We have one from the twins sale earlier this month, so we are set for bouncers...more to come soon.
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