[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by John 070

I'm not a woman (last I checked), but I think breastfeeding is very good for the baby from a standpoint that the baby will be less prone to get sick, and seems like they have a special bond with the baby too....

Lots of health benefits for both mother and baby. Allows mother to drop pregnancy weight faster too.

It's also the cheapest and most convenient food source too. While the kid now eats solid foods, we always supplement her with breastfeeding when she's cranky and needs a snack before a nap.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

Now kid wakes up around 3 AM, I give her a drink of water, then shut the door and let her cry herself to sleep.

Have you tried leaving a water bottle in the crib?

[KingOfJericho]

Also, if he/she's not waking for nutrition (milk/formula), they are usually doing so for a little interaction. They will probably cry for a few nights initially but will be sleeping straight through the night once they figure out they're wasting their energy.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Have you tried leaving a water bottle in the crib?

her crib will be soaked...lol.

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Also, if he/she's not waking for nutrition (milk/formula), they are usually doing so for a little interaction. They will probably cry for a few nights initially but will be sleeping straight through the night once they figure out they're wasting their energy.

for the most part, she is sleeping through the entire night, other than the 3AM wake up which I see it as more of an inconvenience. Usually I need to take a piss around that time anyways.

She goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 5-6 AM. The problem is we don't got to bed at 8:30...and my wife must wake up at 5-6 am to feed, then after that it's a crapshoot to get her back to sleep through 8 AM.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

her crib will be soaked...lol.

for the most part, she is sleeping through the entire night, other than the 3AM wake up which I see it as more of an inconvenience. Usually I need to take a piss around that time anyways.

She goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 5-6 AM. The problem is we don't got to bed at 8:30...and my wife must wake up at 5-6 am to feed, then after that it's a crapshoot to get her back to sleep through 8 AM.

Spill proof cups, my man! We have some made by The First Years or something like that and they have never spilled or leaked in their cribs.

Getting them back to sleep when it's already light out is hard. My wife did about 5mo of breastfeeding with our son before switching to formula. That made everyone's lives easier because the wife didn't need to um... drain... and everyone slept longer. A lot longer. You can mix in some rice cereal in the last bottle which will keep them fuller for longer as well. Both of my kids sleep from 7p to 7a+ and started doing so at like 8 weeks. My daughter (just turned 3) JUST started staying up until about 830-9 but she will then sleep until 8+.

[John 070]

Kids are great, don't let anyone tell you otherwise (although I get it some don't want them and that's fine). I can't get over what spitting images they are of their parents. And it's not that easy raising them (and I've only been a parent for 31 mos. thus far). I thought it was as simple as thinking, my kid's gonna play ice hockey and be a bulldog, F the <6% acceptance rate. Prolly gonna be a doctor and discover some amazing junk then reform health care and go on to the Supreme Court, all before I die....

If only it were like that...

[KingOfJericho]

Yeah it's a huge amount of work but it's the best kind of work.

We're kicking the tires on having a third...

[John 070]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Yeah it's a huge amount of work but it's the best kind of work.

We're kicking the tires on having a third...

I think the financials of it are pretty discouraging, but at the same time, so many people have 2 or 3 or even 4, there has to be a way to do it....(we've decided upon one, and that has drawbacks)

That's what's also out-of-whack in our society, that something that makes common sense, doesn't make financial sense....go figure...

[Alfisti]

Sleep training, as in with a proper trainer. It's HIDEOUSLY expensive, plan to drop a solid grand on it, if not more.

BUT, we are two from two. We nearly lost our minds with both kids then the trainer sorted them out in no time, gently too, not in a tough way.

A fucking GODSEND, our boys slept through the night from 4 months old.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by John 070

I think the financials of it are pretty discouraging, but at the same time, so many people have 2 or 3 or even 4, there has to be a way to do it....(we've decided upon one, and that has drawbacks)

That's what's also out-of-whack in our society, that something that makes common sense, doesn't make financial sense....go figure...

We're thinking about going the au pair route in the coming months. Childcare is prohibitively expensive in our area once you surpass the 2 kid mark (think $1,200/wk). In contrast, an au pair is $200/wk and they can work up to 45 hours. We have a 4br house so we currently have the space but we'll have to reevaluate a bit if we do go for a third.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by silvergray545

Does this mean you will have to get rid of the race car?

hell.to.the.no.

[silvergray545]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

hell.to.the.no.

Nice! Congrats on the addition to the family!

I'll be over here patiently awaiting your next track day video.

[M3 Number 86]

thanks all!

a lot of shit to look up - I did look up on the recaros and figured the newborn versions weren't as good so we will go with some other brands Chicco / Peg / Gracco (??) until kid is old enough for the next level seat when the recaro models get better. Read some reviews that the materials used were pretty shitty so might skip altogether but recaro has hans halo right? LOL

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by John 070

Kids are great, don't let anyone tell you otherwise (although I get it some don't want them and that's fine). I can't get over what spitting images they are of their parents. And it's not that easy raising them (and I've only been a parent for 31 mos. thus far). I thought it was as simple as thinking, my kid's gonna play ice hockey and be a bulldog, F the <6% acceptance rate. Prolly gonna be a doctor and discover some amazing junk then reform health care and go on to the Supreme Court, all before I die....

If only it were like that...

glad my vision is just F1 driver. Should be doable. lol.

[3tekcorps]

The sleep thing is a huge issue. Notice it keeps coming up. If it goes south it's a total disaster and very hard on a family. Get a plan in place before the ride home from the hospital and make sure you two stick to the plan. This was one of the biggest issues with my two kids. Long story though.

[UncleWede]

If the wife can't breastfeed, or as she gets ready to transition, consider goat milk. "Goat milk is for kids" NOT just because this is OT either. Closer to human than cow, keeps the risk of colic down, and actually has more fat (I think) for brain development.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

thanks all!

a lot of shit to look up - I did look up on the recaros and figured the newborn versions weren't as good so we will go with some other brands Chicco / Peg / Gracco (??) until kid is old enough for the next level seat when the recaro models get better. Read some reviews that the materials used were pretty shitty so might skip altogether but recaro has hans halo right? LOL

I would go Chicco Keyfit 30. It's the best bang for the buck and can be easily resold when you're done.

Again, buy the seat, caddy and the base (multiple bases if needed).

[OutlawX3M]

Ah the joys of a newborn baby -- that giggle, the innocence, the love....

The smell of poop, the odd projectile vomit and oh yeah, the crying in the middle of the night for no reason. My kids are 14 months apart -- [pull out game is weak here] so we had double the fun. Double strollers, 2x Huggies, 2x formula. College fund? I look at both of them and think, there's my Porsche 911 Turbo S.

My kids are 13 and 12 now and call me to drive them everywhere in "the beast". My daughter's pass time in the car is to call out spoilers on econo-cars and calls a Lexus "a pimped out Toyota". Caught my son sitting in the driver's seat, right hand over the steering wheel probably daydreaming of driving in the M3 and I thought, thank God it's a 3 year lease.

I've trained them well. Good luck and enjoy every minute, every smile.

[Sephiroth]

Be prepared to tell people to stfu. I don't know what it is about having a kid but people feel obligated to give you advice.

Good luck! I am 6 days away myself.

[w210e55]

so when our daughter was born I did a lot of research on infant car seats and all of that craziness. We decided on the orbit system and did the infant seat and the stroller, it's pretty expensive but the thing we liked the best with the orbit was the mounting system which gave you full 360 access when using the stroller. As she got older (she's almost 4 now) we transitioned to a Clek Foonf convertible car seat, that thing is a beast! We picked that one because of the anti-rebound bar when rear facing, by far it has to be one of the safest seats if not the safest rear facing seat today.

By the way congrats!

[MKSixer]

OP, all of the above are amateur answers.

You need between $500K and $750K.
*Drops mic*

[EyeGuy]

Probably got the most use out of this. It served as a napper, changer, playpen, and later as a place for the little one to spend time out in. I still remember the day he was big enough, I caught him on the nanny cam climbing out of it. You will still have plenty of time until that point though.