*Wen4u2b*

Artslvr

I can't believe your #3 is almost here already!!!  Where did the time go!?

Two questions for you:

Are any of your kids sharing a bedroom?  We have two bedrooms in the house on the main level besides the master bedroom.  Someday, when #1 is much older, we can move her to the bedroom downstairs in the walk-out basement... but in the meantime... we're obviously thinking that #1 and #2 will share a room so the baby has his/her own room.  Oddly it makes the most sense to swap bedrooms - so the older girls will have the bigger room. DH and I are thinking, if #1 and #2 are 4 and 2, is that a little young for bunk beds?  Maybe we should cram two beds side by side or in an "L" formation?

Other question - what are you driving to cart around three kids?  Right now neither of our cars will tote three.

Thanks, and once again, where the heck did the time go!?

special382

Artslvr:

Other question - what are you driving to cart around three kids?  Right now neither of our cars will tote three.

I am butting in, but I was thinking about you yesterday in regard to this.  What kind of car do you have?  You could possible fit 3 across for a little while if you were to switch the 2 girls to a narrow seat (like the sunshine radian).  Just a thought to help you hold out longer on purchasing a larger and more expensive vehicle.

Artslvr

Thanks!  Yes, we are considering maybe trying to fit three across DH's 2000 Ford F150 (I forget what you call it - "extended cab" or "supercrew" or whatever the term is for the fact that it has a full back seat).  I have a Hyundai Elantra which def. won't fit three across the back.

I may try to make a case to DH that we don't have to purchase something immediately.  We'll definitely want a bigger car at some point, but maybe we can "make do" for now.

Wen4u2b

Artslvr:

I can't believe your #3 is almost here already!!!  Where did the time go!?

Two questions for you:

Are any of your kids sharing a bedroom?  We have two bedrooms in the house on the main level besides the master bedroom.  Someday, when #1 is much older, we can move her to the bedroom downstairs in the walk-out basement... but in the meantime... we're obviously thinking that #1 and #2 will share a room so the baby has his/her own room.  Oddly it makes the most sense to swap bedrooms - so the older girls will have the bigger room. DH and I are thinking, if #1 and #2 are 4 and 2, is that a little young for bunk beds?  Maybe we should cram two beds side by side or in an "L" formation?

Other question - what are you driving to cart around three kids?  Right now neither of our cars will tote three.

Thanks, and once again, where the heck did the time go!?

 

Yes, the time goes by pretty fast in hind-sight!   But it's been a loooong 9 months!  This little guy (we're having a boy this time) is taking a LOT out of me!

My girls actually do share a bedroom, we moved them together about a year ago because we wanted to make one of the bedrooms into a playroom.  They were 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 when we put them together, and shortly after that they both went into toddler beds (but we still have a gate in their doorway...).  It took a while to get my 1 1/2 year old to stay in the toddler bed, but now it's great.  They love being in the same room. 

We probably won't get bunk beds for at least a few more years, mostly because i'm paraniod of one of them falling.  I believe that CPSC doesn't recommend bunk beds for under the age of 6.  And I guess there could be a risk of them getting their head caught between the railings, hang,  and then falling...scary stuff!  I know people with younger kids get them, I just don't feel comfortable doing so. 

 Would your room have enough room for 2 toddler beds?  They are pretty small and work for quite a while...or two twins side by side with just a nightstand between them...

 About the car situation, we have a Toyota Sienna (minivan), so space isn't an issue with us.  I have both girls in the third row now so I can put the infant carrier in the 2nd row but still get to the 3rd row to buckle them all in...

Your 4 year old should be old enough for a booster seat (rather than a full carseat) by then, which takes up less room...maybe that would fit in between two carseats in the middle?  Getting 3 kids in any car that doesn't have 3 row seating is tough!  I didn't realize there were narrow seats out there, so maybe that would be an option...but you'll probably not be able to use a LATCH system for all three.  Even in the Sienna, I can only use two carseats with LATCH in that third row bench seat...

Hope some of this helps!   

Artslvr

Very helpful - and the bunk bed thing - OMG, you're right!  My MIL last night said she didn't move her boys to bunkbeds until they were about 5 yrs. old, and now that you're saying all that - the falling, the getting caught, etc. - that makes sense!  So yeah, we can do two twin beds for sure.  The bedroom is not that big, but then again, our whole house is pretty teeny.

DH said just this morning that getting a minivan is non-negotiable, that he is not comfortable putting three across the back of his Ford F-150.  I think I'll give in on this one.  Though now we'll just have to rob a bank to pay for a third in daycare plus a car payment in 2011. 

Artslvr

Eeek!

special382

Wen4u2b:

Artslvr:

I can't believe your #3 is almost here already!!!  Where did the time go!?

Two questions for you:

Are any of your kids sharing a bedroom?  We have two bedrooms in the house on the main level besides the master bedroom.  Someday, when #1 is much older, we can move her to the bedroom downstairs in the walk-out basement... but in the meantime... we're obviously thinking that #1 and #2 will share a room so the baby has his/her own room.  Oddly it makes the most sense to swap bedrooms - so the older girls will have the bigger room. DH and I are thinking, if #1 and #2 are 4 and 2, is that a little young for bunk beds?  Maybe we should cram two beds side by side or in an "L" formation?

Other question - what are you driving to cart around three kids?  Right now neither of our cars will tote three.

Thanks, and once again, where the heck did the time go!?

Your 4 year old should be old enough for a booster seat (rather than a full carseat) by then, which takes up less room...maybe that would fit in between two carseats in the middle?  Getting 3 kids in any car that doesn't have 3 row seating is tough!  I didn't realize there were narrow seats out there, so maybe that would be an option...but you'll probably not be able to use a LATCH system for all three.  Even in the Sienna, I can only use two carseats with LATCH in that third row bench seat...

Hope some of this helps!   

 Not that it matters for the sake of putting 3 kids across (since he wants a minivan) but after your oldest hits 40lbs, you shouldn't be using LATCH for her anyway.  We have an Odyssey and we have Kenzie in a 5pt harness secured but the seatbelt in the third row and we have Ian in one of the captain's chairs in the middle (since he isn't 2 yet, he is still RFing).  I have been debating putting the baby in the infant carrier in the 3rd row with Kenzie.  Since I can still easily take the seat out of the base in the 3rd row and K can entertain the little one while we are on the road.  Then we would switch Ian to the back when he is FFing and the baby is in a Marathon.

Artslvr

Latch concerns me less, both the seats currently in DH's truck are in there using seatbelts. 

Wen4u2b

 Not that it matters for the sake of putting 3 kids across (since he wants a minivan) but after your oldest hits 40lbs, you shouldn't be using LATCH for her anyway.  We have an Odyssey and we have Kenzie in a 5pt harness secured but the seatbelt in the third row and we have Ian in one of the captain's chairs in the middle (since he isn't 2 yet, he is still RFing).  I have been debating putting the baby in the infant carrier in the 3rd row with Kenzie.  Since I can still easily take the seat out of the base in the 3rd row and K can entertain the little one while we are on the road.  Then we would switch Ian to the back when he is FFing and the baby is in a Marathon.

 

I didn't realize about the 40 lb thing with LATCH - i'm going to need to weigh DD#1 and see how much she weighs these days.  I don't think 40 lbs, but she's tall for her age.  So does that mean you have to just secure with a seatbelt?  I have a Britax that is good up to something like 65 lbs, i'll have to look into that more....

Good idea putting the infant seat in the way back, that would probably work also!

 I'm putting the infant seat in the far right side, behind the driver, and the second captain's seat is kept folded down as a bench.  I actually climb into the van and sit on it to buckle the girls in the 3rd row.  I also like that I load the girls into one door. Much easier that way.  But then if I need an extra seat for another passenger, I can just put the folded seat upright. If you use both bucket seats, it's really difficult to get to the way-back, but not bad if you have an older child. But then it's impossible to have any other passengers if needed...

Wen4u2b

Artslvr:

Very helpful - and the bunk bed thing - OMG, you're right!  My MIL last night said she didn't move her boys to bunkbeds until they were about 5 yrs. old, and now that you're saying all that - the falling, the getting caught, etc. - that makes sense!  So yeah, we can do two twin beds for sure.  The bedroom is not that big, but then again, our whole house is pretty teeny.

DH said just this morning that getting a minivan is non-negotiable, that he is not comfortable putting three across the back of his Ford F-150.  I think I'll give in on this one.  Though now we'll just have to rob a bank to pay for a third in daycare plus a car payment in 2011. 

Very scary about the bunk bed thing.  My SIL just bought some for her 4 and 2 year olds, and she plans on putting them up in about a year...she says it's ok because they are "good climbers".  I dunno, that still would make me too nervous.

Sorry you guys will have to rob that bank!   But having a minivan is REALLY nice with kids...totally worth it if you can make it work.  

Congrats again, so exciting!