New Dad Advice Needed

[Texas Size 11]

Three weeks ago the wife and I became parents for the first time of twin girls. Things are going wonderful around the house and I'm enjoying every minute I have with all three of them. I took two weeks off from everything following their birth but I'm starting to get restless. Here is where I need advice from y'all: when should I realistically consider getting back into the gym in the mornings? My thinking is that I should wait till the girls are sleeping through the night. That way I'm at the gym while everyone is still sleeping and back home right as everyone is waking up or still sleeping. I'm trying to keep momma happy becasue if momma ain't happy no one is happy. I visit the shooting range during the week on my lunch hour so that has not suffered. Had to get some kind of gun reference in the post!

When your wife gives you permission...then and only then is it safe to go back.

[Jasonw560]

+2 on the formula.

we use parents choice which is the walmart brand, their big can is $11 something. the ingredients are IDENTICAL to enfamil and its half the price.

Someone I used to work with had her pediatrician insist she give her infant son the Enfamil with all the added stuff because her daughter was on it.

He broke out in hives and they couldn't figure out why he did. they tried medicines, creams, ointments--nothing worked.

I told her about the plain HEB brand without all the added stuff, and she tried it. The hives cleared up in 2 days.

More expensive is not always better. What works for one won't work for the other.

One of my twins could drink milk by the gallon when he was a toddler.

The other one bowled over in cramps-lactose intolerance.

[texanron]

Thaks to all of you for your advice and humorous reponses! They both are greatly appreciated!

The system we have right now is that I help out as much as needed, which I happily and eagerly do, as soon as I get home from work. When we finally get the girls to sleep around our bed time the wife takes over waking up to care for the girls so I can sleep since I go to work the next day. When I mentioned that I was going to start going back to the gym the wife responded by requesting I help with an addtional feeding in the morning. She does not request this if I'm only going to work. I interpret this as her not being on board with me getting back into my pre-parenthood routine just yet.
After reading and thinking about what has been said in the replies so far, I'm going to let the gym thing go for awhile. It'll always be there.

Are they identical or fraternal?

Fraternal.

I can't add much except to say congratulations. I raised four daughters they are all married and have kids of their own. Wait till the boys start coming around.

My wife still laughs when she tells people the first thing I said when we found out we were going to have twin girls, "I'm going to need more guns." The ultrasound technician got a good laugh out of it as well.

Seriously, the Lord has blessed you and your wife. Congratulations!

Thanks Charles!
Raising these girls in a solid Christian home is something we both take very seriously and pray about daily.

For now, let the sixpack abs go to hades. You can always get back into the gym when you're about 48. If you're wife complains about your deteriorating figure, respond with "You made me this way!" and start crying.

Six Pack Abs??? I'm sporting a kegger right now!

[karder]

Congratulations!
Forget the gym. Enjoy your gifts for now, all three of them.
While I truly enjoyed Charles's advice, I could not afford to do that. I am amazed at all the things I did on my own (laundry, preparing meals, cleaning the house) for many years before I got married, which my wife has now shown me I am completely incompetent to be doing! Picking up a broom is enough to rouse my wife from the back of the house to snatch it away and inform me (I'll take care of it, you don't do it right). I don't want to add anymore to an already long list!

[lonewolf]

I have never found a "Men's Only" anything. If there was ever a whisper of such a thing, my wife found out and decided she wanted to play, too!!!!

My life has been so much better since my wife has been deciding what I like.....

Men rule, but women decide......

Anything that looks like a quote in the above may be, I just forgot from where. I'll have to check with the wife.....

On a more serious note--CONGRATULATIONS on the babies!!!! Help all you can, but don't joggle her elbow. Offer to help with whatever/whenever, and be sure to respond when she asks. My first wife and I had three babies in four years. More than one in a diaper at a time. When it comes time to potty train, make it a contest, that way they'll both do better faster.......

[sjfcontrol]

Open the refrigerator door -- she'll think you are getting a bottle for your daughter. Then -- now listen closely since this is a key element in the program -- pull out the vegetable crisper drawer and gently lay the baby in the drawer and start to close it. Don't worry, you're not going to really close it and your wife will be screaming "what are you doing!!" and she'll be taking the baby away from you in a nanosecond.

Chas.

Thanks, Charles -- I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Me ->

[flintknapper]

texanron wrote:

When I mentioned that I was going to start going back to the gym the wife responded by requesting I help with an addtional feeding in the morning.

That was what we call a "Counter-Offer".

Deciphered....it means: No way!

[Texas Dan Mosby]

When your wife gives you permission...then and only then is it safe to go back.

LOL!

I prefer actions based on "agreements" rather than "permission". I would recommend that you wait until you both agree that gym time, and any other external activity, is appropriate and conducive to your schedule.

Until then, exercise in the house. A gym is not necessary to develop or maintain fitness, contrary to popular belief, and you can maintain and / or improve your fitness level through body weight exercises alone.

[Hoi Polloi]

texanron wrote:

When I mentioned that I was going to start going back to the gym the wife responded by requesting I help with an addtional feeding in the morning.

That was what we call a "Counter-Offer".

Deciphered....it means: No way!

The thought process behind it is probably along the lines of, "You have time to go shooting. You get to get out of the house and go to work while I'm at home doing a bajillion loads of laundry. And do you help me with that? Nooooo. You go and shrink the only church dress I could still fit into! And you flood the dishwasher while trying to see if your Glock could shoot after going through a wash cycle!

Now you want to take more personal time to go to the gym while I look like a beached whale because I've been carrying your two children around inside me for the last 9 months. If someone should be getting out of the house and going to the gym, I'd think I would have dibs. Or maybe I could shop for a new dress since I have none. But I am not going to be able to do that because I can't function without sleep and I can't rely on you to get up with the babies after you put one in the crisper drawer following your oh-so-difficult day of looking for a new gun and eating out with co-workers! But if you have free time enough to add in yet more to your over-scheduled day, I can suggest a few things you can do!"

Maybe the kitchen flood was a bit too much.

[texanron]

Until then, exercise in the house. A gym is not necessary to develop or maintain fitness, contrary to popular belief, and you can maintain and / or improve your fitness level through body weight exercises alone.

This is the route I have decided to take. Do some body weight exercises and actually run outside instead of on a treadmill. Who knows, I might actually make some progress this way and decided to cancel the gym membership all together.

[Jasonw560]

texanron wrote:

When I mentioned that I was going to start going back to the gym the wife responded by requesting I help with an addtional feeding in the morning.

That was what we call a "Counter-Offer".

Deciphered....it means: No way!

The thought process behind it is probably along the lines of, "You have time to go shooting. You get to get out of the house and go to work while I'm at home doing a bajillion loads of laundry. And do you help me with that? Nooooo. You go and shrink the only church dress I could still fit into! And you flood the dishwasher while trying to see if your Glock could shoot after going through a wash cycle!

Now you want to take more personal time to go to the gym while I look like a beached whale because I've been carrying your two children around inside me for the last 9 months. If someone should be getting out of the house and going to the gym, I'd think I would have dibs. Or maybe I could shop for a new dress since I have none. But I am not going to be able to do that because I can't function without sleep and I can't rely on you to get up with the babies after you put one in the crisper drawer following your oh-so-difficult day of looking for a new gun and eating out with co-workers! But if you have free time enough to add in yet more to your over-scheduled day, I can suggest a few things you can do!"

Maybe the kitchen flood was a bit too much.

Good God, were you in my house about 8 years ago?

[Hoi Polloi]

Good God, were you in my house about 8 years ago?

Your wife still complains about that dress.

[Jasonw560]

Good God, were you in my house about 8 years ago?

Your wife still complains about that dress.

And the dozen or so blouses I shrunk!!!

[AddyLO]

TWINS??

I have twins as well. Forget the gym, start drinking heavily.



Oh, BTW.... BIG CONGRATS!! (Just keep mama happy and you'll be fine).

[texanron]

I don't know what I was even thinkng about when I thought about going back to the gym. The past couple of nights have been brutal!!
TWIN GIRLS ARE A HANDFUL!
I don't know what woman I did wrong in my past to warrant this! What ever I did it must've been awful! C'mon lunch huor so I can grab a nap.