Well, my season is over. :)

[MattTuck]

Well, the good news is that my wife and I doubled the size of our family, and had twins last Monday. However, they were a bit early (30 weeks for those who like numbers) and will be spending a while in the intensive care nursery. My son was 3 pounds 1 ounce, and my daughter was 2 pounds 11 ounces . Excellent for power to weight ratio, but still very small.

So, they need to fatten up and I'll be seeing them at the hospital before and after work until they come home. Which doesn't leave much time for riding.

Happy to accept any and all advice on kids, parenting, being a dad, premature babies, twins, fitting riding in as a dad of twins, etc.

As a special forum related bonus, a member (who I won't name, in case it is some HIPAA thing) was in the room over-seeing anesthesia for the c-section. I met him through the forum a few years ago and done a number of rides together. Great guy!

Been a pretty crazy 6 days. Not much sleep, and I missed a great last week or the giro, but couldn't be happier.

[Ken Robb]

My godson weighed about 2.5 pounds at birth. I held him in the palm of my hand and we went to Toys r' Us to buy doll clothes to fit his tiny frame. He's a LARGE fit Battalion Fire Chief now. :-) Have fun with your kids.

[RFC]

You're home free as far as premies go. I have a colleague who had a 23 week old who survived and prospered. A real miracle. Now it's time for the hard work that will pay off. This is a life adventure. Cycling is a distant second. Grab your workout time when your responsibilities allow. Hell, if all you have time for is a hard and fast 15, take it.

[sandyrs]

Congratulations and best of luck, Matt!

[pbarry]

It can't get any better than what you have going on. :beer: You'll figure it all out. Glad to know all are safe and sound. Rest up before everyone comes home. In the best way, Life will never be the same. :)

[RFC]

It cant get any better than what you have going on. :beer: You'll figure it all out. Glad to know all are safe and sound. Rest up before everyone comes home. In the best way, Life will never be the same. :)

LOL!!! Amen!

[quickfeet]

HIPPA only applies to you, all the Dr.s are free to be named on your end, they just can’t share the same info about you.

I had my son a little early last year and spent some time in the NICU, so I feel your stress. Oddly, I rode more last year than I have the 4 years before combined. Having a kid made me get more organized with my time, and once I did that, time to ride happened.

Also jogging doesn’t hurt once in awhile either. It’s faster to get going and get a decent workout and back before momma gets to frazzled.

Congrats!

[pjbaz]

Congratulations! Fantastic way to cut back on riding. When they're little it's only for so long. Sounds stupid but kids do grow way too fast. Enjoy everything.:banana: Sorry, I just think this is the best damn emoji gif thing out there.

[Andy sti]

Congrats! Good luck to your family.

[MattTuck]

Thanks all!

It is definitely an adventure so far :)

And a new bike and kid related avatar for the event!

[72gmc]

Congratulations! Sending good fattening-up thoughts to your son and daughter.

My girls make my life better than I ever thought it could be. I returned to bike commuting to get my rides and minimize my time away from them, and that’s been so good for me.

[moobikes]

Congratulations! Obviously, you are going to name them Paris and Roubaix.

[ultraman6970]

Congratulations!!!... :)

[pbarry]

Congratulations! Obviously, you are going to name them Paris and Roubaix.
:hello:

[GregL]

Any and all advice will be irrelevant since each and every child is unique! Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride! My daughter wasn't a premie, but she was just under 5 lbs. when we brought her home. I remember running out to the store to buy tiny clothes and feeding her every 2-2.5 hours around the clock. It was absolutely exhausting, but by 10 weeks she could sleep 5-6 hours overnight and life settled down nicely. My only recommendation, for both you and your wife: sleep any chance you get! All those other life responsibilities will wait for a few months. Congratulations!

Greg

[Jaybee]

Congratulations, Matt.

I also found that my bike time increased with kids because i was forced to piroritize and organize my time expenditures in a way I wasn't before. For both you and your wife, enjoy your time together, find time to let the other decompress (maybe riding, maybe wrenching, maybe not bike related at all) when you can. Happy healthy parents are better than stressed obsessive parents.

[MattTuck]

Congratulations! Obviously, you are going to name them Paris and Roubaix.

Despite my efforts to name them cycling related names like Fausto, Eddy, Poggio, Paterberg, Lance, etc. my wife did not give in. :D:D:D

We had the baby shower last Saturday (2 days before they came). On the way home, we were talking about names, and I kept saying, 'don't worry we don't have to decide now. we still have a few weeks atleast!" :eek::eek::eek:

Took us two days in the hospital to pick her name, which we decided to go with Sloane. Boy was easy, Benjamin. My wife had it picked out for a long time.

[fiamme red]

Took us two days in the hospital to pick her name, which we decided to go with Sloane. Boy was easy, Benjamin. My wife had it picked out for a long time.Named after one of my favorite cycling authors, no doubt? :)

https://keithwatkinshistorian.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/sloane-1-1.jpeg

[bikinchris]

I was a preemie 57 years ago. 3 pounds. I did okay. Enjoy your twins. Forget sleep, you aren't going to sleep for a loong time.

[MattTuck]

Named after one of my favorite cycling authors, no doubt? :)


Haha, not sure where it came from. We had been thinking Arianna, Abigail, Charlotte or Amelia before all the drama. Then a couple weeks ago, my wife found Sloane and really liked it. So it was a front runner. But when she was born, she immediately went on a CPAP device that covered her little face. And we didn't want to pick a name without seeing her. So took a few days of bouncing between those names, knowing 95% that it would be Sloane, once we saw her face and could confirm it fit.

[ceolwulf]

Congratulations!

[NHAero]

Congratulations to you and your wife! My wife and I have twin nephews and twin nieces. Watching them both grow up has given us an insight on nature vs. nurture - in both cases, they're close to each other but very different in many ways.

[monkeybanana86]

Congrats! Happy times

How about getting a trailer that way you can do some real training (X2)

[livingminimal]

Congrats man.
Most of the parenting advice in the world is useless; you figure it out as you go. You seem like a decent dude so Im guessing your kids will turn out ok too.

As far as rainbow babies, they'll be great. My nephew was a 30 weeker and after about a month in the NicU, most of it as an abundance of caution and just monitoring lung development, he came out fightin and is super awesome and radical and 100% free and clear and healthy. Yours will be too.

Congrats, being a Dad is the greatest friggin thing ever. All the cliches are 100% true.

[livingminimal]

Haha, not sure where it came from. We had been thinking Arianna, Abigail, Charlotte or Amelia before all the drama. Then a couple weeks ago, my wife found Sloane and really liked it. So it was a front runner. But when she was born, she immediately went on a CPAP device that covered her little face. And we didn't want to pick a name without seeing her. So took a few days of bouncing between those names, knowing 95% that it would be Sloane, once we saw her face and could confirm it fit.

Sloane is a great friggin name. Nice job.

[Tandem Rider]

Our Daughter as 9 weeks early, got down to 2 11 a few days after birth. Spent 4 weeks in NICU, longest 4 weeks of my life. Plenty of time to ride later, you will be fine, so will your wonderful children, welcome to the club, best club in the world.

[Louis]

Congratulations Matt. :)

You can ride the bike over to the hospital to see them.

Then later on you and your wife can get a pair of these:

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/82/0b/6a/820b6a937fadbb40eddab2a4d9b813cb--biking-babywearing.jpg

[Hilltopperny]

Sending good vibes and well wishes! Congratulations on the new additions. Just remember to get some rest while you can. My son will be one month tomorrow. I am only awake now because he needed to eat and a fresh diaper change.

I have only been able to get out a couple of times a week and my rides are definitely shorter and higher intensity at this point.

Enjoy the twins as the time goes by quicker than you think. My daughter is now 13 and it happened in the blink of an eye!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cornfed]

Congratulations, and to re-use a cycling tagline: enjoy the ride. :) .

[nobuseri]

Congrats! :beer:

[weisan]

Matt pal, I have always enjoyed the threads you started around here, consistently well-conceived and well-delivered but this...oh pal, this is the best yet.

Congratulations brother.

[Bruce K]

Congrats and good luck. Ours was 32 weeks and was able to come home right away. Now he’s 30 and BIG.

As for advice:

A friend of mine told me that the birth of a child was the most important “acquisition” you will ever have - and it is the only one that has no Owner’s Manual.

Use your best instincts, go with your gut - enjoy the ride.

Also - always remember “a pound of dirt” ( that’s about how much they’ll eat before they figure it all out!

BK

[Cicli]

Very cool.

After the birth of my first, someone (I think mt dad) told me this.
“Take every moment, at any time a moment can make a memory”
That is very true. Kids change you, for the better.

[superbowlpats]

Congrats Matt :hello: Hope everyone is doing well.

Love the names btw. Maybe Sloane is an unconscious take on MIT's Sloan School? Goes well with the Tuck School at Dartmouth :)

[Louis]

and it is the only one that has no Owner’s Manual


When I was born this was considered the owner's manual.

I'm not sure if there's an equivalent today. In fact, there are probably hundreds of pretenders.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cd/The_Common_Sense_Book_of_Baby_and_Child_Care_%28ha rdcover%29.jpg

[paredown]

Shared a Memorial Day BBQ with a dad whose girl (of his twins) just graduated college. His words: "Lotta diapers." and he is convinced that they increase exponentially with twins--not to put you off, though.

Congratulation and enjoy!

[the bottle ride]

Congratulations - that is great news!!

[Black Dog]

Happy news. You will be fine as long as you do your best and remember that you should do things that work for your family not others.

[COYO1]

So first time parents and you and your wife hit the lottery with a boy and a girl! I can't imagine a better result. That's so awesome. Hope everyone is doing well. Congrats!

[oldpotatoe]

Well, the good news is that my wife and I doubled the size of our family, and had twins last Monday. However, they were a bit early (30 weeks for those who like numbers) and will be spending a while in the intensive care nursery. My son was 3 pounds 1 ounce, and my daughter was 2 pounds 11 ounces . Excellent for power to weight ratio, but still very small.

So, they need to fatten up and I'll be seeing them at the hospital before and after work until they come home. Which doesn't leave much time for riding.

Happy to accept any and all advice on kids, parenting, being a dad, premature babies, twins, fitting riding in as a dad of twins, etc.

As a special forum related bonus, a member (who I won't name, in case it is some HIPAA thing) was in the room over-seeing anesthesia for the c-section. I met him through the forum a few years ago and done a number of rides together. Great guy!

Been a pretty crazy 6 days. Not much sleep, and I missed a great last week or the giro, but couldn't be happier.

Congratulations..kids are more important than bikes:). You'll have plenty of time to ride..take care of kids and wife now until things 'normalize'.
Keep your sense of humor.

Everything will be ok in the end, if it's not OK, it's not the end.
Read this too. Sleep whenever you can, naps are good.

[sokyroadie]

Congratulations :banana::banana: - one for each kiddo

[zlin]

Congratulations!

Take it in and soak up the fun! Support your wife, give yourself grace, and enjoy every moment of it - even the hard ones. From one new dad to another, being a dad is the best. Cheers!

[rePhil]

Congratulations. The days when you can ride will soon return. In the end it will be like the blink of an eye. One day you will wake up and they will be grown and gone. Enjoy every day.

Saying that,get to know and appreciate your nurses. I have a daughter in law who is a NICU nurse, talk about stress.

[oldpotatoe]

Congratulations. The days when you can ride will soon return. In the end it will be like the blink of an eye. One day you will wake up and they will be grown and gone. Enjoy every day.

Saying that,get to know and appreciate your nurses. I have a daughter in law who is a NICU nurse, talk about stress.

HEAR HEAR, my daughter in law is too...:)

[572cv]

Congrats to you and your bride! Your season is just beginning :) It just isn’t the one you might have been expecting. The cycling will be coming back around before too long, but the kids will provide challenge, stimulation, and reward for the rest of your lives. Oh, and a little stress. And thanks for mentioning the Paceline assist, a new angle on the many ways the forum has had a positive impact. Have a great summer.

[oldguy00]

Congrats!
Two kids here.

Advice for exercise - once your body adjusts to the sleep schedules, feedings, etc etc and you actually feel like you have energy to bike, buy a Tacx Neo, embrace indoor training and netflix and use it when everyone else is asleep... :)

[soulspinner]

congrads

[Climb01742]

A million best wishes. And one suggestion: with twins, get a Diaper Genie. Maybe two!;)

[livingminimal]

And one suggestion: with twins, get a Diaper Genie. Maybe two!;)

This is literally the best advice of the entire thread.

[parris]

Congrats! buy a trailer and a bike to pull it with ;)

[tv_vt]

Wow, Matt, congratulations to you and your wife!!

[timto]

Congrats - I have twins as well. Meeting my wife, then having kids were the best things that have ever happened to me. Highest of highs, lowest of lows and all that. Do your best.

[AngryScientist]

congratulations matt!

if you ever get to the point where everything seems like it's falling apart and you have zero things under control - dont worry, that's normal, it'll pass. :)

[DreaminJohn]

Congratulations, dude. Your post took me back to the happiest and saddest of times.

My son was born at 26 weeks. He weighed 764 grams (1 lb, 10 oz) and was 13 inches long. There's no need for me to get into the issues he encountered but I can offer some advice that you've no doubt received elsewhere.

The biggest challenge for me was overcoming the fear I had of bonding, considering his condition. I used to sing to my son very quietly in his incubator every day. The songs I sang still affect me now when I hear them.

The preventative germ stuff they submit you to is real. Listen to them. I played guard (and occasionally attack) dog. No one got in to the NICU except us and our parents and I watched them wash every time.

As mentioned above, this is the time in my life when I learned that nurses do God's work. I used to show up at least once per week with a Box of Joe from Dunkin Donuts as well as a dozen. While the coffee couldn't be brought out to the floor, it was appreciated EVERY time.

I wish you much joy and happiness as you begin your amazing journey.

-John

[roguedog]

Well I don't have any wisdom but did want to offer congrats.

CONGRATS! It is a great journey.. so much fun. And yes, they do grow too fast so enjoy the moments.

[Steve in SLO]

Congrats, Matt!
I take care of babies like yours for a living. I'll PM you with my info in case you need to talk.

[2metalhips]

Congratulations!

[chuckroast]

Congratulations! Our twin sons were born at 26 weeks and turn 37 in August. People used to ask what it was like raising twins and we answered that it we didn't know any difference, these were our only kids!

It actually gave some advantage when they did youth sports, they were both on the same soccer teams and both were high school wrestlers.

You'll do fine, it's a team effort for you and your bride.

[echappist]

and I thought it was going to be another thread about a bad crash. Thankfully, that's not the case.

Congrats!!!

[bikingshearer]

I disagree that any advice is useless, so here goes.

From Dr. Benjamin Spock: "Trust your instincts; you know more than you think you do." (Ignore everything else he says about child rearing, because it is crap) but his book was (note the past tense - it may be out of date by now) excellent in terms of identifying potential medical issues, as in which symptoms need immediate attention and which ones to monitor but not call the doctor yet and which ones were simply not a big deal.)

From my Dad: "Just love them, and try to be guided by what is best for them - not what you or they or anyone else wants but what is best for them - and you can't go too far wrong."

From me: When you take them home, you will have a moment of blind terror of the "oh my God, what do I do now?" variety. It may be as you leave the hospital, it may be in the car, it may be when you get home. But it will come. This is completely normal, and it will pass, and probably pretty quickly. See the Benjamin Spock quote above.

This will be the most amazing journey of your life. Holding my new-born son in the nursery while the nurses got his bunk ready (at 10 lbs 6 oz, he was most decidedly not a preemie) remains the single most intense emotional moment of my life. But overall, it just kept getting better and keeps getting better, and he is now 27 and lives 600 miles away. It is so much fun to watch as they grow into the people they are going to be.

And no, you have no idea what you have gotten yourself into. S'okay - no one else did or does, either. You're going to do great, mistakes and all. And everyone - let me stress the word "everyone" - makes mistakes with their kids. You do not have to be a Perfect Parent, whatever that means. All you have to be is the best parent you can be for your particular kids. I have zero doubt you can and will do that.

And the will love you for it. Even if they claim they hate you.

[IFRider]

This is the beginning a great adventure ... You and your wife are going to be stressed, exhausted and prouder than you could ever imagine. Do your best to support your wife as coming off carrying twins can be an adjustment. Take lots of pictures and save them to the cloud. Cherish every experience, it will continuously evolve and you will appreciate having been in the moment while it happens.

As for riding.
- Rollers and trainer are your friends. I find a good treadmill helps also.
- Look forward to their being big enough to trailer (burley rocks the twins) and get an old mountain bike dedicated. Don't do big rides, just crossing town to the playground will be huge.
- When big enough, a trailer bike will be big adventures. Keep the old mountain bike and you can even do single track. My son would do rolling dismounts at 4 and run alongside on slow uphills.
- Save money for a tandem that works for kids. At 6 my kids would ride for a couple of hours on ours. At 10 we were doing simple over night tours (out 20 miles and camp).
- Be patient with them around riding and they will fall in love with it. My son and I spent the day ogling bikes and planning this summer's Acadia trip to ride today.

All the best in life for you, your wife and the twins ...

Warren

[Jad]

Congrats and good luck to all four of you! Every week (day?) brings something different. Have fun with them and enjoy the adventure.

[madsciencenow]

Lots of good advice here, Matt!

Congrats to you and your wife!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hokoman]

Congrats and enjoy them!!! The minute they start crawling and walking is when your cycling is really over - your wife will definitely need your help then/vise versa! It'll be hard for either of you to get away!

[teleguy57]

Matt, congrats! Parenthood is a wild ride, but one well worth it. I get to relive the best parts as the grandfather of a 2 1/2 year old boy and 1 year old girl.

As mentioned before, rollers/trainers are your friend. If you haven't hooked up with TrainerRoad it's time to do that (assuming you can grab a few minutes). Two of their top guys (CEO Nate and Podcast host Jonathan) are newish dads so they get it.

BTW, based on your experience and posts on the classics etc. I figured you to be an "older" guy -- maybe not my age (64) but beyond new dad age. Shows how one shouldn't make assumptions:)

Again, congrats. You will have much joy in your life!

[CDM]

HIPPA only applies to you, all the Dr.s are free to be named on your end, they just can’t share the same info about you.

I had my son a little early last year and spent some time in the NICU, so I feel your stress. Oddly, I rode more last year than I have the 4 years before combined. Having a kid made me get more organized with my time, and once I did that, time to ride happened.

Also jogging doesn’t hurt once in awhile either. It’s faster to get going and get a decent workout and back before momma gets to frazzled.

Congrats!

Walking with stroller eventually is great way to get some exercise for both new parents. I also found it was a no brained to eat better when since people depend on my health. Congrats..

[MattTuck]

First off, thanks for all the kind words, congratulations and advice. Can't remember if I mentioned it, but the birthday is May 21. Which is the first day of the sign Gemini (the twins), which is just a neat little coincidence.


...
Saying that,get to know and appreciate your nurses. I have a daughter in law who is a NICU nurse, talk about stress.

Yes, I've seen they are great. I say "thanks for taking care of our babies while we couldn't" each time we arrive or leave.

HEAR HEAR, my daughter in law is too...:)

See above.

Congrats!
Two kids here.

Advice for exercise - once your body adjusts to the sleep schedules, feedings, etc etc and you actually feel like you have energy to bike, buy a Tacx Neo, embrace indoor training and netflix and use it when everyone else is asleep... :)

Yes, some combination of smart trainer, zwift, and commuting by bike are sure to be in my future.

A million best wishes. And one suggestion: with twins, get a Diaper Genie. Maybe two!;)

My wife has gotten some new fangled pale. She did a lot of research. I think it is higher volume than the genie :)

Congratulations, dude. Your post took me back to the happiest and saddest of times.

As mentioned above, this is the time in my life when I learned that nurses do God's work. I used to show up at least once per week with a Box of Joe from Dunkin Donuts as well as a dozen. While the coffee couldn't be brought out to the floor, it was appreciated EVERY time.



I notice they have a pretty steady supply of baked goods, donuts and coffee. I inquired if they have any other likes that are non-food, as (if it were me) the donuts may be too tempting if I were trying to eat right. They didn't have any ideas for other stuff, and said they ate all types of food :) Still, I'd like to find something else to bring in, if possible... not sure what, but I'd like to express my gratitude in a non food way.

Congratulations! Our twin sons were born at 26 weeks and turn 37 in August. People used to ask what it was like raising twins and we answered that it we didn't know any difference, these were our only kids!


Yes, we don't know any better so far. And same with the intensive care nursery. We never had the experience of bringing a full grown baby home right away, so this is all we've ever known for kids. It is hard, but probably would be harder if we'd done it the traditional way before.

This is the beginning a great adventure ... You and your wife are going to be stressed, exhausted and prouder than you could ever imagine. Do your best to support your wife as coming off carrying twins can be an adjustment. Take lots of pictures and save them to the cloud. Cherish every experience, it will continuously evolve and you will appreciate having been in the moment while it happens.

As for riding.
- Rollers and trainer are your friends. I find a good treadmill helps also.
- Look forward to their being big enough to trailer (burley rocks the twins) and get an old mountain bike dedicated. Don't do big rides, just crossing town to the playground will be huge.


Did I mention that we are in the process of buying a house? :) Will have a nice basement to set up a trainer and rollers.

Matt, congrats! Parenthood is a wild ride, but one well worth it. I get to relive the best parts as the grandfather of a 2 1/2 year old boy and 1 year old girl.

BTW, based on your experience and posts on the classics etc. I figured you to be an "older" guy -- maybe not my age (64) but beyond new dad age. Shows how one shouldn't make assumptions:)

Again, congrats. You will have much joy in your life!

I've been told that I have an old soul, whatever that means. I am 39 this year. That's what happens when you get a divorce at 33 and hit the reset button on your life.

[MattTuck]

Picture time. This pic is actually from a week or so ago, but finally getting around to posting it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Oc00xgZcHzkkL6N3G5p0-ViFn1E8rNf-EhuP4ObiyUqlGqVSGvk4F4_QAqMWV8bQ-RNzjhq8Q1Eqfmm-t5n-zK_Y7CwRXj7WD9vZP8oKqY6gwIiF125hT9mmKi_etyjZp1b9S7 0Kgy8RaqvWsHJ6CZACSuGDZQdH-AXCKaoTkJDUWRTFQrDrroj1CDsG6jeU3ZZDX3qrBsqOoW2SiwR huPJP9jKPXGPeOmAJ37p-Sg-Stt-LF2ucMcoVyclmvW2UNMCrvDbTUAJWwpU6lYHv3nRh5tPDE_R-EUa9vgzJ2LIN8VXoDt1a3DKJpPTiyvffSf3j-NqPsH5DOeRgRvx-wPMP4PxYT8bZ2l9nd0r-J269rKfe15UZJ9cp4CAqyUfHY361KzvZVL6rLg0bTnOH7WNEGV 5OWYcf5b-oaddL4HT2Hxb0oUieq9q08vh-n3ccevwT7KbnUWfQOidxWaglRpTJlssy1F7njHkQeO6BUMi6Kq MANT5O7lReQMhOJSELiFkrlrPtVgo-0IfV-JnAAt8GaSWEqTtmVM_205T8W9-g2hmIWlN6_8NkRS6oQo36TPlAPOCrCLj7nj-ujhqMBsYZ_aN8USSnE3lmKaI=w501-h667-no

[Louis]

Very cute, but Matt, you need more bike-themed stuff for them:

https://cdn-img-1.wanelo.com/p/d5d/3b4/936/6fc93b025063fe29e1a33ec/x354-q80.jpg

[tv_vt]

They're cuties, Matt!!

[jpritchet74]

As a father of 4 the best advise that I can give is to spend time with your kids and enjoy the time that you spend with them. My kids span from 19 to 2 (all with the same wife) and my biggest regret is that I worked too much when my oldest ones were young.

If you can get them into sports then volunteer to help coach the team - even if you have never played that sport before. My son started soccer at 4 and I got roped into helping the coach because at that age it's just about keeping the kids attention and the coach couldn't herd the kids on his own. Anyways, I was coaching my own team the next year and did that for 4 years. I loved it and my son loved it.

When it comes to riding I have found that a lot of that depends on your wife and if she is OK with you taking the time to ride. If I am home on a weekend and go for a ride in the middle of the day she gets pissed off. So if I want to ride on the weekend I need to be back from the ride before everyone has woken up so my riding doesn't interfere with "family time". I have a couple of friends that have kids and they can get out for 4 hour rides on the weekends - that doesn't fly with my wife though.

The more you help the wife with the kids should make her more OK with you spending time with the bike.

[tuxbailey]

Congratulations. Not too early to start shopping for the double trailer.

[weaponsgrade]

Congrats! I've got an 8 and 5 yr old. I was able to keep up my riding with the first one, but when the second one arrived it took a big hit. Maybe you'll be more disciplined than I am with a trainer. As I'm sure you're finding out, they're a ton of work and I could be getting a new bike every other month with what they cost. But it's been so fun and fulfilling watching them grow up, learn things, and develop their own little personalities. I love it when I pick my kid up from school and she's all excited to tell me about something she learned that day. She tells me about it as if I don't know and she just discovered it. Of course I act real surprised and start questioning everything. As far as parenting advice, I'm still figuring it out myself, but I think you just gotta trust your gut for the most part. I bought a trailer before they were even born. I think as soon as they could hold their heads up and sorta sit up I strapped them into the trailer for little rides in the park. Do what you can to burn as much of the experience as you can into your brain. I remember studying their little faces in the morning before leaving for work, coming back, and already seeing changes - like the eyebrows getting a little thicker.