Ready or Not Here We Come!: The Real Experts' Guide to the First Year With Twins [Paperback]

Elizabeth Lyons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2007

2nd Edition, updated and expanded!

You've expanded (to the point where you've traded high-fashion maternity wear for your husband's XXL T-shirts), answered way too many questions about your babies' conception, and felt your belly bounce like jelly as your dynamic duo engaged in a boxing match. And the adventure has only begun!

In her first humor-packed guide to raising twins, Elizabeth Lyons and her "multiples" sorority offer the wisdom of their combined experience in the form of practical shortcuts, real-world strategies, and sage advice.

Topics include:
- Preparing the Lair: Mandatory Gear for Babies and Mom
- Twinproofing Your Marriage
- Breastfeeding Strategies (and Why It s Okay if You Don t)
- Unsolicited Advice: Stories from the Trenches
- Getting Twins on a Schedule Preferably the Same One

Lyons balances the day-to-day challenges of raising twins from double feedings to sleep deprivation to getting out while pretending everything's under control with a sanity-saving dose of camaraderie. By the end, you ll be smiling and shouting, "Thank heaven, I m not alone!"

"Elizabeth Lyons' humorous yet realistic perspective provides new parents of twins with a great starting point from which to embark on that all-important first year." Dr. Bob Covert, Leading Chicagoland neonatologist

"Elizabeth Lyons captures the universal discourse of sisterhood while guiding new mothers of twins through the first year." Kathy Voit, RNC, Labor and Delivery nurse

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Finn-Phyllis Press, Inc.; 2nd edition (April 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974699020
• ISBN-13: 978-0974699028
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Twins & Multiples

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The advice you need in the short, funny format your sleep-deprived mind can absorb."- Lisa Earle McLeod --Forget Perfect

"Real-world advice with a healthy dose of humor from a mom of twins who s been there!" - Nancy Bowers, RN --The Multiples Pregnancy Sourcebook

About the Author

Elizabeth Lyons lives in Arizona, because it's sunny even on days when it looks like an F5 tornado hit her home. Even then, she continually coordinates while consuming vast amounts of chocolate a busy household that includes a heroic husband, a dramatic daughter, and an indescribable set of twin boys (who now have an energetic younger brother). Her articles and advice have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Parenting, Pregnancy, The Baby Years, First for Women, Blue Suit Mom, Better Home & Gardens, and on numerous websites.

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Finn-Phyllis Press, Inc.; 2nd edition (April 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974699020
• ISBN-13: 978-0974699028
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Twins & Multiples

More About the Author

Elizabeth Lyons vividly remembers the day she sat down at the kitchen table and began writing her first book. She was 6 years old. She started with chapter 8 because starting from the very beginning seemed an awful lot of work. When she discovered that she couldn't write an entire book in a day, she quit. Because there were enough other proverbial fish to fry that taking more than 24 hours to complete one project seemed nothing short of absurd.

She invented her first game, Jakbat, at age 3. She wrote her first song (with the very original title "It's really a song") at age 10, and fully expects the newest boy band to pick it up any second. And she insists that she invented the battery-operated heat-generating ice scraper but sadly admits that she didn't run to the patent office fast enough. Lesson learned.

These days, Elizabeth is many things: mom, wife, friend, lunch maker, chauffeur, hostage negotiator, author, on-call plumber, tile layer, guitar student, window washer, product designer, and on and on. She is the author of Ready or Not...Here We Come! and Ready or Not...There We Go!, humorous, solutions-packed, tell-it-like-it-is guides to the first year and toddler years with twins. She is also the author of You Cannot Be Serious: and 32 Other Rules that Sustain a (Mostly) Balanced Mom.

One thing she is not is Superwoman.

She simply demands the right to do things her way--a way that often defies even the most creative imaginations--and she strives to inspire others to do things their way (once they figure out what their way is!).

So, what exactly is an inspirational entrepreneur anyway? Truth be told, it's a term Elizabeth's husband came up with to describe someone who not only is entrepreneurial based on what inspires her, but encourages, inspires, and motivates others to do the same.

Elizabeth lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids, two dogs, two fish, four barely surviving organic gardens, and whatever (or whomever) else has taken up residence with them in the last five minutes.

Please feel free to contact Elizabeth at author (at) elizabethlyons (dot) com. She would love to hear from you, and she prides herself on punctual responses. But if you send an e-mail between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., you'll have to wait a bit because those are the hours during which she either thinks about or actually engages in sleep, the latter of which is completely non-negotiable.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging AND entertaining August 8, 2007

By E. Blackwell

Format:Paperback

When I found out I was pregnant with twins, a twin-mom friend told me that this was the only twins book I'd ever need. I found it immensely helpful before and after I had my boys. It takes you through strategies that never come up with one child: how to feed two screaming babies simultaneously, how to get them on the same schedule, how to handle all those bottles, etc. Best of all is the book's tone: funny and encouraging (similar to Vicky Iovine's "The Girlfriends' Guide" books). The book never tells you what you MUST do, but it offers real-life examples from real moms of twins, so you can try out what works for you. We mothers of twins need all the help we can get, and I really felt like this book was there for me during some very tough times.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book! August 14, 2007

By Malea

Format:Paperback

This book has been a refreshing break from all of the boring factual pregnancy books I've been reading. Elizabeth Lyons has a way with her words that convey honesty, bluntness, sincerity, and her love for her children all at the same time. I have not put this book down since I received it as a gift 2 days ago and will probably finish it today. I love the author's sarcasm and her "don't sweat the small stuff" approach to raising her children. The author also recommended several helpful websites to visit and items to purchase. I know this book has helped me and will continue to help me throughout the first year of my boys lives. Thank you Elizabeth!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Bits of Good Information November 10, 2008

By T. Croft

Format:Paperback

This book had bits and pieces of good information. Did not appreciate the numerous "horror" stories of premature labor, jokes about husbands being inept, and it downplayed the importance of breastfeeding. However, I have read six books dedicated to twins & multiples so far - this is one if easy to read, funny, and had many helpful hints on setting up for babies and schedules.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good info, but an overly negative tone November 13, 2011

By TwinDad099

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Upon learning that my wife and I were going to be parents of twins, the first thing we did was buy a few books so we could prepare ourselves for what to expect. What we discovered is that there are as many ways of handling twin-related stuff (feeding, sleeping, traveling) as there are authors who write about how to deal with those things. Know this: you'll figure all of it out on your own. You'll pick up bits and pieces of good information from various sources, but ultimately you are the best guide for what works best for your twins.

That said, when you're a blank slate and need some help, the various books on the subject can be a great help. I'd suggest picking up more than one to get each author's personal opinions, which many times come from their personal experience. Such is the case with "Ready or Not..." The author is herself a Mom of twins and doles out plenty of good tips and tricks. No doubt she used many of them in raising her twins. We even used a few with great success. There are some funny stories, and some touching ones. There's a great insert about a Mom who suffered from postpartum depression. It's one of the most helpful parts of the book, and a great addition that many other books lack. My wife really appreciated reading it.

The problem we had with the rest of the content was the overall negative tone. Horror stories. Tales of idiot husbands. And sometimes the negativity wasn't even that overt. There's a quiet, persistent sense of impending doom throughout the entire book. She suggests (strongly, like a warning) that new mothers of twins should take a multivitamin because there's not going to be any time in the day for the mom to eat well. We thought that particular tip was well-intentioned, but more than a bit over dramatic.... We found the early days with our twins hectic for sure, but not so much that we couldn't eat. Babies nap, you know. Another example: the author writes about the transition from bottles to finger foods. She makes the point that, even though parents look forward to getting their kids out of bottles and into eating real food, it's a huge inconvenience for Mom and Dad. Her reasoning is that bottles are simple, and food requires thought, especially when the family is out and about. We also found this strangely exaggerated. Is it hard to toss a couple jars of baby food and a bag of crackers into the diaper bag instead of two bottles? Nope.

There seemed to be an emphasis on making the reader realize HOW HARD life will become once the twins arrive. The author tells us she's just being straight with us because she wants us to know the truth about how challenging raising twins can be. Well, yes, it can be difficult, but the difficulty is only as bad as you make it out to be. The author should have presented her opinions in a way that didn't require readers to carry her baggage.

There were other minor annoyances about the book. It's clearly written from the point of view of a suburban family who lives in a two story home. We found this hard to relate to because, at the time our twins were born, we lived in a two bedroom condo in the city. So, suggestions to keep a second something-or-other upstairs made us wonder if the author realized that not everyone HAS an upstairs. Or a yard. Or a basement. There were no alternate ideas presented for a family who didn't have what the author had at her disposal.

If you can look past the negativity and not get sucked into the drama of the book, then this is a good one to have. But do yourself a favor and get a few others, too. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read May 16, 2008

By crazydoc

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The best thing I like about this book is that it maintains an enthusiastic energy throughout. It approaches having twins like an adventure rather than an insurmountable task. I am a physician so I really appreciate the common sense practical advice. For instance, the fact that there is a waiting period for getting into the best daycare centers and it is okay to put ear plugs in, if both babies start screaming together to dull the noise! I liked it so much that I ordered the sequel "ready or not here we go". It also provides advice about what to buy and breastfeeding twins.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love, love, love this book! March 31, 2008

By Lisa K.

Format:Paperback

This book is a must read for parents of twins...read it while you are expecting. So much useful information...I have have had alot of success with the advice offered in this book...very practical advise...you will laugh while you read it and after your children have been born you will roll on the floor.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for moms of multiples March 10, 2008

By Angie

Format:Paperback

This book was so helpful in the arrival of our twins. There are many stories of different families and the different ways of doing things that is so helpful. The author also provides excellents tips on what to buy and what probably won't work. The book is broken up into 3 sections; 0-3 months, 3-6, and 6-9 which is very helpful. Great advice for someone who has no idea what to do with two babies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I lost interest January 6, 2012

By S. Fuchs

Format:Paperback

I guess all of us who've had twins consider ourselves experts at it. Although this author did a good job at preparing me for the worst, it never seemed to get better for her. I must admit, I did not make it through the entire book because of the pervasive pessimism up until her twins' birth. Being on bed rest soon into the second half of her pregnancy and having premature babies who are in NICU for several weeks and therefore not breastfeeding--this was a far cry from my own experience, so her advice did nothing to prepare me. I did read over her list of baby necessities and was surprised at what she chose to be on the list. I already had two small children at the time of my twin pregnancy, so I still had all the equipment for one baby--we didn't need much more with two. But again, we moms of twins could probably all call ourselves experts. I certainly didn't need this book to horrify and worry me though.