I would have more discussions with your daughter and get her on board with the idea first before going ahead. I know if I gave my own DD something she said she didn't want that she would be exceedingly PO'd with me for a long time and even if she did find that I was right and she liked having the [whatever] she would never admit it.

I can understand that, but I remember going through having a baby (one at a time!) and feeling like there was no time to cook!

DD and her wife actually LOVE my cooking.

I'm thinking they can make room for a freezer!

I love the idea. At the moment freezers are hard to come by but I guess you have time. But your good intentions aside, I’ll just say that I really have to bite my tongue when my MIL gives us something that she thinks we need but we’ve specifically said we don’t want. Perhaps give it some time and ask again? Not everyone considers a freezer a necessity.

Congratulations on your wonderful news!

Maybe send your daughter an e-mail. Something like: I know you said no, and I respect that, but with two babies, cooking is going to be so difficult! It was with just you! You say you and your wife love my cooking, and you know how much I love you, and the grandchildren I haven't even seen yet, so please let me do this for you. It would give me so much pleasure to be able to help you both out with the new babies. If you like, I'll find a handyman to help you find a space for the freezer, and maybe build a platform for it if that's needed. I'm not trying to make trouble, and I completely respect your wishes, but I hope you'll allow me to share in your joy and help you welcome your children into the world, and take just a little bit of stress away.

That's what I'd say anyway, and in an email there isn't the obtrusiveness of a card in the mail, and doesn't have the confrontational immediacy of a phone call.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Many good wishes for a healthy gestation and easy delivery, and happiness to all concerned.

Congratulations to the lucky but soon to be chronically exhausted couple! They will need your help for sure! Lucky them to have you! Congratulations to you as well!

I would graciously acquiesce if the answer is no after asking them once again nicely. I would respect their perception of their space.

I would still cook them food and put it in my own freezer or buy them a freezer to stay at your place and deliver food as needed if you live close. Just make sure it's food that they both like.

Congratulations, grandchildren are wonderful, much more fun than having children I'm actually responsible for! Twins, though, oh my, they're going to be very busy new parents...

I agree, I'd approach DD one more time, she may be thinking that you are on a fixed income and she doesn't want you to spend that much money on a gift for her. If you do have room at your place, then Yeonassky has a good idea, cook food for them and put it in the freezer at your place. Your DD and her wife may decide after the babies come that having a freezer is a very good idea after all, and then there's one ready to go AND already filled with food.

Annie

I'm agreeing with Colleen... extend the offer into the future. They might change thier minds once the babies arrive.

And, Congratulation of becoming a Grandparent.

I think Colleen has the perfect answer. I know as a new mother to be all I could think about was the furniture and equipment needed for a new baby. Now your DD will have it x2! Perhaps that's all she can wrap her head around for the time being. Your generous offer isn't on that track so she's not considering it. Keep the offer open and for the moment, concentrate on organizing a baby shower!

Agree with Colleen...say"if you change your mind...."
I have twin grandsons....now grown up....but I remember. They really have no idea what's coming. Twins are a rare and wonderful blessing....but! that first year is just a blur of feeding diapers laundry, trying to go to work. My kids had a live in Nanny but it was still a giant sleepless time.
Hang tight.....and when they appear hollow eyed munching on saltines and peanut butter....offer that freezer again.

They just have no idea how exhausted they'll be.

I also think they might not want you to spend that kind of money on them but I would extend the offer too.

Congratulations! I have 3 y/o twin grands, so I can well remember what it was like when they were newborns. Twins aren’t twice as much work. They are at least FOUR times more work. I don’t know why, but they are. Nevertheless, I have to agree with everyone who says, if your DD and DDIL told you they don’t want a freezer, don’t go ahead and buy it.

I agree with Colleenoz and I think lindac has hit upon the perfect timing for re-offering your gift. When DD‘s twins came, they already had a freezer. I kept it stocked with casseroles and even breakfasts.

If you or the other MIL are looking for things to do to be helpful in the first few weeks, DD said the best thing I did for her was to take over the laundry. Even though they used disposable diapers, the amount of dirty clothes generated by twins is mind-blowing.

My DH and I have twins (they're 24 now) but I must admit that we were absolutely delusional as to how our life would be after they were born. I figured that because my husband was taking 3 weeks off, I would have time to cook, so didn't really stock up much. Ha! We pretty much lived on apples and cheese and granola bars those first few weeks!

Thanks all for all your good wishes and advise!

I think I'll make room in my own freezer and start cooking for them anyway, and make the offer again in a couple of months.

We got them a GC for some of those cooking kits that you get delivered, but they haven't tried those yet since Xmas!

I don't know if the G-ma will be moving out here right away, and we live about 1 1/2 hrs away, so those first few weeks (months/years) could be very hectic!

Money is in no way a problem, as we were pretty smart and actually paid off our house early, and, with an inheritance were able to move to a lovely part of town and actually gift them with enough to do a final round of IVF (Ohhhhhh! We BOUGHT those babies!:) )

Will start on the baby shower!

This thread title makes me laugh because it popped up right around the time I was looking at the Frigidaire Twins fridge and freezer, and finding that the freezers seem to be on back order. I opened the thread expecting some crazy story about two fridges or something!

Congratulations!

Lots of preparations for new babies. Must make you go crazy thinking about it. Are there shortages for diapers? Baby formulas? Will hospitals be clean? Do they make baby face masks? ------

Good luck with finding a freezer. After months of searching, I have only been able to locate a 3 cubic-foot one. Delivery expected in a few days.

I have this crazy idea to convert the 3-cubic foot freezer into a 6-cubic footer.

dcarch

There should be freezers again by the time the babies come.

There are always cloth diapers. If you're in a water challenged area, the environmental impact of cloth vs. disposable is the same (maybe not including the ones with gels or other newfangled materials). I don't know about formula, but I'd expect the formula makers are working as hard has Heinz/Kraft, who are keeping us in ketchup and mayonnaise. :) Hospitals are clean and have separate areas for birthing and screen carefully. There are also non-hospital birthing centers that can provide emergency support but only have labor and delivery. Babies should never be masked. They're not strong enough to breathe through layers of cloth. You can put a light blanket over a baby carrier with a lot of airspace between it and the baby. And remember, the face coverigs are for keeping your diseases in. They can help a little if you're exposed, but if someone coughs in your face they're not going to keep you from getting the virus. Just ask thousands of nurses with inadequate PPE. Just keep strange people away from your babies!

A 3 cubic ft upright was my gateway additional freezer for years. Had it on a bakers storage rack at eye level. That was about the time I started making stocks and freezing meals. Loved that thing. In the barn and unplugged now but handy when the garden is full blast harvest.

Holds quite a bit. That size might be less of a commitment....but I guarantee they will keep it. (or just call it a loaner freezer for your meals.)

Yes, offer again later, and let them know it's a standing offer for whenever. They may have apparent room in their garage, but possibly they have plans for that apparent space. And as someone else mentioned, they may want to not burden you.

Personally, I love my separate freezer - and I'm a single woman living alone (but who gets halves of lamb or pork ever so often). Their needs and usage may differ - and could well change.

EDIT: With COVID I'm glad I don't have to rely on supermarket pork and such. Both encouraging the factory conditions and knowing there will be shortages. But they may well prefer to eat differently from stocked foods than I (or you) do.

Well, I made the second offer, and we came to a compromise. They have a garage fridge that they are going to empty for my frozen meals! Considering we'll probably be there at least 1x per month, we should be able to restock on each visit.

Next.....making and freezing organic baby food!

Instead of baby food, suggest they look into Baby Led Weaning. DD used it for all 3 of hers, the twins and the singleton. She loved it. Also there is a good Instagram account that they might need later, kids.eat.in.color. Tons of good advice on feeding children of all ages.

That's a great compromise. They don't feel pushed. You get to make sure they're fed properly. They'll get to assess their further needs when they come, assuming they're both rested enough at some point to notice. :)

Re freezing, I learned a new trick this year. Instead of flat packs of soup, I made pucks. I don't think they take more room in the freezer. The advantage is you can just plunk a puck into a bowl and zap it. I did soup, chili, and something else I can't remember. The molds I have are 7 oz. Silicone so it's easy to peel out the frozen pucks and bag them. The molds fit on quarter sheet pans, which makes them easy to manage, carrying and setting in the freezer, topped with plastic wrap.

The same thing would work great for baby food with appropriate sized pucks, which could be plonked into babyfood containers in the fridge to thaw, or zapped in a dish.

Have fun cooking!

plllog, where did you find the 7 oz silicone molds? I have maybe 2-3oz ones that will be good for baby food. Normally I use a foodsaver and freeze in slabs.

I am glad you came to a compromise. I am sure the meals will come in handy.

I use the excuse that I "dont have room" for something when I dont want it. Sometimes it works,sometimes I end up with a giant plastic tote of ugly boring china in a spare bedroom closet.......

Enjoy your grandbabies!

Amazon. Where else?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HXYZJ7Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

amylou321 The thing is that they LOVE my cooking! I think the compromise is going to work. They are emptying the garage freezer for me to fill with meals. That should do them, and I can replenish once a month or so.

@nancyjane_gardener, have you remembered to get your TDaP shot yet? Get ready for a sore arm for a day or two, but the little baby snuggles make it worth it!

I'll have to check on that. I know I had to have some vaccinations when I was working with students at Kaiser several years ago.