Not long after posting my early third trimester sob story, I was the recipient of not one but two beautiful baby parties.

The first was a complete surprise! It was the second surprise party of my life — the last one was for my 26th? 27th? 28th? birthday — both of which were arranged by my amazing husband.

Why yes, that is me pouring a fine glass of red wine.

I kept wondering why the host at Harper’s was walking us toward the back room. “It’s not like we have kids with us,” I thought. But as we rounded the corner, there it was — a whole party! I later learned, Ian dubbed this “Britta’s OMFG I’m having twins” party. Here’s what Nina had to say about the prevalence of eggs that night.

I loved looking around the table and seeing the beautiful faces of my friends smiling at me. I loved that Shane made a rule that if anyone clinked glasses, he had to kiss my belly. I also loved that he was drinking Gansett, which gave me hope that summer will at some point come and we’ll be boozing on the Cape, just like always.

And I loved my husband for bringing all of us together that evening just to put a smile on my face.

Later that week, my sweet friend Monica threw me a baby “sprinkle”

Seeing as this is my third time around the block, I didn’t feel right accepting her offer to throw me a baby shower. Especially since the people we’d invite have already given me carloads of gorgeous hand me downs for these bambinos. So instead we had a “sprinkle” — a lovely weekday lunch gathering masquerading as a non-shower. Look how pretty!

Monica filled us up with spinach pie and a delicious Greek pasta salad, among other delights which we ate on the back porch overlooking the Hudson River.

For dessert, Sheri brought pumpkin whoopie pies and cookies, and I’m pretty sure Sara sprinkled more than fairy dust on her “pink power chocolate ganache cupcakes.”

The best part was they sent me home with a week’s worth of sweets, which kept the party buzz going and my mind off my third trimester twin pregnancy woes.

Daffodils found on my front porch later that week (thanks Patty!)

Thank you, dear friends, for the sunshine.

(Stay tuned next time when we’ll be right back to our regular complaining sessions.)

I’m rounding the corner on week 32. For the past few weeks, the hamster wheel of my brain keeps asking, “How much longer? How much longer? How much longer?”

Weeks do not go by quickly when counted every time one sits down to pee.

On an unusually cheerful morning this week, I decided I needed a project. The kind of thing I could start doing and look up five hours later. (Other than stalking other twin moms on Facebook groups and pinning motivational posters on Pinterest.) Something I could do in a semi-reclined position that didn’t involve client expectations should I, I don’t know, fall asleep or something. Something that would give me a sense of satisfaction when completed, but that didn’t feel like busy work (like allll those photos that really should be uploaded and backed up….).

So you’re looking at it — my new blog design!

Unfortunately it only took me two days. But there are plenty of little tweaks to keep me busy. Being able to drop in snippets of CSS, hit “refresh”, and see the results right there on the screen bring me joy like no other. It’s so empowering! I can copy and paste CSS! Hear me roar!

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Meanwhile, people keep asking, “Is a twin pregnancy really that different from a ‘normal’ one?”

I think I’ve handled those questions with dignity.

But part of me just wants to yell, “Have you taken a look at me??? I can’t sit with my legs put together! Have I not told you about the knife in my ribcage? Did we not talk about my ruptured eardrum from all the acid reflux coughing? Would you like to know how many times I’ve been to the triage room at Labor & Delivery thanks to extreme cramping?”

The truth is, most nights end in tears.

My stomach feels like it is bruised from the inside and on fire from the outside. Rolling over in bed is excruciating thanks to my upper ribs, which feel like they are being pried open with a metal instrument. Because of them, I can no longer do simple things like lift a chicken out of the oven. I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t go to Target or Whole Foods alone anymore.

The motto around here seems to be, “Mommy doesn’t feel well.”

Which just makes me feel so much worse. My boys are keeping busy thanks to their amazing babysitter, but I can’t help feeling guilty that we’re not spending these last pre-twin weeks going on fun adventures, doing cool projects, and soaking up our time together as a family of four.

At 30 weeks I weighed the same as I did the mornings I gave birth to my two sons (which makes sense I have about 7 pounds of baby in me). And the ultrasound tech informed me that from here on out, the twins should gain about 1/2 a pound a week. Each.

I’ve stopped weighing myself.

My body seems to be stronger than my mind.

The doctors’ only job is to make sure the twins are healthy, which means they have no interest in my long list of complaints. “Everything looks great!” they say, and I hobble home.

I know this is temporary. I know this is a blessing, even though I never in a million years imagined myself as a mother of four.

I know that soon, I’ll look at singleton babies and wonder where the other one is.

So I’ll carry on, and try to stop complaining.

I’ll snuggle my two boys as much as I can, and hope that that’s enough for now.

I’ll try to look past the piles of dirty laundry, the crushed crackers on the kitchen floor. And I’ll try to stop counting.

Before our session began, Sarah asked me if I wanted to state any intentions.

The words that came to mind were: Surrender. Security. Grounding. Faith.

But what emerged as Sarah worked her gentle magic was this: Receive.

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Receive love.

Receive the kindness of my neighbors who have given me so much for these babies on the way.

Receive the abundance that is all around me — focus on this and not the fear of “what ifs”.

Receive the beauty of the tree branches glistening as sun shines on melting snow.

Receive my new role as a mother of four, picturing us gathered around a table, a circle of (loud, messy, chaotic) love.

Receive faith, knowing that all of today’s worries can be solved with one phone call. Which makes them seem not so big after all.

Receive healing, and trust that this discomfort will not last forever.

Receive love. The pure, in the moment kind my children radiate with every single day.

Receive.

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Thank you, Sarah, for your gift.

Despite that minor setback, I’d say the second trimester of my twin pregnancy has delivered on most of the promises made by the singleton pregnancy manuals: Increased energy, almost no nausea, ability to focus, and a big enough bump to warrant smiles from strangers but not so big that people reach for their phones in case an ambulance is needed.

What I don’t think is normal, however, is requiring an afternoon nap every single day.

Each morning after driving my boys to preschool, I go to my beautiful office and work happily for a handful of hours.

And then I crash. As in zombie crash. As in barely make it home and crawl into bed crash.

I don’t remember it being this bad with my previous two pregnancies. Maybe it’s because I’m carrying twins, maybe it’s because I’m older (I’m 37), or maybe my “scared of the dark” three-year-old is to blame. Or all of the above. But all this napping really cuts down on a girl’s to-do list.

After my daily nap (which I keep trying to limit to 1 hour but inevitably ends up 2), I walk around in a fog for the dinner, bath, bedtime routine. But those morning hours sure are awesome.

Here are the boys waking me up from my nap. Quite the role reversal.

And so it goes. And so it goes.

A few more second trimester confessions:

• Every time I have a doctor appointment, I secretly wish they’ll put me on bed rest. At least that would help me justify the amount of time I’ve spending in bed this pregnancy. But I’m probably not getting put on bed rest for that exact reason.
• (I know daily naps are not an option for every mom — you are superstars and I am in awe of you.)
• I sweat like crazy when I sleep. It’s gross.
• I’m not nearly as hungry here in the late 2nd trimester as I was the first 20-something weeks. Thank god.
• I’ve started to embrace my large size and turtle pace. I think the humility that comes with late pregnancy is all part of preparing us for life with newborns. I get much less done every day, but I’m learning to let go. And that feels great.
• I can still fit in a booth at my favorite diner, but not for much longer.
• I’m starting to feel panicked about getting quality time in with my boys before the babies come. More on that in the next post.

(New moms: Baby Bargains = the consumer reports of baby crap. If this is your first time around the block, don’t set foot into a Baby Superstore without your copy.)

So before amnesia sets in, I’m documenting my 5 favorite things to make your life with toddlers easier. Hope it helps you!

1. Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat

Forward facing
POUNDS: 20-100 pounds
HEIGHT: 27-57″

They should call this “THE LAST CAR SEAT YOU’LL EVER HAVE TO BUY!!”

As soon as your little one can move into a forward-facing carseat, buy this one.

We made the mistake of going from the infant car seat to the Britax to this.

We could have skipped the Britax altogether and gone straight to this bad boy. Young toddlers will feel like total hotshots with this seat’s built-in cup holders and secret compartments perfect for stashing LEGOs and Hotwheels. And when your toddler turns into a preschooler (overnight), voila — here’s your new booster, friend.

2. Bumkins Waterproof SuperBibs

Why don’t I ever hear moms complain about how hard it is to find a bib that:

- Doesn’t soak through

- Doesn’t deteriorate the first couple of times through the wash

- Kids don’t rip off easily

- Isn’t so tight that it strangles your kid

- Doesn’t completely suck?

I have no idea. But I do know that these bibs lasted us through two toddlers in a row, and I think there are still some up in the attic waiting for rounds 3 and 4.

3. Multi-layered mattress protection

The best part, of course, is the product shot.

When your little Houdini graduates from the crib to the bed (we went straight to twin beds at around 18 months for both boys), you’ll want to do everything you can to protect their new twin mattresses.

Because as far as I’m concerned, they’ll be using these mattresses until they move out.

Here’s your twin bed setup:

• First the Vinyl Zippered Mattress Cover from Target. It zips around the entire mattress.
• Then a regular quilted cotton mattress pad like this one.
• Then the waterproof sheet protector as demonstrated by our lovely model. (This way if there is an accident during the night, or god forbid a stomach bug, you might luck out and only have to change this layer and up of bedding.)
• Then the fitted sheet. (Unlike our fine model above, I put the sheet protector under the fitted sheet.)

4. Ergorapido Ion Bagless Coordless Stick and Hand Vac by Electrolux

Keep it in or near your kitchen (I’m still trying to find the perfect place to conceal it but have it close enough to make it easy to use). If I used this after every meal, my floor would never be as disgusting as it is this morning.

Note: I had an earlier model of this vacuum and can say that the Ion battery version makes all the difference.

5. Diapers.com

BONUS: Use the code to the left to get 20% off all of their sites

I’ve been using these guys since they launched and they keep getting more awesome. I always get free, next day delivery, and their customer service is amazing.

I’ve use them for monthly diapers & wipes (they sell Kirkland brand wipes, which are awesome), sippy cups, cases of baby food, baby wash, books/toys. And for fun you can always throw in a tube of fancy mascara, laundry detergent, or throw pillows from one of their sister sites.

They also now offer a Baby Registry, which is WORLDS above the baby superstores since shipping is FREE as long as you order is over $49. And what better incentive for your gift giver to put that money toward your gift instead of the outrageous shipping Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby charge. Really, I hate those stores.

So those are my faves. What are yours?

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