I think we can all agree that this year has been one that will not soon be forgotten. Whether we look back on these days with a grimace or a grin (or, let’s face it, a combination, because life is multi-faceted and complicated), there’s no denying that 2020 will be a part of our collective memory for a long time.
And much like all of you, what started out as a relatively normal year for us has quickly turned into one of our family’s most memorable. Three months into 2020, we decided to sell our first home and fell in love with a major fixer upper a half mile away. Right after we moved in with my husband’s parents and roughly one month after the Coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on our country, I found out I was pregnant. After another week, I was told (alone, in an ultrasound room with everyone present donning masks of course) that I was, in fact, pregnant with twins. Roughly two months later, we confirmed that we were expecting two GIRLS! And, later this week, I’ll turn 36 weeks pregnant. In the world of multiples, that means that these babies could be making their appearance any day now. Thankfully, we are (FINALLY) planning to move into our aforementioned fixer upper this week as well.
In a nutshell, while we scramble to move our family into our dream home, finish readying the girls’ nursery and pack our hospital bags in the few weeks we have remaining, I’m finally taking a moment to reflect on what an incredibly wild year it has been (pandemic notwithstanding), and just how lucky we are to have the opportunity to welcome these ladies into our lives. As is often the case with a second pregnancy, I’m also finding myself somewhat mournful at times, feeling like I haven’t fully taken the time to cherish this pregnancy and prepare like I was able to with my last (tough to do when chasing a toddler!), but such is the way of things these days, right? Even though we hardly feel ready and would have planned this out a bit differently, I am grateful to have been chosen as the mama to these TWO baby girls and also firmly believe that we are never given more than we can handle so…here we go!!
When I was pregnant with my son, Vaughn, I shared a post outlining much of my birth “strategy,” and thankfully, much of what I had hoped for was able to become a reality. This time around, especially once I discovered I was carrying twins, my Type-A personality had to let go of my preconceived notions and give in to whatever my body (and these ladies) decide. For example, I am very much hoping for a natural delivery, but as I type this, the girls are currently laying sideways across my belly, a nearly certain recipe for a delivery via C-section. So, as I did with Vaughn near the end of my pregnancy, I have started doing as much yoga and safe inversions as possible and visiting the amazing New Moon Wellness for acupuncture and moxa treatments in an effort to encourage our bottom baby to flip to the head-down position.
Additionally, while the news of twin girls might normally send most mothers into a preparation frenzy, because I’ve been in the middle of so many transitions already, I quite honestly haven’t taken much time to research or prepare. And while this does give me quite a bit of anxiety, as I learned with my first baby, nearly everything is figure-outable without the need for a specific product, you won’t necessarily need all of the things other mothers swear by, and it’s okay to stay in your own lane (and ask for help along the way). So, while we HAVE doubled up on a few key baby items and stockpiled plenty of baby girl clothes, there isn’t much else we’ll be changing even though we’re welcoming two new members into our family. I’m confident we’ll figure it out as we go, and since my husband is actually a twin himself, I am immensely grateful that his parents are nearby to give us some twin-care tips (and extra hands and eyes) as we adjust!
I also admittedly waffled a LOT on whether or not to instruct my sister to throw a shower (especially in today’s dangerous times for gatherings) and schedule a maternity shoot. We ultimately decided against the shower since I wasn’t looking to add much to our baby stash anyway. And fortunately, our brilliant team member and wonderful photographer, Katie, was willing to meet with me last-minute and snap a few shots to remember this time (and my enormous belly!) by. I am already SO grateful we decided to do these – thank you Katie!
I still can’t believe I’ll have the opportunity to meet these gals in just a few short weeks – writing about this experience is certainly making it feel that much more real! While I am VERY much looking forward to life after this large, painful and honestly quite cumbersome bump, I simply cannot wait to see my daughters, get to know their personalities, likes and dislikes, see them with their doting older brother, and, once again, watch their hunky dad do his thing.
2020 is absolutely going to be a year to remember, culminating in the arrival of our gorgeous baby girls, and while there is so much that currently feels uncertain, somehow, I can’t imagine it ending any other way.
