There will be easy days and there will be hard days. How you respond to them makes all the difference.

People will ask you what you want for baby showers and the like. Ask for gifts of meals, help around the house, or with holding babies so you can sleep or shower. And diapers. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Get ready early! Pack your hospital bag, purchase and install your car seats, and buy preemie clothes just in case. Chances are you will bring your babies home from the hospital and they will be swimming in their newborn layette.

Focus your energy on caring for your newborns, and don’t stress the other stuff. Be flexible. Forget the housework!

You don’t need two of everything at first. You can get by with two similar things, like a bouncer and a swing. But by the time you have two toddlers, yes, you’re going to need two of everything. And they need to be exactly the same.

Find a way to get some time to yourself. Get out of the house if you can get someone to come over and hold babies for a while. Personally, I wake up an hour before the rest of the family. Those quiet moments have been a lifesaver.

It gets easier. Each stage has its ups and downs. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Meanwhile, in between those difficult times are moments of sweet sibling interaction that will melt your heart. Remember these moments when they are tearing at each other’s hair and you are ready to trade them in for a used PT Cruiser.