Two Under Two Tips

If you want to have any hope of feeding dinner to your family, use a crockpot!
Also, if your older child is already in full time childcare, don't be tempted to take her out while you're at home on maternity leave. Keeping her in childcare is the best way to keep her routines the same, and you will need the break. You may take her down to part time, but I wouldn't drop it completely.
Playpens and cribs are your friend. There will be times when you have to put your toddler in a safe place so you can tend to the new baby. She may scream like crazy at being "banished" but it's only temporary, and it's better than having her play in the toilet while you feed the baby. You may also have to do the opposite -- put the baby (again, screaming) somewhere safe while you tend to the toddler.
I wouldn't give in too much to the desire to separate the kids. The older child will likely try to sit on the baby, dress her in something, or carry her off if you turn your back, so certainly keep the baby's safety in mind, but Big Sister should be allowed to touch and hold and help in any way she can (retrieving diapers and burp cloths, pick up a dropped rattle, dance and sing, hold the baby's hand while she gets a diaper change or nurses, etc.)
Of course, this all might make sense now, while there's no newborn in your house, so save everyone's advice and read it a month after the baby is born when you have had a couple hours of sleep back to back. Until then, do what you need to do to survive, and enlist the help of friends and family (don't be afraid to hand someone a mop if they ask what they can do to help!).

I have two girls that are 15 mo. apart. I actually found the first year to be much easier than I had planned. Mostly because my youngest was not getting around much then. Now I find it very difficult and challenging with a 2 y.o. and 3 y.o. I am constantly picking up although they are starting to get pretty good about helping me. Also they play together well now but I also have to deal with fights on a regular basis. MY only advice is to take it one day at a time. They seem to change so quickly I can't remember what they were like a few months ago. enjoy every minute and every stage they will be in together. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or just need someone to talk to.

I am just glad to hear that someone else is as crazy as I am!! My son will be 15 months (if the baby is full term) when our next one comes along. Although it is even crazier, as this will be my 4th child. That said, the best advice I have been given is to do the extra things when you have a moment. Like, make all of the babies bottles for the day at one time, or try to change both diapers at the same time. And even better, try to get them sleeping on a similar schedule. I think its great that you will have the same sex babies, and I am sure that will help out with clothes and toys. I have even been told to make double of most dinners that you make, so that you can freeze the extras for a crazy day. And, get on a cleaning schedule. I always teased a friend of mine, who had 3 kids when I had one, that she had set days she did laundry etc..but what I have discovered is that I can put anything and everything off until later. Then later comes and it is more overwhelming, so maybe plan which days you will do laundry, vaccuum, mop, etc.. The other good thing about that is that it causes me less stress, because I know that I will be doing it tomorrow or something. The best thing my mom told me (who raised 8 children 14 years apart from the oldest ot the baby) was that sandwiches can be a great dinner!! We have allowed ourselves to get nice lunch meat and fixings, as well as make some fruit salad, and everyone is happy:) Have fun, and good luck with your delivery!! ~A.~

Is there such a thing as organization at this point???
I have a 8 month old and a 20 month old. They are 12 months and 2 days apart. Just get ready for continuous clutter cleanup!! Try not to over-analize ANYTHING and take it one day at a time (because they will all be different). You will look back a week later and say "that wasn't so bad at all" and the next thing you know they will be running around playing with each other.

Good luck and feel free to email me anytime for "mom with 2 under 2" support!

I don't have any advice to offer as there was 3 years between my 1st and 2nd but I just found out last week that I am pregnant with my 3rd. My baby just turned 10 months so he will be 18 months when this baby is born and my daughter will be 4 1/2. I was so glad you asked the question and enjoyed reading the comments and more importantly glad to know that I'm not alone. Good luck to you and Congratulations!!

I have a 3yr old and 4yr old. Both boys. They are 11 1/2 months apart. The first two years were actually very hard for me. My biggest tip would be to get some help from family or friends. I don't have family in town and my husband works a lot so for me it's been very tough. I think that if I had even a little bit of time away once in awhile it would make all the difference in the world. I know that once I could put them in the daycare at the gym and take a couple of hours to myself during the day I felt a lot of relief. I also made sure to ALWAYS get them to bed NO LATER than 7:30pm so that I had the evenings to get ready for the next day or just relax from the day I just had. :) Good luck!

Hi K.,
Well, the first 8 months or so were crazy for me. My two are 14 months apart also and it was hard. I was also running an in-home child care and I DO NOT recommend doing that at this stage---crazy crazy. Really, my playroom was a life saver...the toddler would play in there while I nursed and I knew she could not get out, so I would not worry. I would sit in there with her at times and she would watch. Things seem to really get better when the baby is on two naps a day (one nap a day is GREAT---they nap at the same time!!!), once the baby can sit in the highchair and eat a cracker that really helped.

Seriously, cherish each moment...time FLIES even faster and I felt like I missed 6 months of my toddlers life and barely survived the first 6 months of the baby's. Take care of you...get out even for a sonic run or something a few days a week.

Congrats with the baby. Now mine are 28 months and 14 months...still things are BUSY BUSY BUSY, but they are so much fun and I would not change how close they are for anything.

K.