A Special Thanks To Nurses

Dear Diary,

I sent Garrett out to get the mail today and when I asked him what we got and his response was, "Something from Shawnee Mission Medical Center." My first thought was, "Really? We already got the bill?" Turns out, it was a Congratulations card from the Nursing staff who took care of Olivia and I in the hospital. It was a simple card, one they probably send to everyone, but each Nurse that took care of me had written a small note and signed it. Some just wrote a short Congrats to me or a Good Luck to life with Olivia, as I am sure they were reminded of my daughters name being that they see so many patients on a daily basis, BUT what really touched me were the Nurses who included something personal. They made me feel like I wasn't just another patient, but someone they enjoyed taking care of, or at least took the time to remember who I was.

I can't give Nurses enough credit. Of course Doctors are important. I love my Doctor and if it weren't for her, my daughters wouldn't have gotten the prenatal care they needed, nor would I have been able to deliver two healthy, beautiful girls. But with both of my hospital stays in the past 2 years, the Nurses have really stood out the most to me. I remember their names, the advice they gave me, the help they offered and their true understanding for what I was going through.

With Addalyn it was my Labor Nurse who stood by that monitor and realized that maybe we better get the Doctor over in a hurry and get Addy out safe and soundly. It was one of my Postpartum Nurses who walked me through everything I needed to know about taking care of a new baby and helped me recover the best I could from surgery before going home. With Olivia it was the Surgery Nurse who made me feel as comfortable as I could going through another C-Section. It was the Nurse Anesthetist who talked to me the entire time I was going throughh surgery, distracting me from what was going on behind that big blue curtain and even grabbing the camera to snap a couple photos of us meeting our daughter for the first time without being asked. And again, it was one of my Postpartum Nurses who helped me get another stubborn baby to finally figure out how to breastfeed.

These Nurses see patients like me every single day at their job. It would be easy for them to follow the routine, give me only the attention needed to get me through my stay and move on to the next patient on their list. But, these Nurses - Julie, Ramonda, Britney, Nick, Mary Kay, Lee and Jacque - are people who are meant to do what they are doing. I will always remember their names, the way they treated me and my babies and the impact they had on such an important part of my life.

So, Thank You Nurses! It takes a special person to do the jobs that you do. I certainly couldn't do it. And remember, those extra little things you do for your patients, the advice you give out for free and the kind words that you say when maybe you don't feel like it mean so much more to patients like me than you'll ever know!

"Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon"

Sincerely Yours,

Introducing Olivia Ryan Forsythe

Dear Diary,

Where in the world do I begin? Prepare for the longest post of all time because I have a feeling it will be near impossible to wrap my feelings in just a short, few paragraphs.

SHE'S HERE!!

Olivia Ryan Forsythe

March 22, 2011

7 lbs 3 oz 19 in.

Here I sit, with a napping toddler, a snuggly sleeping newborn and a relaxing husband. Tomorrow will mark Olivia's first full week of life, and I can hardly believe it has been a week already. This is probably signs for how ridiculously fast the second child grows up, as if the first didn't go fast enough!

Olivia's arrival went exactly as planned. I got some sleep, but not much, as I woke up at 3:45am to take my shower and get ready to head to the hospital. I think Addy knew something was up, and she definitely wanted to be part of it as she woke up around 4:00 and insisted on hanging out with Mommy and Daddy while we were getting ready to go. She couldn't have been cuter, sitting on our bed, all smiles, just watching us gather our things for the hospital. We gave her kisses goodbye as she snuggled with Aunt Chelsea and Granna to try and get some rest in before meeting her new baby sister in just a few hours.

We got to the hospital, got checked in, met the nurse who gave me my awesome hospital gown and support socks, hooked me up to my IV, and got baby girl on the monitor to make sure she was doing okay. Then it was the waiting game. A few people were in and out to ask questions and talk to me. I couldn't believe how familiar everything was. I had just been through all this with Addy 18 months ago, but I didn't think things would come back to me as much as they did. Everyone was ready to go, just waiting on Doctor to show up. As soon as she came in and said it was "go time" the nerves started. I walked myself into the cold, operating room and hopped onto the table (a little different than being wheeled in, and in a hurry, like last time). They got me prepped for surgery, put the blue curtain up, and let Garrett come in. IT WAS TIME!

Some tugging, pulling and a few minutes later I heard the best sound in the world, my little lady crying! They lifted her up and let me take a look and sure enough, I saw Addy all over again. They got her cleaned up and we couldn't believe how light her hair seemed. Her nose and mouth were identical to Addalyn's as a baby, but she had her own little look as well! We were in love, again! And just like before, her and Daddy were off to the nursery while Mommy got the pleasure of getting put back together!

Addalyn in the hospital

Olivia in the hospital

We spent the day just as I wanted it, with family. Everyone made a visit, including Big Sister Addalyn. It broke my heart that I couldn't pick her up and give her a gigantic hug, but all the little kisses and hugs she gave Little Sister made it all worth it. I think she was pretty impressed. With every trip she made to see us in the hospital, we asked her to give Olivia a hug and a kiss and baby sister got about 20 instead! Priceless!

I can't believe how much better my recovery has been this time around. The difference between this delivery and last is like night and day. With Addy, standing up for the first time on my own was unbearable, and with Olivia I hopped right up, got showered, and walked around my room for a few minutes without any one's help. I thought it would surely catch up to me and I'd be hurting but here we are, day 6, and I am doing great. The worst pain I had was while watching Conan one night in the hospital. Something made Garrett and I crack up and let's just say laughing that hard after a C-Section is not enjoyable. I had tears running down my face from laughter and pain and I had to make him turn the channel =)

And now we are home. adjusting to life with two! So far, so good. Garrett has this entire week off work and thank goodness. He has been on Addy duty and while she can been somewhat exhausting, I think they are loving all this time together. Olivia couldn't be a better baby. I was sure God wouldn't give me two good babies but so far, she's been perfect! I hope she keeps it up!

Once again, God has blessed our family. I have said it a million times - I have no idea why God has given me the life he has, but I cannot be more thankful.

A HUGE Thanks to the following: To Dr. Holmes and to the Shawnee Mission Medical Center nursing staff for taking such good care of me and Olivia. To everyone who said a prayer, a kind word, or wished us well. I cannot tell you all how much that means to us. To our family for being by our side and welcoming Baby Olivia with open arms. To my Mom and Sister for taking such great care of my first baby at home. I knew we would miss her the days we had to be in the hospital, but knowing she was with you made it much easier on us! And a special thanks to Mom for all the frozen dinners, delicious desserts, and a clean house to come home to! To Addalyn for being the best Big Sister in the world. To my awesome, amazing and perfect husband for being by my side and going through all of this again together. I couldn't imagine my life with anybody else and I am so excited to watch another perfect little girl fall in love with her Daddy! And finally, to Olivia, for letting this Mommy be a Mommy again. LOVE YOU ALL!

I hope I will be able to write often, but keep in mind I will soon be out numbered around here! Dad can't stay home from work forever =) Here's to hoping you see another blog post before 2012!

Sincerely Yours,

"P-Ewww"

Dear Diary,

Another blog post about pregnancy and my baby. Sorry folks, but when I am days away from meeting the little lady, it's all that is on my mind!

Well I am at that antsy phase. Had a dream last night that we had our baby girl and she was huge! Not like oddly huge, just more like a 4 month old instead of a newborn. And she had light hair, which I can't imagine she'll have. Someone (not sure who) named her a name we did not like so we had to change it AND for some reason my parents were taking care of her in the hospital so Garrett and I could get plenty of rest. Do you think that means they're planning on moving in and getting up all night long after we bring her home? =)

I usually enjoy dreams like these but this morning it just reminded me that it is still not time for our little lady to be here. It's definitely a good thing considering I still have plenty to do before she arrives, including packing my hospital bag (oops!), but it still doesn't stop me from wishing she was just here already. I am DYING to clean my house but want to wait until Saturday when Garrett can help and we are a little closer to Tuesday, you know, so I don't have to clean it AGAIN before we head to the hospital. I must be in that weird nesting phase because every little thing that is out of place, needs dusted or could use a good scrubbing is calling my name. Garrett would be mad at me if I did it all myself so I suppose I can wait a couple more days before I tackle the housework.

I had my last Doctors appointment yesterday, although I didn't even get to see my Doctor at all. She was very far behind, which has never happened throughout either of my pregnancies, so I was asked to see the Nurse Practitioner. I was a little disappointed as I would have liked to see my Doctor one last time before the big day, but I assume she must have felt okay enough about things to let me see the Nurse instead. I got to hear her heartbeat one last time from behind this comfortable home she's been dwelling in for the past 9 months and I got to leave the office knowing I wouldn't be back for any more checkups before the baby's arrival.

This little bundle of joy is moving like crazy, which probably means she's just as antsy to meet us as well. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to bringing her home, getting settled in, and spending a few days snuggled with my little family in preparation for Phillies Opening Day. If ANYBODY wants things to run on schedule, it is my husband, because he will get to have Opening Day off work. I haven't quite decided which he is more excited about, the new addition or baseball season. =)

Alright, off to spend another day with just the lady and I. Speaking of, here's the Addy Moment of the Day:

 

She goes to the gate and points upstairs. I say, "What's the matter? Are you ready for a nap?" She looks at me like I am crazy and I ask again, "Addy, are you ready for a nap?" And she squints her eyes, plugs her nose with her thumb and finger and says, "P-U!" (More like "P-Eww"). Sure enough, she had a stinky. Garrett and I only teach her quality words and phrases, Ha ha! My kid is awesome =)

Oh yeah, Happy St. Pat's Day! Oddly enough I have overlooked this until I saw all the FB status updates.

Sincerely Yours,

A Day In The Life...

Dear Diary,

Well it’s one week until baby day and how am I feeling? Blah… This cold went from bad, to better, to worse. How is that possible? Who knows! Maybe the jump from better to worse means it’s on its way out? I can only hope. My tossing and turning in bed just got worse by tacking a constant runny nose onto things. I must feel better by the end of the week, whether this sickness wants to allow or not. The house needs cleaned and things need put in order before Baby Day on Tuesday. For now, snuggled on the couch with my girly, the dog and the laptop are the only things on my “to do” list.

Speaking of lists, I sat down a couple nights ago and started writing down everything anybody would ever need to know about a day in the life of Addy and I. Not that Mom hasn’t raised four kids of her own or spent plenty of time with the little lady to know how to take care of her while we are in the hospital, but I felt a list of notes might make things easier. And who am I kidding, I live for making lists like this.

As I was thinking of all the weird things that might be helpful for Mom to know, I was cracking up at all the specifics that make our days what they are. For instance:

“If Addy points to the television or hands you the remote and whines, this means she DOES NOT want to watch whatever is on TV, but wants you to go to the DVR list and scroll until you find the exact show she is in the mood for.”

OR

“Make sure you get EVERY bath time tub sticker out of the sack for her to stick on the tub, because if you don’t she will keep insisting until you do. It will be less trips for you.”

EVEN BETTER

“Pay close attention to not let her climb on the end tables, run across the couch, climb in the baby swing, stand on the green toy box, or open the glass door and get all the DVD’s out and scattered across the playroom. She’s sneaky, she’ll do it.”

AND MY FAVORITE

"If she says 'Uh Oh' but isn't doing anything wrong, then she's thinking about it. She's at least kind of enough to sometimes give you a warning first."

I am sure most households are like this when you are talking about one year olds. I don’t know how many times a day I have to say “Addalyn Paige, do you REALLY think you need to be doing that?” OR “What did I JUST tell you?”

My solution: Why not bring a newborn child into the mix? I have a feeling Addy climbing on the couch to turn the lights on and off OR chasing Philly around to try and pick him up or give him a hug 80 times a day will begin to fade into the background of my crying, hungry newborn. Will life get more hectic? I am putting a strong bet on YES. We’ll find out: ONE WEEK!

Sincerely Yours,

The "Mood Meter"

Dear Diary,

The weather is determining my mood. And apparently my health.

FRIDAY: A glorious day of sunlight and warmer temps. Garrett got off work early and we buckled the little lady in the wagon and headed to the park. Walking that long of a distance may not have been easy for this 9 month pregnant frame, but I took it like a champ and we enjoyed a nice afternoon in the sunshine. I think I’d give our “Mood Meter” a 10 out of 10 for the rest of the evening, although Addalyn’s number jumped rapidly lower to a 2 or 3 when she felt the wrath of her canine teeth coming in. Poor kid was a slobbery, miserable, feverish mess by bedtime, BUT a little snuggle between Mom and Dad, a dose of Tylenol and some cold ice water did the trick and landed her in her crib for a decent nights sleep.

SATURDAY: The sun was still shining but the temperature was a tad lower than the previous day. Our champ woke up in a good mood and we started our morning with pancakes! She got a good nap in before the 4 of us (Philly included), okay 5 of us (Baby Girl Forsythe), headed out for a day of errands. We needed to drop Philly off for a haircut, stock up at Costco, grab a few things from Home Depot and hit up Target for all my “last-minute” items before the baby comes. Well, just as the temperature was lower, so was our “Mood Meter.” I think it’s safe to say our numbers were barely reaching 5’s as we neared the end of our errand journey. I felt like I was out on Black Friday, amongst a million other shoppers, trying to push and squeeze my way down aisles and through check-out lines. Garrett and I are not made for shopping through traffic so we were both eager to get what we needed and get home. On a good note: We got to spend the evening with 2 of my favorite siblings (Missing Chels) and their significant others for a night of KU basketball and one of our favorite home-cooked meals, Creamy Baked Chicken. On a bad note: The Terrible Tooth Monster made a reappearance at bedtime :(

SUNDAY: Chilly, overcast, yucky. And not just the weather, me too. I woke up with a sore throat, runny nose, and headache. My back is killing me and I can’t get comfortable to save my life. This computer chair has actually been the most comfortable I have been all morning. Of course in the final week before I give birth to our second child, I WOULD get sick. I am hoping it doesn’t last long. “Mood Meter” so far today? Eh, I give myself a 3, Garrett a 7, and Addy a 10 (She’s down for a nap so as long as those dreams are alright she should rank pretty high).

So what do I need? I need the weather to cooperate, the pains all over my body to subside, and the Terrible Tooth Monster to give us a break this evening. Until then I will try to rest between my loads of laundry.

I'm pretty sure if there was a Terrible Tooth Monster, this is what he'd look like:

Sincerely Yours,

Four Has Always Been My Favorite Number!

Dear Diary,

Well one Doctor's appointment down, and just one more to go before baby day!

Appointment was quick and easy this morning and things seem to be looking right on track. We also met with the hospital yesterday and got all the paperwork and preparation stuff out of the way so I guess you could say I feel a bit more prepared for surgery day, which is quickly approaching. There are definite benefits to having a planned C-Section. I know when the baby is supposed to be here. I have all my "help" planned out as to who will take care of Addy while Daddy and I are with baby sister and who will help me with the recovery process afterwards. I know what to expect and how long we'll be in the hospital. Garrett has taken his vacation time off work and family and friends know in advance when they'll get to meet the new little lady.

It is very convenient, and even though I am anxious and ready to get this pregnancy over with and move on to the fun part, the baby, I am hoping and praying that all goes as planned. Going into labor on my own will not only throw me off guard, but also everyone else involved in this equation. Of course I will be just as happy if things don't follow the exact schedule they are supposed to, but a little convenience sure would make this entire experience that much better! Being the planner I am, I have already put my sister "on call" just in case, and we plan to have all the last minute details done before the weekend.

Car seats need installed to new locations, newborn diapers need bought, my bag needs packed, the house could use one last good cleaning, and most importantly, we all need lots of rest, rest, rest! I hope to not get completely caught up in the excitement of the new baby's arrival and forget that these last two weeks are just as important for Addy as well. As my Mother-In-Law said this weekend, she won't remember a time without her little sister, but it is still important to cherish these final few days of just Mommy, Daddy and Addalyn. Her life is about to get turned upside down as well. I can't say that she is fully aware of what is about to happen, but I think she has an inkling. I have constantly told her that Mommy has a baby inside her belly. I'll ask her if she has said hello to her sister today and she'll typically give my belly a hug or a kiss. I have no idea if she REALLY understands or if it's just the tone of my voice as I say, "Aw can you give the baby a hug" that gets her to react but either way, little sister has already gotten some attention.

As I have already noticed the interaction between Addy and her new little cousin Brooklyn, I realize that it is going to take time for everyone to get used to each other. Especially when it's not her aunt and the new little baby, but it's Mom and her new little sister. We wont be going to see the baby and then leaving the baby with her Mom and Dad, but we'll be taking the baby with us everywhere we go, including home, and even bigger still, including Addy's own room! I guess if they don't love each other right away, they'll be forced into it as roommates =)

I am very excited, nervous and ready for all of the above! I hope to enjoy these last 2 weeks (or less) with my family of three, and I am even more excited to become a family of four!

Sincerely Yours,

Appreciate The "Little Things"

Dear Diary,

This is my third blog post in a short amount of time. Maybe it's due to the fact that I am largely pregnant and don't feel like doing much else, OR maybe it's because my creative juices are flowing, but either way, here's another one!

Just a simple post today. I have found myself appreciative of the "little things" lately so I felt the need to write about them.

The DVR: I have talked about this before, but Sid the Science Kid is a favorite show at our house. I have no idea why she loves it so much, but this kid is addicted. We DVR every episode, and while it's not the WORST show to watch, I have gotten a little sick of the same ol' episodes. Back before we had to watch Sid religiously, I remember an episode about weather. The entire show dealt with rain clouds and storms. I LOVE storms. The Sid creators even made the sky in the show look all dark and nasty out. I loved this episode and had been dying for them to play it and FINALLY, they did. So now, when I click on my DVR list to find a Sid episode for Addy to watch, I always click on Sid's Rainy Play Date! Ahhh, the little things...

Sweeping: When we were younger, Ryan and I would fight over the nightly chores. One person had to sweep the kitchen floor, and the other person had to take out all the trash. For whatever reason, taking out the trash was the much better choice, probably because it took less time. We were on a strict schedule and believe me, nobody swept that floor more nights than they had to. Now, as an adult doing ALL the chores, sweeping is probably one of my favorites. Something about being in control of the broom and the immediate satisfaction of sweeping all that dirt and grime into the dustpan to be thrown away. If Ryan and I were still doing chores together, I'd let him take out the trash every time!

Finding A Deal: I love when things turn out to be easier than I thought they would be. I have been collecting things here and there over the past few weeks for a gift for my soon-to-be niece. And while I liked everything I came up with, nothing really went together. So yesterday, as I headed to Target to get a card and bag to put all these items in, I hit the jackpot! I found a white bag that I could decorate myself, I found tissue and ribbon on sale for 68 cents a piece that were exactly what I needed AND I found a little dress for a great price that matched the colors of my gift perfectly. If you know me at all, you know I would normally spend at least an hour trying to figure out what to get. Yesterday it was bing, bang, boom and I was out of there!

Addalyn: Maybe it's because I am realizing that my alone time with the little lady is limited, but lately I have been noticing the little special things that make Addy my favorite person in the entire world. For instance, I LOVE how when we are eating lunch together and neither of us have said anything for awhile, she'll look at me and tilt her head just slightly and wave her little fingers, as if to say, "Hey Mom, thanks for sitting with me to eat lunch." Or how her new favorite thing is to always pick out something to bring up from the playroom when we are done playing. I tell her it's time to go upstairs and she frantically searches around the room to find the one perfect thing to take with her. Yesterday it was a chair from her table and chairs, and after a bit of a fight to convince her that the chair was a little too big to come upstairs with her, she seemed just as satisfied with a book and a ball from her ball tent. I keep slipping things back to the playroom when she's not looking so our living room doesn't turn into the playroom!

Alright, off to the store with my little helper. Who knows, maybe I'll appreciate the store today with this appreciative mood I am in... yeah, highly unlikely!

Sincerely Yours,

And Here We Go Again!

Dear Diary,

So while I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new little lady, I guess you could say it has been “easy” to forget that I will soon be an Aunt again in the meantime. And not just any ol’ Aunt, an Aunt to my first niece!

I have been fortunate enough to share my pregnancies with someone extremely close to me, my Sister-In-Law, who, if the law would allow, I’d remove the “In-Law” part because she is really a true sister to me! I LOVED being just slightly behind her in our first pregnancies. She was my “go-to” lady, or better yet, she was my “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” book without actually have to read anything!

It was such a fun day when Beckett was born. I was not only excited to be an Aunt for the first time, but I was even that much more ready to be a Mother myself. And just a short 2 ½ months later, I welcomed Addalyn into the world.





Me Meeting Beckett



Megan Meeting Addalyn



It has been more than fun to watch Beckett and Addy grow up together. They are the greatest best friends, although they don’t have much choice. True partners in crime to say the least. And while they can bicker and fight like any toddlers tend to do, it is pretty fun to hear Beckett say, “Addddyyyyy” at the top of his lungs while in return Addy says, “Adddyyyyy” right back (as I am pretty sure they both think their name is Addy).

Becoming Best Friends

Staying Best Friends

Without planning to, I promise, we are once again getting to share our pregnancies. This time, just 2 ½ WEEKS apart! And we are both having girls. I am just as eager to meet my little niece as I was to meet my nephew. I hope that our two new additions will be just as close as Addy and Beckett are. And while Megan is due in a few short DAYS, and I am due in a few short WEEKS, our kids will spend YEARS together as best friends!

I thank God for the many blessings he has given us and I can’t wait for the arrival of my baby niece!

Sincerely Yours,