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,

And The Oscar Goes To...

Dear Diary,

So I watched the Academy Awards last night. For some reason these award shows have a hold on me and I just can't get enough of them. You'd think after watching every other award show this season and being pretty confident in who was going to walk away with the Oscar, I'd rather spend my evening doing something else, but nope, there I was, sitting in my PJ's, in bed, with my giant ice water and bag of peanut butter M&M's. And even though James Franco and Anne Hathaway did a lousy hosting job and there were hardly any upsets, I did enjoy myself. Maybe it was the peace and quite or the entire bed to myself for a couple hours that did the trick, but either way, I had a pretty good evening.

Lets be honest, I didn't really care who won for Best Visual Effects or Best Documentary, all I really tuned in for was the dresses. And if you care: Mila Kunis got my vote for best dressed, Sandra Bullock was by far the most entertaining presenter, and Michelle Williams made me wish I could pull off that short hair and flawless, simple makeup!

After spending my evening judging everyone else, I am extremely thankful that no one was watching in their bed at home and doing the same to me. I would certainly be on the worst dressed list. Especially after they notice that not only do I choose sweats and Garrett's KU Fleece as my "go-to" outfit, but that I am a repeat offender. Addalyn would definitely win Best Lead Actress with all of her shenanigans and Garrett would walk away with Best Supporting Actor for his role as the fuel to Addy's fire. It's safe to say he is just "slightly" wrapped around her little finger. Toy Story would win Best Animated Feature Film as it NEVER leaves the DVD player and if Best Animated TV Series was a category, nothing would stand a chance against Sid the Science Kid. Best Foreign Language Film would go to Addy's everyday dialect while Best Sound Editing would go to me as I spend my day deciphering the "words" coming out of her mouth while teaching her new ones (My current favorite: "Please," which sounds more like "Peas" making it so much cuter). Best Original Song is Garrett's award for sure because no one can come up with more wrong lyrics to a song than that guy. And finally... the Best Picture goes to... Alright, lets be honest, not us! The Forsythe's are far to boring, but we would jump on the train like everyone else and say, "Wow, we are so thankful to just be nominated."

Alright, time to quit living in the celebrity world and get back to the world of chores and errand running. Just think what it would be like to be a celebrity and have a housekeeper taking care of the laundry, a personal assistant doing all the grocery shopping and a nanny taking care of the children... Eh, who needs em'? =)

Sincerely Yours,

4 Weeks, 5 Reasons

Dear Diary,

Well we are 4 weeks away from the big baby day! Things could always happen sooner I suppose, but I am not counting on it. By this point, I would think, most women are ready to be DONE. I remember getting the question a lot when I was pregnant with Addy, "Aren't you scared about labor?" And while sure, I was a little nervous about how things would go, I was to the point where I didn't care how long it took, how much pain I was in, or how they had to do it, I just WANTED THIS BABY OUT OF ME!! Some women love pregnancy. They claim they love their body, that they've never felt better, and that it was a special bonding time. While I agree there's nothing much cooler than being the home of a growing baby, I am NOT one of those "happy to be pregnant" women. And while this pregnancy has been MUCH better than my last, I still can't say I thoroughly enjoy the experience.

As I am getting down to the last few weeks of carrying my little girl, I am starting to look forward to all those "non-pregnant" things. In my typical fashion, I have come up with a list of the top 5 things I am anxiously awaiting post pregnancy.

1. Being Prenatal Vitamin Free

Ugh, prenatal vitamins. I have never been a good pill-swallower. I have learned to handle ibuprofen and Tylenol due to my headache problems, but even those small pills take me a good few minutes to get down. It's embarrassing and hard for the rest of you to understand I am sure. As Garrett always says, "What's so hard about it? Just swallow it!" Well yes hunny, thanks for your words of wisdom, but if I could, then I would. So, when I got told I needed to take prenatal vitamins every day that are the size of a skyscraper, I wasn't looking forward to it. How do I handle it? Well, it takes a lot of pudding. I chew my vitamins and chase the nasty taste down with chocolate pudding. Imagine doing this EVERY day. Let's just say if I don't see another cup of pudding after this pregnancy, I'll be happy.

2. Doing The Little Things

I cannot wait to be able to put on pants and not be tired afterwards. Or to not take 5 minutes to roll from one side to the other in bed. I can't even remember what it felt like to just hop off the couch, or easily stand up after sitting on the floor. I can't wait to tie my shoes, clip my toenails and shave my legs without having to maneuver around this gigantic belly in my way. I am excited for Addy to be able to climb all over me without having to worry about her hurting something and for her to be able to sit in my lap and snuggle much closer than she can now. I can't wait to be able squeeze through narrow places by turning sideways (I still find myself turning sideways now to shuffle past something even though sideways is clearly not my "smaller" angle). And finally, and probably my current least favorite pregnancy issue, I CANNOT wait to make less pee trips to the bathroom. I have more important things to be doing and being interrupted about 20 times a day (literally) is getting extremely annoying.

3. Coffee

Not much explanation needed here. When you are pregnant you are limited on your caffeine intake and for someone who typically drinks coffee every morning, this is a huge sacrifice. I can't wait to fill up that pot and drink away as soon as I wake up! And believe me, I'll probably need all the coffee I can get with an 18 month old and a newborn on my hands.






4. Getting In Shape

I don't know what I am looking forward to more, meeting my baby girl, OR getting some kind of a body back. Okay, yes, I am exaggerating, of course I am more excited to meet my baby, BUT getting back in shape is a high second place. I never fully got back in shape after Addy was born, which I guess was fine because I was pregnant again not long after. So I can officially say that I am tired of being fat, unhealthy, and out of shape. And believe me, I realize I will never look like I used to, but I can at least try to get in the general area. It's going to take awhile and it probably wont be fun, but it needs to happen, and I am honestly looking forward to it.

5. Clothes That Fit

I am ready for pants that stay up and for shirts that stay down. Period.










I won't bore you with another list of the things I am dreading post pregnancy, but let's just say I am not looking forward to pain meds, the hum of my breast pump, sleepless nights, bottle washing, and getting back into a monotonous, all day long schedule of a newborn.

It goes without saying that having a healthy, beautiful little girl makes all of these things worth it. After all, I wouldn't be doing it again if I didn't believe that. So, while I bear through another four weeks of pregnancy, I will remember that seeing her for the first time, watching Garrett fall in love again, bringing her home from the hospital, observing Addalyn interact with her baby sister, and sharing life with my new little family will make these 4 weeks completely do-able!

Sincerely Yours,

Major in Life with an Emphasis in Motherhood

Dear Diary,

On days like today, when the weather is warmer, the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining, I picture myself walking across campus, ready to turn in a freshly typed paper.

I am sure to most people, college memories include dorm room fun, football games, sorority or frat shenanigans and bar nights. Well I didn’t live in a dorm, I was hardly ever in the bleachers at the football games, I couldn’t even name you the sororities or frats at my college and while I did spend time here and there in the bars, it was definitely not my home-away-from-home.

What do I remember about college? I remember loving to pick out my classes and organizing my schedule. I remember how I loved to get a paper completed and I loved even more the days we got them back with notes from the teacher on top. I remember coffee and muffins in the mornings. I remember the first day of a new semester. I remember finding a good spot in the library. I remember baseball games, baseball parties and baseball functions. I remember kickboxing and some of the regulars who took my class religiously. I remember living with roommates and living on my own. I remember my creative writing classes, and while they were only taken for credit hours, they meant the most to me. I remember sitting in the same seats, parking in the same spots and taking my major courses with the same, familiar faces. I remember fun with good friends. I remember presentations, final papers and portfolios. And I remember graduation day.

And while I remember feeling relieved that I would never have to write another paper, take another test or prepare for another presentation ever again, I think this is what I miss most about college. Crazy? Maybe. Nerdy? Most definitely.

I loved finishing something and finishing it well. And I loved getting good feedback even more. I picked a major that didn’t involve a lot of test taking, but rather A LOT of paper writing, speech preparation and presentation building. I think I loved having something to show for my hard work. And even now, 3 years later, I still like looking at my work, which makes it hard to throw any of it away (And believe me, Garrett has tried).

Maybe this is why I like writing this blog. Not only do I like sharing my everyday stories, but I LOVE getting the feedback even more. I love spending time on something, and finishing it just right. I love having something to show for my work and I love, love, LOVE spending a few minutes every week writing.

SO, thanks for listening. Thanks for the feedback. And thanks for giving me that “college” feeling every now and again. The nerd in me appreciates it! =)

Sincerely Yours,