Party of One Please!

Dear Diary,

If you read my blog on a semi-regular basis you may remember a posting about all the things I was anxiously awaiting post pregnancy. I believe I listed everything I wouldn't miss once little lady made her appearance, and now that she is here and I am back to a party of one, those things I listed aren't missed in the slightest.

I love that Olivia "baked" in my oven for 9 months because there is no other oven I'd want her to be in, but I am so incredibly happy to not be pregnant anymore. I am not afraid to say it, I DO NOT like being pregnant. Sorry if you are somebody who does and sorry if you look at it as a "bonding" experience, but I'd much, MUCH rather be bonding with my baby in my arms, not my belly.

So, as I was laying in bed last night, in the exact position I wanted to be laying in, I started counting all my post pregnancy blessings:

• I get UP (not ROLL) out of bed in the morning.

• I start my day with a cup of coffee, rather than with a quick throw up in the toilet.

• I make several trips up and down the stairs and NOT ONCE do I feel like I am going to lose my balance.

• I can sneeze without almost peeing my pants (It's true. Both pregnancies I had sneezing issues and as soon as the baby was out, no trouble. Weird).

• My shirts stay down and my pants stay up (although I am still far from having a flat stomach).

• It's summer time and I actually ENJOY being outside in the heat.

• It finally makes sense for me to turn sideways to squeeze through tight spaces.

• I can climb in and out of the car, no problem.

• I can shave my legs AND tie my shoes with ease.

• I am able to finally workout and although I am sucking air, I am happy to be able to exercise.

• Caffeine is my friend.

• The only Doctors appointments I am required to go to now are for my girls.

• The numbers on the scale are going down, not up. HOLLA!!

• I can carry things, heavy things, and not leave them for Garrett to do when he gets home (although I will miss that pregnancy excuse).

• Addy can jump, sit, lean, and play all over me.

• The only thing waking me up through the night is Olivia, NOT my bladder.

And my favorite:

• I can sleep ANY WAY I WANT TO: on my back, my stomach, my side...I can roll over or change position in seconds not minutes and it takes NO time at all to fall asleep once my head hits that pillow. IT. IS. AWESOME.

So, Addalyn and Olivia, you are lucky your Mom loves you enough to make all the sacrifices to bring you into this world. And future child (IF there is another one) I will do it all again for you too. Just remember, you ALL owe me... big time!

Sincerely Yours,

It is Indeed a HAPPY Mothers Day!

Dear Diary,

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you must be in their lives today.”

I found this quote a few days ago, and obviously I liked it enough to put it as part of my header above. This is exactly what I feel, and I know why…

I cannot tell you how many times I was asked in my college years this question: “What do you want to do with your life?” It’s kind of like the question you get asked as a little kid, ’What do you want to be when you grow up?” And even if it didn’t seem fitting, or appropriate (especially in my college courses amongst my peers ), I always answered the same way, “I want to be a stay-at-home Mom.”

I remember being asked this sitting in the stands at one of Garrett’s baseball games. An older man was talking to my in-laws and I and he asked me what I was studying and, like any Communication major, I was asked what I would do with a Communication degree. I simply said, “I am hoping to be a stay-at-home Mom.” He of course laughed and made a remark or two, but it was the truth and I was only being honest.

I got that response a lot. I was, and am, very thankful to have a degree and someday I hope to have my “dream job” whatever that may be, but being home with my kids is something I have always, ALWAYS, wanted and I am incredibly thankful that it is a possibility for me.

Why the urge to stay home? Well I think it 100% has to do with my childhood and my Mother. She stayed home with us and I will tell you that no one in this world had a better childhood than my siblings and I. My brother and I, only being a year apart in age, have more great memories than we know what to do with. My Mom was the kind of Mom that made sure our time was spent doing everything we ever wanted to do, and I can’t think of my childhood without thinking of her in it. And while I am sure she had her days of wishing she was at a job rather than dealing with our shenanigans, I know now that she was probably just as thankful as I am to be able to be in her children’s lives everyday, all day.

And don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against daycare. And I respect those working Moms who are doing what they’ve always wanted to do and even more so the Moms who wish they could be home but can’t. Believe me, I am extremely thankful that staying home is even a possibility. Garrett knew this meant a lot to me and even though we aren’t making millions (who is?), we are making it work!

My Mother made growing up the best experience it could be for us and I can only hope to be that kind of a Mother to my kids. I love that, like her, I get to wake up each and every morning with my kids. I love that, like her, I get to fix every meal, change every diaper and wipe every snotty nose. I love that, like her, I get to be there for every laugh, first step or new word. I love that, like her, I get to be in my children’s lives today, and in their memories tomorrow.

Every one thinks they have the best Mom in the world, but I know that I truly do. I hope that I can handle those unavoidable, snotty teenage years the way she did. I pray that after my girls grow up, get married, and start families of their own that they think of me like I think of my Mother. Then I know I will have done something right!

Happy Mother’s Day to ALL Mothers. Being a Mom is the hardest and best job out there! I respect each and every one of you, especially my Mother! Love you more and more every day!

Sincerely Yours,

And We Have An Update!

Dear Diary,

My blog thanks me for finally adding a new header on here considering we have an addition to the family. I should update even more but the fact that I got this on here today is progress enough!

I thought this picture was fitting because it is exactly what The Forsythe Diaries are all about: our little family. This is truly a photo of a day in the life of us - Girlies in their PJ's, Addy drinking her milk, Olivia upset that Addy is bothering her, and a ginormous bear as the backdrop. Welcome to our life =)

Want the story behind the bear? Well it was a Costco purchase. We saw these huge bears months ago. For $29.99, they were a pretty good deal! Garrett of course fell in love with them and wanted to get Addy one. I told him we'd wait and if they were at Costco the next time we went, we'd get one.

Well..... they weren't. He was devastated to say the least. And every, and I mean EVERY trip we have made to Costco since then I have heard all about how I didn't let him get the bear when it was available.

Low and behold, we make a casual Costco trip the other night and to our surprise... Ginormous Bears! So there was no question, we WERE getting one. I don't know who was more excited, Garrett or Addy! And as we were sitting down to eat our $1.50 hot dog and drink combo dinner, a 50 year old father and his teenage son walk by and the man looks at us and says, "Those bears are AWESOME!" That will be Garrett in 30 years, wishing he could still buy toys!

The pictures below should tell you how much the bear has enjoyed his new home. I am thankful for a playroom!

Sincerely Yours,

USA!

Dear Diary,

Osama Bin Laden is dead! Awesome.

The whole thing was revealed in such a cool way at our house. We were watching the Phillies game (weird) that had gone into extra innings and one of the TV announcers broke the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. Military. Literally, seconds after he told the TV viewers, the camera panned to the sold out crowd at Citizens Bank Park and EVERYONE was checking their cell phones as they were getting alerts, texts and emails with the breaking story.

There was no announcement made but in a matter of minutes the entire stadium full of proud Americans started chanting USA! USA! USA! The players and coaches, who don’t get their cell phones in the dugout, had no clue why the sudden shout out to our country, but once the inning was over and the news finally got around, the players were informed.

It was almost surreal to see it all take place. How amazing is it that technology is at a place that you can literally be anywhere and get any information you want or need in a matter of seconds? Here they were, in a packed stadium and it only took minutes for the news to spread, for everyone to feel s sense of pride, and for a united chant to break out. Awesome…

So where were you when you heard the news that Osama Bin Laden was dead? Well, I was at my house, sitting on my couch, but I FELT like I was in Philadelphia, in sold out Citizens Bank Park, chanting USA with the rest of the them!

Sincerely Yours,

My Royal Thoughts

Dear Diary,

Alright, Quick post and then I have to get back to work on my latest project before little miss and her sidekick decide to wake up!

How many of your conversations today have started with, “Did you watch the Royal Wedding?” I hardly leave my house and I’ve already had that conversation at least twice today. I admit, I have been incredibly annoyed at all the hype leading up to this giant affair. I was sick of the TV specials, the behind the scenes gossip that probably wasn’t even true and all the speculation on what “The Dress” was going to look like. I had no intentions of waking up early to see the wedding, nor was I even that anxious to catch the highlights today. Well, so I thought…

I have been soaking it all in ALL MORNING! I have no idea why it all of a sudden hit me, but I can’t get enough of it! Want to know what’s really pathetic? I was up at 2:45AM feeding Olivia and my first thought was, “Hm, I wonder what Kate is thinking right now.” I slightly considered venturing downstairs to watch it all live but then I remembered sleeping was a much better plan and went back to bed.

Don’t worry though, I was back up at 7:30 and instead of watching the usual PBS Kids cartoons, the girls and I settled on the couch and watched the wedding in replay. Well the good parts anyway. The dress was perfect. Half what I expected and half not, but regardless I think she’ll look back at that dress when she’s 80 years old and still be just as in love with it as she was today. I was incredibly impressed with how calm and collected she seemed. I honestly don’t think she could have handled herself any better than she did.

Picture yourself in her place. I can’t even imagine millions of people watching my every move on my wedding day, and then spending countless hours discussing every detail. I could hardly keep it together on my wedding day and that was a lousy 400 people watching me walk the aisle (It’s true, I was a shaky mess thinking about the hundreds of faces that were going to be staring at me). But Kate seemed to be fine. I was impressed to say the least.

So my favorite part? Well it had nothing to do with Kate at all. I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED when William and Harry were facing forward and Harry turns around the catch a glimpse of the bride-to-be and with a cute little smirk on his face, he turns to William and says, “Wait til you see her.” Or at least that’s what it appears he said. No matter what came out of his mouth, I just love how real that moment was. Just one brother, making conversation with the other to calm the nerves. So cute!

So there it is, my two cents on the biggest news of the day. Kate became a Princess and what have I done today… Well, I got a haircut. To me, that’s big time =)

Sincerely Yours,

It's One Of Those "Rainy, Snuggly, PJ" Kind Of Days!

Dear Diary,

Well it's one of those moments in the day where Addy is occupied by Elmo and Olivia is occupied by sleep, giving Mommy some time to be occupied by the computer! It's times like these where I wish someone was here to take our picture as we are all snuggled on the couch, laptop, dog and all! It is bound to be a Pajama day with the cold, rainy weather outside so I won't even attempt to fix my hair!

I don't really have a rhyme or reason for typing today, just thankful for a chance to type! So here are my random thoughts. Enjoy!

Today Olivia is 4 weeks old! Sometimes I look at her and all I see is Olivia - her own unique looks, her light brown hair, and her round little face. Other times I look at her and all I see is Addayln - the same perfect set of lips, the pudgy little nose and the exact same facial expressions every time she yawns, stretches or cries. It is amazing to me how much they can look alike and how much they can differ at the same time. Not that I am wanting her to grow up quickly, but I am anxious to see what Olivia looks like as she becomes a little person. I may be biased, but I know one thing for sure, I've got a couple of cuties on my hands. Daddy is going to have to beat the boys away when these girls are older =)

Olivia

Addalyn

Addy is a talking machine! This kid repeats EVERYTHING, or at least she tries. Dad has her saying "poop" as much as possible, which will only get us in trouble one of these days. She says "I wuv you" (my favorite) and "bless you" after anyone coughs, sneezes or even hiccups. We spend our day reading every book she owns and she is slowly figuring out what everything is. We've learned that "frog" sounds an awful lot like another "F" word we all know, so as you can imagine we get a good laugh every time a frog shows up somewhere! She takes note of everything and always wants to know what it is. I feel the need to educate her, so as I was feeding Olivia a few days ago, she pointed and said "What's that?" and I thought, "Well she asked..." so I told her what it was and now every time I feed Olivia she points and says, "Boot!" Haha close enough hunny =)

In my "spare time" I have taken up a new hobby, Custom Decor! I made a little something for my niece that I fell in love with and now the ideas are running wild! Who knows, maybe I'll start a little business! I don't have a lot of extra time these days but you'd be amazed at how much you can get done during nap time! Who needs a clean house when you have arts and crafts to do?

Project For My Niece's Nursery

I am working my way towards a better post-baby body. There is no better motivation than getting out of the shower and having your 1 year old look at you and say, "Eww." Haha. Two kids in under two years does a number on you. Well it does a number on me anyway. I am eating right and as soon as I hit that 6 week mark, I'll be able to work out. That's the bummer with C-Sections, too many rules! I am looking forward to getting in shape. I wish I had a little time before our beach vacation in June but I can only do what I can do before then! Good thing it's just family that has to witness this pale, chubby body in beach clothes =)

One of my favorite books is being turned into a movie and it comes out May 6th! I have already TOLD Garrett he is taking me, which he is just thrilled about, so I am putting the word out now that we'll need a babysitter! Maybe I can convince one of the grandparents to make a trip up for the occasion, wink wink ;) Speaking of books, as you can see, Lindsey's Book Club is rather pathetic at the moment. I haven't had much time to read and I am pretty sure the book I was in the middle of is somewhere behind the couch in the playroom after Addy accidentally knocked it off the back a few weeks ago. Someday I hope to get back on track!

Well, thanks for listening to me ramble. It was nice to write a little bit. Hopefully I'll have some time to come up with something a little more creative in my future posts!

Sincerely Yours,

P.S. I realize I need to update the pictures on here being that we have a new member of the family. Sometime soon I hope!

Hello Blog, It's Me, Lindsey

Dear Diary,

Well Hello blog! It has been awhile, and understandably so I suppose.

Life is BUSY! It was a blessing and curse to have the help that I did the couple of weeks after we brought Olivia home. I got used to only having to worry about one child while someone else was there to take care of the other. I am now on my own, and officially outnumbered.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed having Garrett home for a week with us, and I think Addy loved it even more. Those two went from best buds to the BESTEST buds. There is nothing sweeter than watching a Daddy with his Daughter. And I can't thank my Mom and Mother-In-Law enough for their help last week. Addalyn has never been more spoiled, and she LOVED it!

I decided today that being a Mother of two is quite the life change. You would think that going from no children to one child would be harder, but going from one to two has been much more of an adjustment for me. When Addy was a baby I clearly remember thinking, "Why does everyone say this is so hard?" She slept all day, had a good nighttime routine early on, and was never one of those babies who needed to be held much. I got tons of things done and got naps in whenever I needed them! The hardest part was the pumping and feedings.

Now...Oh my...Now I am trying to find a way to balance two different schedules, two different attitudes, and two different sets of demands. Thankfully Olivia is another good baby (so far) but that doesn't take away from all the time newborns take up in your day. I get to juggle feedings every 3 hours, diaper changes every time I turn around, and breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner times. I am expected to know what everyone needs and that it's needed NOW. Toys need turned on, movies need started and books need read. And somewhere in the mix I need to maybe eat a meal or two myself, take a shower, start some laundry or heaven forbid clean something around here! I'd be embarrassed for anyone to see my house right now.

Despite sounding like I am a bit overwhelmed and stressed out, I am actually not. Sure, when my phone is ringing and Addy is at the gate crying at me for something and the dog is dancing because he wants outside to go to the bathroom and I am sitting on the couch trying to feed the baby, I find myself having to take a breath or two. It's not easy, and I knew it wasn't going to be, but I can honestly say I am so happy this is my life right now. Better to do it while I am young right? =)

So, as I sit with a baby on my chest, typing away at the computer while Garrett is giving Addalyn a bath upstairs, I am thankful! Tomorrow is another day. Bring. It. On.

Sincerely Yours,