2010 In Review

As I sit here on NYE with my love, I can't help but think what 2010 was like for us. I love the song "Happy Christmas" and the lyrics "So this is Christmas, another year over and a new one just begun....." As we put 2010 behind us with all of the memories we have created, we are able to look ahead into 2011 with a positive attitude and the expectations that 2011 will rock our socks.

In 2 months we will be celebrating the birth of Natalia that happened a year ago. I can't believe that our sweet bundle of joy slipped into this world almost a year ago. I get misty eyed when friends bring up this joyous event that we will be celebrating soon, but they are so very happy tears. I don't know what our live would be like without Natalia. Sure I do, our living room would be clutter free, our counter space would appear larger than what it is, our dining room would not have a Sesame Street floor mat, and we would not be sitting in on NYE in our house. I wouldn't trade any of that in. I love that I have to constantly pick up hand fulls of plastic balls that she has thrown about the room (sure I might grumble under my breath about every one of them) and I hate that I can never find the ONE duck that belongs with his family, and that I always manage to step on Buzz Lightyear's foot! This just simply means we have a healthy, precious baby in our home and with that I am very thankful! Have a look at the dolly----




She is a character and she knows it! She is working so hard on those top teeth. They are just taking their time coming in, and for pete's sake, after a few months you would think they would be in. This girl is a trooper though to deal with them. She has her "off" time at night, and cries and all I can do is hug her and pray harder that they will just pop through already!

Dan and I moved into our first HOME in October and 2 months later we have most certainly made this house a home. We are not fully unpacked and won't be for a while, but the important stuff has been placed in it's proper locations. There is a few updates we have made and it's so rewarding to see the after math of a big project.

Night night for now. More in 2011! I promise!! :)

MAJOR UPDATES

WOW! I have become the worst blogger ever. So much has happened since the last post in July! So, let me get to it.

August--- Natalia turned 1/2 a year old. That was a bitter sweet celebration. She is so full of life and I am so happy to say she is my daughter.



September-- Nothing major happened. We were in the process of buying a house and that ended up taking a lot longer than anyone thought possible.

October--- We OWN a house now!!!!! We moved in on Sweetest Day, so Dan thinks that will be my gift for the next 20 years. :) He he. Natalia now says "Dada" and has her two bottom teeth. I know you want to see what she looks like now, so I will post a few pictures. She is going to be a flower for Halloween.

I will try to keep up more with this blog, considering family and friends far away like to know what is going on with our family.

Love to all!!!

A Tad Bit Behind.....

So, when my friend kari said that I needed to update my blog, she wasn't kidding. Well, I will share a tad bit about Natalia (pictures will have to wait until tomorrow) and then I am going to share a story about life and death.

Natalia is 4.5 months old! I am so scared to blink anymore. She will be entering preschool before I know it!! She weighed 11 lbs 12 oz at her last check up and was 25 inches long. She is doing fantastic. I was anticipating her wonderful doctor to say to start cereal and that's it. But, because Natalia is on the tiny side, she said we could start fruits and veggies. Well, it took about a week or so for Natalia to figure out what to do, and now she loves her breakfast and dinner. She LOVES squash and isn't to sure about the fruit yet. Which is very odd to me. Normally it's the other way around. As long as she eats something I am happy. When I give her squash she is very petiete demanding about how fast I feed it to her. I would NEVER let her lick the container if she is still hungry! What kind of mother do you think I am. Don't answer that! We have been blessed with a baby that likes to sleep at night and take 2-3 short naps during the day. She is almost always happy, unless she is tired or it is near 7 PM and that is when she turns into a witch!! None the less, we love you Natalia.

Ok,so now onto my story.

My friend had a baby on July 4th!! and I was up visiting her on the 5th. The small details won't seem important to you, but they are what makes the story. I had went up alone--Dan and Natalia stayed in the waiting area. I was so darn excited to hold a new born baby that I forgot her gift on the seat next to Dan. I was up in her room for about 20 minutes or so then I decided I should go only because Dan was with Natalia and she gets crabby around her nap times. So, I ran back to the lobby and got the gift, ran back up to the 3rd floor and then delivered the gift. (Note: I didn't actually run, I took an elevator that took it's time going from floor to floor.) I then took Natalia to get a diaper change and went back to the waiting area. Then, Dan went to the bathroom. Then, IT WAS FINALLY MY TURN!!!! As I was washing my hands I was sort of listening to a conversation a young lady was having on her phone. Here is what I could hear:

Young Lady: She had an infection. It spread to her heart. There was nothing they could do. (At this point there are tears streaming down her face. I can put 2 and 2 together.......)

Me: Do you need a hug?

Young Lady: Yes please!!!!

As we are hugging- we are talking/crying-- (Her) My mama,she is gone! (Me) Oh sweetheart! I know this is going to be a rough time for you. Can I pray for you!?

I said a prayer for her in the bathroom with tears streaming down my face. I am a Christian but have never done anything out of the ordinary for my character. This was the first time in my life since I have been saved that I finally felt Christ talking to me, and asking me to be there for this young lady. I walked out of that bathroom as a changed person!

It was a bittersweet moment. First celebrating a life that was just brought into this world, then only moments later mourning the loss of someone's mother.

God is so good!

Blessings,

One Year Ago

One year ago today I took this picture......

And now I can post a picture that looks like this, because after all she is almost 4 months old! Yes, my precious 5 lb 14 oz. baby is now topping the charts at around 11 pounds. She has some how managed to outgrow size 1 diapers already (her thighs are a little thick.....)



Her "twigy" arms as Dan calls them are doing a wonderful job supporting her during tummy time which she has grown to not mind as much just as long as it's not for an extended amount of time.

It has been a wonderful blessing being able to watch her grow and develop this little personality!! See here.......








Bye for now,
Beth

Part 2 of Scariest Moment of My Life....

I apologise for the delay in this post. Now I don't even remember where Dan left off. Oh yes, complications. After they discharged Natalia from the hospital on Mother's Day, we came home in hopes she would start to drink her bottle again and things would be back to normal. But, that was not the cast at all. She had bruised the inside of her mouth pretty bad,and in turn she wanted nothing to do with a bottle. So, at 8 PM that same day, we went back to the hospital and after monitoring her and drawing blood and getting an IV put into her tiny little vein, she was readmitted to the hospital. She was getting fluid via the IV but was still having a hard time drinking from the bottle. Monday she was making a little bit of progress and by Tuesday she was back to her drinking self. So, Tuesday afternoon we were released to head home!!!!! Yippie. She was still having trouble sucking, but nothing like before. She had a doctor appointment just for a follow up with one of her paediatricians. He checked her over and she got a clean bill of health. He weighed her and she had gained a bit back but not much. He asked how much she was taking in the bottle and then he said something that stung my heart, "You are starving her." She was taking a 4 oz bottle and drinking it dry. I thought this was great, but he said we need to offer more in her bottle and she needs to leave about 1/2 an oz. to an oz. to know that she is fully satisfied. So, now our twiggy baby takes about 5.5 oz at each feeding. I am looking forward to her 4 month check up! Oh my word, did I just say 4 month check up!?! 4 months!!! How did that happen?? My baby is getting so big. I will post pictures soon. Bye for now.








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Scariest Experience of My Life!!

Yesterday was Beth's first Mother's Day. I'm pretty sure it is a Mother's Day she will NEVER forget. Oh her hubby was responsible for the unforgettable memories, alright. They just weren't the unforgettable kind she was probably looking for.

The ideal wakeup:
"Honey, breakfast is ready. Natalia and I made you a delicious assortment."

The actual wakeup:
Natalia: blood curdling scream
Dan: "CALL 911!!"

Sunday morning I got up at 4:30 to feed Natalia (she took her whole bottle, which was good because she hasn't been doing that lately since she had a minor viral infection) and then put her back down. I got up again around 7:30 to feed her before making breakfast for Beth. This time Natalia only took 2.5 ounces. That was fine. I figured I'd put her in the bouncy seat and get breakfast started and then try giving her the rest of the bottle. So I put her in the seat, strapped her in and set it on the kitchen counter as we had done many times before. However this time the counter was crowded so it was overhanging the edge a little, but I THOUGHT it was stable enough for a few seconds while I cleared off more room so that I could get it on the rest of the way. This was the biggest mistake of my life.

No sooner did I turn to move a bag than the seat tipped off the counter with Natalia in it. Did I see it falling out of the corner of my eye? Did I hear it crash to the floor? Did I hear Natalia scream? I still don't know...It was such a blur. All I know is that a million things went through my mind at once. I screamed for Beth to call 911. The "Falls from more than twice their height can be fatal" from our Baby Safety class last fall kept running through my mind. I kept thinking about her soft little skull and her delicate brain within it. "Is my baby going to die because I was stupid?" "Is she going to have brain damage?" "WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HER??"

Well, God was watching over her and protecting her. The ambulance arrived so quickly. The E.R. staff was so good with her. After X-Rays and a CT Scan everything checked out fine. All she ended up with was a minor abrasion on her upper gum, and a small scrape on her chin.

This meant she was going to be OK. PRAISE THE LORD, HALLELUJAH!!!

Unfortunately it did have complications, but I will let Beth continue.


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Smiles, Coos, and so much more....

Well it has been quite sometime since I was last here. Sorry about that! Natalia, Natalia, Natalia. Where do I begin with this precious babe..... She is just about 11 weeks old. I can't believe that at all! My baby, sweet, 5 lb 14 oz Natalia is now over 9 lbs and out growing her new born clothes. Sure this makes me sad, but it makes me so happy to know that her dad and I are doing something right to help her grown into this little person. She is all about smiles and cooing especially when she is clothed naked of all things!!!!! Haha. She is reverting back to her time in the womb. I could literally be having the worst day ever and then she will look at me and coo or smile and then my day gets so much better. Gosh, I love her!! "The talk" about having another one came up already. We both agree that once she is potty trained we will entertain the idea of having another. I think she might be very easy to potty train. As of right now, she does not HATES being wet, so if she wets her undies, she will soon catch on. Oh, I really hope it is that easy.

She is still not doing well with tummy time. Sure I make her lay on her tummy for odd number of minutes, but she screams and I just have learned that it is OK for her to be unhappy for a bit if it means she is going to benefit from it. She has got to work on head control.

Ok. I am going to end this for now......Toodles!




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A New Kind of Love

A week old to four weeks old, what a difference

Natalia at one month old....7 lbs 14 oz (two whole pounds more than at birth!!)

Dan, Natalia, and I at a local park. We are a family!

Natalia hanging out with mommy on the couch on her boppy!

This is a new kind of love and wow is it ever amazing. I love you Dan and Natalia. <3

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5 Weeks....

Can you believe that Natalia is 5 weeks old! WOW! The days go by so stinkin fast now that I am constantly doing something. I am still changing a few many diapers, but now they are not just wet, she is not as constipated as she was, so there are more poopy diapers!!!! Only a mother can appreciate this, especially having to watch her in pain for so long. Thank heaven for soy formula.

She is only taking about 3 oz at a time, and I hope soon she will move up to 4. Her tummy is still so tiny, so it can only hold so much. She was 5 lbs 14 oz when she was born and at her month check up she was 7 lbs 14 oz! Almost 8 pounds, but really she is still so tiny.

I had my PP appt the day after my birthday (my first as a mommy) and I got a clean bill of health. My "wound" was undetectable and I got the OK to exercise among other things. :)

Natalia is starting to smile a lot more, and sleeping a tad bit less during the day. At night it really varies on how long she will sleep. She can go either 3, 4, 5, or 7 hours without a bottle, diaper change (imagine that) or waking up in the middle of the night. Dan and I are looking forward to more of the 7 hour nights, but for now we are just thankful she doesn't get up every 2 hours.

We were talking the other night and we had to laugh at the fact that when we first brought Natalia home we were setting an alarm to get up and wake her up to feed her! What in the world were we thinking? New parents. Enough said.

Dan and I are finding more time together at night and it has been great. I miss just the two of us, but I am so thankful to have Natalia in our lives.

Well, I have some laundry that needs attending to, and a kitchen table that is covered with stuff that doesn't belong on it.

Til next time,



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Diapers, bottles, spit-up, OH MY

Is it really only 12:45 PM? I feel like it should be much later. This could be from the lack of sleep I received. However, that should of been the exact opposite since Dan's mom and step-dad are here for the weekend. She had Natalia in the room with her and I thought to myself, WOW, we will get to sleep for longer than 4 hours at a time! Yay! However, that was not the case. I was up at 4 AM since I had not heard Natalia cry from the other room wanting a bottle, and this made me wonder if she had a bottle since 10. I was driving myself insane from just lying there waiting to hear her make a noise of some sort. So, right now I am beyond tired!!! BUT, I might have to take a nap later. Dan and I are going on a date!! We are keeping it simple and just going to a coffee shop to talk. I am looking forward to this, and I am sure he is as well. I am getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about it, like it's a first date or something.

My days now consist of changing a few diapers here and there MANY diapers. The majority are wet, and Natalia hates being wet. Hates is an understatement. It will get better as she gets older, or at least I keep telling myself that.

She is also spitting up a lot. Sometimes it is whole bottles that we just spent so much time giving to her. She will out grow that as well. Right now as much as I hate the spit up and changing her wet diapers every 5 minutes, I will miss her being little. I love the cuddle time she gives me now, and soon when she is bigger and moving around more she won't want cuddle time, or maybe she will. I can only hope.

On the side of my blog I have a list of people I stalk follow, and I want you to check out Five Fridays if you are married. Dan and I went to a marriage "conference" type of thing and the couple that was talking made up questions to talk about, for five Fridays. I get an email every other Friday and right now we are on week 3. They are questions pertaining to your marriage. Example: Where was your first date?? Kudos to you if you can remember, Dan and I can't!!!

Well, I am going to start on Natalia's scrap book while her Granma and Papu are here to watch her!

Blessings,

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Post Pregnancy Facts....

If you remember me writing this post then you will enjoy reading this updated version.

Pregnancy can do some strange things to your body and that it did! I had a list of random pregnancy facts about me and I am now going to share the post facts although, there are not many compared to during the pregnancy.

1. I no longer have heart burn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippie. My best friend TUMS has been put back into the medicine closet and will return when we are expecting our next child.

2. My shoes fit again and are a tad bit big actually. The swelling went down right away pretty much in my feet. My ankles though are another story.

3. I can eat Mexican again, namely Pepe's!!!! It tasted so good after having to give it up for 8 months!

4. I can get up in the mornings and not have to run to the bathroom or a sink or anything in which I can get sick in.

5. My skin is back to normal. I was getting awful acne on my chin and for the most part, it has cleared up!!

6. I lost 14 lbs after she was born!!! 6 pounds to go to get back to my pre pregnancy weight, and well a tab bit more to my "goal" weight.

7. My appetite has disappeared, so for the most part I eat just to get enough nutrients to feed Natalia. I hope it returns soon.

8. I am sleeping like a baby at night and that is kind of scary because we need to wake up when Natalia does for a diaper or feeding.

9. I can put my socks on and not almost pass out while doing so!!!!!

10. I was able to shave my legs all by myself for the first time in months!! Thanks Dan for your previous help, but it won't be needed again until we add another Harkness to the bunch.

11. My sense of smell is not as strong as it was just weeks ago. I can still smell things that Dan can't but not nearly like before.

12. Natalia was born on the 19th and her cord fell off one week after she was born. :) I thought it was going to stay on for longer.

13. My belly button never popped out!!!!!

14. We are now doing more laundry than ever before in our lives!! It is well worth it though even if it means having to clean up spit up often.

That is all I can think of for now. I would love to know who is reading the blogs I write. So, please comment. Everyone should be able to, regardless if you have an account or not!

Blessings,

Beth

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You can take the birth plan, and toss it out the window....

Hello there,

The post below this one was absolutely amazing to read. I am so very proud of myself for having the strength to delivery a baby WITHOUT an epidural!!

Yes, I had a birth plan, because that is what I like to do, plan things. Well, this is one BIG event I was not able to plan and pretty much nothing went the way I wanted it to, except the end result: delivering a healthy baby. Sure, I had a vision of how the laboring would pan out and that was far from what really happened. I knew from the very beginning that an epidural was not for me. I have a very big pain tolerance and that was proven on the 19th when I gave birth with only two doses of pain medication. I don't really have a rhyme or reason why I was anti-epidural, I just didn't have the desire to get one and a lot of people questioned that, especially the doctor who delivered Natalia. I am not gonna lie, the pain at the very end made me think twice about getting one, and in the end, well by the time I was thinking about it, it was toooooooo late!

I am so very amazed at the human body in general. I was worried I would have to push for days ( ok, not literally days, but at most, hours) and my determination was strong enough, that I had her out in about 12 pushes- 15 minutes!! WOW.

So, when we decide to have another blessing added to our family, I will plan on NOT having a birthing plan and let nature take its course.

**I was very nice to Dan during the labor aspect, I only said one "mean" thing, and that was SHUSH when he told me to breathe. It was easier and more "rewarding" for me to scream than to think about breathing. After she was born, I was able to breathe. :)

With that said, I have a baby girl that wants to hang out with her mama. I will be back soon, til then I plan on getting to know Natalia and that is one plan I know I will be able to keep!!!!!!!!!

Much love,

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Announcing the birth

I am proud to announce the birth of our beautiful baby girl. But first:

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THE STORY

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Around 9:00, Beth sent me a text that she thought she might be having contractions 7 minutes apart. I replied back asking if she was still in bed and she said she was getting up to take a shower. She then sent one asking if amniotic fluid was clear or yellowish. I told her I thought clear and to let me know when she was out of the shower. In the meantime I googled and found that generally it's clear, but can be other colors.

When she got out of the shower she called and she said the contractions had went away once she got up and that what she had leaking was yellowish. So I told her she could call the doctor if she wanted a better answer. In the mean time, I went on with work as I figured it was just false labor and urine leaking, but just in case, I decided to have my Friday meeting with my boss earlier rather than later. I was only in his office about 5 minutes when one of the secretaries came in and said "Dan, you need to call Beth, her water broke. She just called." So I quickly headed to my desk and called Beth back and as everyone looked on asking "Is it time?" shut down my computer and headed out. When I got home, I literally ran into the building and to the elevator.

On the way to the hospital, Beth had a couple of contractions but they were irregular and stopped once we got to the birth center. The nurse checked and said her bag did break but they couldn't tell which part of the baby was presenting because Beth was hardly dilated and the cervix and the baby were still very high up. Because of the risk of a prolapsed cord, she had to stay in bed. When the Dr. checked her, she confirmed that Natalia was head down, so we could proceed with labor and hoping for a vaginal birth, but there were still some decent chances that we may have to have a c-section.

We started pitocin and contractions finally started around 12-12:30, but remained irregular. By 5:00 they were pretty intense and Beth went for the stadol (as opposed to an epidural). That helped for nearly 2 hours and then she needed another dose. By 9:30 or so, they checked her and she was at 5cm. She was able to hold off on another dose of pain medicine for a little bit, but soon after was having a hard time and felt the urge to push. We convinced her to hold off and paged the nurse. The nurse was going to get the Dr. to see if she could have another dose, but when she heard that Beth felt the urge to push, she checked and found that she was fully dilated at 10 cm. So instead of more pain medicine she prepped for pushing and got the Dr. Beth's mother and I held her legs and counted for her and with probably only about 15 minutes of pushing Beth delivered our beautiful baby girl. Beth of course immediately turned to smiles and didn't appear to feel an ounce of pain and I broke down into an emotional wreck at the joy and beauty of this new life.

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THE DETAILS

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Natalia Rachel Harkness

Born: 2/19/10 at 10:34 PM

Weight: 5 lb 14 oz.

Length: 18.9 inches

Hair: Very little, appears to be blonde

Pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/harkyfam/BabyNataliaAtBirth?authkey=Gv1sRgCNbkpM232enkiQE&feat=directlink

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THE PRAISE

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I would like to give praise to God for watching over Beth and Natalia during this delivery, for keeping Beth strong and giving her endurance, and for both mother and baby being healthy. I praise him for the incredible gifts he has given me: salvation and 2 amazing women (ok, 1 woman, 1 baby girl). Your work is beautiful.

I would like to praise Beth for being amazing. Your strength and determination were incredible. I knew that you could do it and your ability to fight through the pain without giving in to the epidural was great. I knew that you had it in you and am so proud of you. When you were pushing you were phenomenal. I also thank you for not biting off my head for getting you pregnant and putting in all that pain. I am amazed by you and in awe of your capabilities. I know you are going to make an amazing mother and can't wait to experience this journey together.

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THE THANKS

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Again, I must start off with God. Thank you for protecting my wife and baby girl and bringing them through this with good health. Thank you for my wife and our baby girl.

Thank you to Beth for being so strong and for giving me the gift of a baby girl.

Thank you to Beth's parents for being there and providing support throughout the labor and delivery.

Thank you to all of you who prayed for us and sent their wishes.

Thank you to Natalia for finally coming out and meeting us and for being so little so that you could make it a bit easier for your mommy.

Valentine's Day.....

Sunday was Valentine's Day and Dan and I agreed not to get each other anything. Well, that is easier said than done. His beard trimming thingy was on the verge of dying and parts were breaking. He would use it as long as he possibly could if I let him. He does so much for Natalia and I, so she and I went shopping (not that she had choice in the matter) and we bought a new one! Nothing speaks romance like a new beard trimming thingy right? :) After he opened his gift, I blurted out, the romance is gone. I didn't mean this and wanted to put the words back into my mouth as they fell out. But, I couldn't.

Dan was finishing up taxes and we just had a lazy Sunday morning which is very rare for us since we go to small group and church on Sunday's. But, lately I have been wake most of the night rather than sleeping, so I was able to sleep a little bit longer Sunday morning and just enjoyed not having to rush.

Dan had to go shopping for our dinner and while he was gone, I did what I do best, I took a nap! It was nice and very much needed. He also had to get a gift, since I got him something, he felt bad that he didn't get me anything. Well, he did what we agreed on, but even a card would of been nice. That's besides the point. So, he came home and ran to the kitchen with bags in hand. He brought me the card first, and it said, "Don't tell anyone what I got you for Valentine's Day. I promise the romance isn't gone, but that's what they'll think." He got me a new mop and a broom! I was actually very happy for both of these. I threw out our old broom in Peoria and had to borrow a neighbors broom. Our mop didn't have anything to wring it out, so I had to do it by hand when I washed the floors. Gross!! So, he got me one that wrings out without my help. He also took my car for a car wash (MUCH NEEDED) and he got me flowers. On the back of the card were two coupons. One for a free broom and mop of the kitchen floor (I will wait until Natalia makes a HUGE mess to redeem this one) and the other was for a 15 minute massage.

Then, I watched TV while Dan made a delicious dinner. Steak, sauteed mushrooms, baked potato and veggies. MmM. It was perfect. There was red wine as well, but my taste buds are off and it wasn't for me. We ate by candle light and I literally had butterflies in my tummy. Dan got dressed up for the dinner too! As we sat there I was falling in love with him all over again. The dinners that we share from now on are super specail because soon, very soon, there will 3 of us and a candle light dinner may not happen as often as we would like.

After dinner we watched my most favorite Disney movie, "Beauty and The Beast!" I have seen this movie a dozen times, but it never gets old. During the dinner scene they play my favorite song, "Beauty and The Beast," and I asked Dan to dance. It was perfect. It is a moment that I will truly never forget. Right now, the simple things in life mean the most to me. Hormones? Very well could be, but either way, I am so happy with our life right now. Ok, so it would be a little bit better if Natalia was here instead of hurting ribs and pushing on my bladder every 5 minutes.

Valentine's Day 2010 is a day that I will never forget. Now, what other day in February will I never forget, well that just depends when Natalia is born!!

Bye for now.




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Signature Figured Out!!!!

Just added a signature and I am thrilled that I was able to figure it out!!!!!!!!! :) Are you thrilled too??

**There are a lot of braxton hicks contractions going on!! Bring on the real ones please!!!!**

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This Month.....

**Advance warning---there is a lot of "venting" in this post.**

**I feel a millions times better after writing this, thank you for reading and the wonderful comments you will leave** :)

Can you all believe that this month Dan and I will each have a new identity? Mommy and Daddy are such sweet words to my ears. Yes, I am fully aware that she won't be able to say these words for some time, but none then less, we won't just be a son and daughter, brother or sister, friend, husband and wife, nephew or niece (you get the picture) we will be a mom and dad as well.

How am I feeling right now you ask? I have so many emotions going through me right now that when Dan left to head back to work after lunch I just started crying. Why? Who knows! I get spoiled by the weekends that is for sure. I enjoy our one on one time so much and cherish our time together, but soon that will all change. I am ready for that change, but it came sooner than I thought. For 37 weeks I have been pregnant, but in reality it hasn't felt that long! Okay, so maybe the last few weeks have dragged on because Natalia is running out of room and I am running out of energy to put a dang pair of socks on! But, I am over come with joy to finally meet this little miracle that has taken up residency in my body. I am ready to wake up in the morning and not have to worry about making it to the sink in time. I am scared about the unknown of labor and delivery. Sure I know what might happen, what could happen, or what will in fact happen. But, I am or try to be organized and I am planner. I plan out what I am going to wear at night for the next day, I plan out lunch the night before, I plan out weekends, weeks in advance. The fact that this is one event in our lives that I can't plan really makes me a tad bit nervous. ALL of the bags are packed, the pillows, the snack bag for my mom and Dan, the blood cord box, the relaxing music, and the car seat are all set to go. This is just one time that I will have to fly by the seat of my pants and I will be quite honest, I don't like it!!! So, Natalia can you give mommy a heads up when you think you might come? Didn't think so, but it was worth a shot.

We had some friends over for dinner on Sunday and there was some straightening up that needed to be done, nothing major and I got yelled at for getting on the floor and dusting! Granted I had to bend really low and practically squish Natalia (she was not harmed in any way) but Dan got really upset with me and told me to sit down and relax and he will take care of everything. He told me to take advantage of him saying that because soon I won't have that luxury of just sitting back and relaxing. So, that is what I did. It was very nice!! After everyone left and we were able to relax he gave me the most incredible massage ever. My back was in desperate need of it, and he knew it somehow. Thank you Dan!!!!

Okay, well after that post I feel much better and I think I am going to update my address book so when announcements are ready to go out, I will be able to just slap a label on the envelopes.

Random pregnancy facts about me......

Pregnancy is different for everyone, but here are some random facts about from the last 8 months or so......

1. I was the first to find out we were pregnant, Dan was 3rd! My pal Kari was the 2nd, only because I knew she would be just thrilled as I was since I had played an April fools joke on her the year before.

2. The first test I took the line was VERY faint, so I sent Dan a frantic text to get another test. He was at Dollar General and did get a test, $1 test! What in the world!! So, at 9 PM we took a trip to Wal-Mart and got Clearblue Easy. As soon as we got home I took the test and PREGNANT popped up on the screen!

3. Our 3 year wedding anniversary was June 9, 2009 and we found out the thrilling news on June 10, 2009.

4. We told my parents the weekend of Father's Day. We were out to dinner with my brother, his girlfriend Dana, and my parents. We said we had a belated anniversary gift for my parents (their anniversary is June 6)! The opened the gift and I told them just to read the back of the picture frame which was holding a picture of Dan and I and a Harkness in the oven. The back of the frame said, Price of picture . 20 cents, Price of frame $4.18, Realizing there are 3 people in this picture PRICELESS! My parents were speechless. It was perfect.

5. Dan's family didn't find out until July. His mom and step dad and grandparents arrived on a Friday early evening. Dan wanted them to have a snack before dinner. Everyone got a tiny bowl with M&M's. The M&M's had the words Baby Harkness Is On The Way. Everyone was thrilled. Now, we were able to tell friends and the rest of the families!!

6. The start of the 9th week I had daily sickness, and I had it bad! Breakfast was a lost cause. Lunch varied as well as dinner. I don't know why I bothered to eat at all. My body was not adjusting well to the baby growing inside of me.

7. I LOVE mexican to pieces, and that is one cuisine I have had to put aside and not eat. I could eat it, and then immediately following I would be in the bathroom. So, just to save myself the time and energy, I have not eaten mexican in a REALLY, REALLY, long time.

8. I tried the fish oil vitamins and wanted to gag every time I attempted them. Finally, I said NO and haven't taken them since.

9. The smell in the Peoria apartment hall was bad enough that I either had to hold my breath or breathe and get sick. It was just myself that had this problem.

10. I used to cough an odd cough before I would get sick, and Dan, my mom and a few coworkers knew the cough.

11. I have know from very early on that we were having a girl. Mother's intuition? Who knows, but deep down I knew and I was right!

12. I have only gained 9 pounds this whole pregnancy. My doctor was very concerned in the beginning, but since Natalia is right on track she doesn't mind anymore. So then, after she is born I will end up losing more right?!?! The fact that food was my enemy in the beginning didn't help at all.

13. I couldn't drink skim milk without having chocolate mix in it for a very long time.

14. 2% milk has been the best thing for me!

15. I crave oranges more now than any other time in my life! For a while orange juice would not stay down, but finally, it has!!!!!!!

16. My belly button has NOT popped out yet, but at night I fear it might when Natalia is pushing on it!

17. I have given up on shaving my legs. Dan has graciously volunteered to do it on Saturday mornings when needed. Awwwww.

18. The nursery is complete and I vacuum it 2 times a week. :)

19. My wedding ring still fits, for a while it was pretty loose, but now it is just right.

20. Last night (1-26-10') we were able to hear Natalia's heartbeat on our fetal monitor that we bought when I was 20ish something weeks in hopes to hear it back then. The $30 that we spent on it, was finally worth it last night!!!

21. Natalia is being named after a dear friend of mine, Natalie, that passed away when we were Juniors in high school. We became friends when we were 5 years old and in Kindergarten. She lived a mere 7 houses away from me.

Her middle name Rachel is also after a dear friend of mine that passed away March 24, 2009. The day after my birthday. When Rachel didn't call me on or after my birthday I was going to call her. But, I was too late. Rachel and I met in 2003 on the College program and she is one of the best girls I have had the privilege to know.

22. I can eat Twix or Caramello anytime of the day! For a while chocolate was not a good choice either.

23. My size 11 shoes are waaaaaayyyy to tight for my feet. They don't make cute shoes in size 12!

24. Heart burn has been a regular thing at night and for the longest time I didn't know it was heart burn. Then, I asked Dan about the buring feeling in my chest and found out, I was having heart burn. Tums! My best friend.

25. I want to sleep for longer than 1.5- 2 hours without getting up to use the bathroom!!!!!!!

That is about all I have for now. I am sure my list could go on and on. But, I am in need of some water and a couch!

Bye for now,

Beth

Falling In Love....All Over Again

The 9th, my parents, Aunt Maryla, Aunt Debbie, Faretta, and Holli threw Dan and I and Natalia the best baby shower ever. After loading the van with our treasures, you would of thought we robbed a baby store! We came home from the shower and unloaded the van into our living room. The treasures have been sitting there since then, and slowly but surely I am making the piles less and less.

Laundry has been lurking around the corner and instead of spending hours doing it here, Dan said we could spend sometime at the laundromat. Phew. That saved me several hours, literally. While at the laundromat, Dan spent his time not only traveling to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get dryer balls since we can't use dryer sheets or fabric softner with her clothes and I HATE static more than nails on a chalk board. So, needless to say, the dryer balls were needed and I LOVE THEM!! After that journey he came back and spent the next 40 minutes reading the car manual about car seat instructions and such.

Buuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, the dryer is done. I get up and start folding the ever so tiny socks, mittens, onesises and then my manly husband decided to help. Watching him fold the NB onesie and smiling and actually enjoying folding clothes made me fall in love all over again with him. Right now it could just be hormones (mine), but I think he turns into this totally different person when he is doing something baby related and I shed a tear or two of happiness. He was carrying on a conversation with her while folding and all was right in the world.

Natalia is due the 21st of February and we are just praying that she waits until the 1st. After the 1st Dan will have 40 hours of vacation time,which means he will get to spend a whole week with Natalia and I after she is home. While in the hospital, his boss is letting him use sick time! Such a blessing.

The 27th is our 7 year dating anniversary. 7 years just blows my mind. We have been through a lot in those 7 years, and it amazes me to see how much we both have changed. What will the next 7 years be like? I will let you know in 2017! :)

Well, I am going to relax before I have to start on dinner. Comments are always welcome, I would love to know who reads my posts if anyone!

Blessings,
Beth

Rubber Band

Greetings,

I have got to get better at blogging. Since I last wrote not much has changed. We had a wonderful holiday with my family. The older I get, the more I look forward to spending time with them. I sit back and look at my younger brother and wonder if he will ever be the same way. I guess it could also be that Dan and I are at a different stage of life than he and Dana are. Either way, family is very important to me and I am so thankful Dan doesn't mind spending time with them.

The day after Christmas was painting day. We chose neutral colors for Natalia's room and it came out amazing! Dan and my mom were going to do it together, but there was only one roller. So, Dan took over and she relaxed with my dad and I. Early in the morning I noticed my back was hurting more than usual and I thought it was from the way I bent down. Later in the day I had also noticed that Natalia was not moving as much as normal. So, at 6:45 during dinner I decided I should call the doctor. At 7:15 they called back and wanted me to go in to get monitored. I was scared for Natalia and the drive to the hospital felt like an eternity. After the fetal monitor was in place and her heart beat was clearly strong, I was able to relax.

I am learning to relax more and take breaks when needed. I think I just over worked myself, and put stress on my back. My back is much better right now.

My body is changing rapidly now, and I feel like a rubber band. I can't imagine that my skin can stretch anymore! I am waiting to see a foot or a hand at any moment. She is slowly running out of room and feels that sitting on my diaphragm is the best idea yet, aside from my bladder. Baby girl, I love you, but my bladder is NOT a trampoline. :)

I have to get busy with baby shower things. So, this post will have to end for now.

Take care,
Beth