Time To Update

Hello Everyone,

It has been a while since I have last updated this and well, I could be unpacking boxes, I would much rather get everyone up to date on the Harkness family. We are moved out of Peoria, IL and moved to Darien, IL. MUCH closer to family and friends. So, this was a move I was more than happy to make. We had to pack up and move some stuff on our own, but for the bulk of everything Dan's company paid for movers. It was so nice to sit back and watch those guys hard at work. It took them 6 hours total to pack, and load the truck. But, there were 3 of them and they are professionals. Dan was really understanding with this whole process and didn't let me carry anything in really. I took the light stuff, but other than that, it was all Dan. So, when we move into a house someday, I should make sure it happens around a time when I am pregnant again :) (That is cruel, but it worked out nicely)

20 week ultrasound----My mom and I went to the doctor for my 20 week ultra sound. The baby was being a stinker and crossed her legs when the tech went to look for the goods. She was 90% sure that we are in fact having a girl. The odd thing is that from the beginning I felt it was a girl. Sure I wanted a girl, but really I would of been just as happy with a boy. The tech had a hard time finding her right ventricle of the heart and her kidney was enlarged so my doctor wanted me to see a fetal diagnostic specialist.

The end of October we went to Florida with my parents, aunt, and "uncle." It was a great 10 days of pure humidity and heat. Ick. FL should not be in the 90's in October. After half a day walking around in the park, I decided it would be better for the baby and I if we got a wheelchair. Dan graciously agreed and every time we went someone that offered a wheelchair, we got one. When we were at MGM I was having abdominal pains and they weren't getting better. So, we decided that a trip to first aid was in order. They weren't able to treat me, but because I was pregnant they suggested going to the ER. So, that is what we did while vacationing in FL. In the end I was just dehydrated and the lunch I ate wasn't a good choice for a hot day.

Just yesterday (the 3rd of November) I had my appointment with the fetal diagnostic specialist and we saw the baby again! She was very active and so precious. I cherish the time we get to see her on the "big screen." The tech was very detailed in telling us what she was measuring and looking at. The baby kept punching her feet with her hands. It was really cute! The tech and doctor were able to locate the right ventricle of the heart. The kidney was still a little large so he wants me to come back around my 32nd week for another ultra sound. No complaints here, I bet Natalia will look so much different by then. If her kidney is still enlarged after birth, she will be put on medication to help control the issue of a possible kidney infection. So, it's not life threating. Yay!

Other than that, no news is wonderful news!!!

Happy Holidays. :)

Long time, no post

Well hello there!!

I haven't posted anything that hasn't been from a website in a while. Where do I even begin? On Tuesday September 8 Dan and I went to the doctor for our 16 week check up! Everything was perfect. My blood pressure was great too. It had been a tiny bit high the last time, but this time it was right where it should be. The baby is located where she needs to be and I am still getting sick. Well, I am not sure that getting sick is still supposed to be happening, but it is and I have come to live with it. Soon enough it will be gone, and then I can enjoy food without having to wonder how fast I will need to run to the nearest sink or toilet.

I have felt flutters now and then, and within the next few weeks I should feel more movement. I am beyond excited for this. Dan touches my belly when I say I feel a flutter, and his response is always the same, I didn't feel anything. Sorry Dan, you won't until she starts to really move around and tries to kick you. :)

Speaking of Dan, he is a great husband. He makes dinner every night and sometimes what he makes just doesn't sit well, so he will go and make something else for me instead. Who would do that really? He has been helping out with laundry as well. I know I should have tons more energy, but after working with 8 needy babies all day, the last thing I can ever seem to find is energy. I thank God every day that he has blessed us with one baby on the way and not 8! I don't think I could survive with 8 all by myself. I know I couldn't, so thank you again God for the one that is on the way.

As my belly gets bigger it is becoming more and more real (besides when we hear the heart beat which always bring a tear to my eyes) that there is in fact a human developing inside of me and that is something that I will never be able to wrap my mind around. I could read hundreds and hundreds of books on the developing life and it would still amaze me.

In 3 weeks from Tuesday we will hopefully know the sex of the baby. I am leaning towards a girl, but as long as the baby is healthy I will be content wtih a boy too. Dan is going to find out at the doctors office, and I am not. He is going to do something, and I can't tell you what just yet, because well, I don't know. He is going to do something that will reveal the sex to me later during the day or evening on Tuesday October 6th. So, calling you right after the appointment won't be an option, sorry! BUT, I will post it on here, so if your reading this, come back to the blog Tuesday night and you may find out the sex before some of my family members do.

It's getting late, and I am in need of some food and so is the baby. She told me :) So, for now I will say, "talk to you later."

Hugs,

Beth and Baby

16 weeks - Avocado

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

14 and 15 Weeks

15 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

14 weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

13 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

12 Weeks!!

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Daddy's First Post

Hi Everyone,

It's Dan here. Beth's taking a nap and I'm waiting for dinner to heat up, so I thought I'd make a quick post. I keep telling Beth that I'm going to post, but haven't done it yet.

Monday brought our 2nd doctor's appointment. They tried using the doppler, but couldn't pick up the heart beat with it, so we got another ultrasound. Yay!! Once they got it focused on the baby, you could see the heart beating away. It was so great to see. It's amazing to see the woman I love carrying our child. I never could've imagined the joy it gives me. I can't wait until we can see more clearly and make out parts of the baby better (speaking of which, the heartbeat was 176 bpm leading Beth to think the baby is a girl. I'd appreciate any evidence to the contrary, but of course I'll love the baby whether a girl or boy). Hopefully, when the time comes we'll have the $$ for the 3D ultrasound.

Well that's all I have now. Hopefully I will have more news to post soon on another topic, but I'll wait till I have news to talk about that. Have a great day everyone!!