Harms Family News

Here are some pictures from Natalie's Birthday Party on the 23rd. We just ended up having a party with family, but it was great fun getting together with both my family and Tim's for the first time since our wedding (almost four years ago). "What's all the fuss about?" "I'm not so sure about this cake stuff!" "Me and my favorite cousin, Danelle" "Me and my grandma Harms and my great-grandma Harms"

Natalie had her one year shots yesterday. I always have mixed feelings about vaccines. She doesn't really cry, but she always gets a fever and is sad later. Also, I have heard horrible things about how sometimes vaccines can cause autism, and that vaccines contain aborted baby parts. I just don't now what is right. A lady in our church insists that you do not have to have them, no matter what the law says. But when I think about the diseases she could have that could kill her, it sure seems worth it. Although, I must admit that I see absolutely no point to the chicken pox vaccine. We all survived it, didn't we? Oh well, the law requires it, so consider her chicken pox vaccinated!

Hi! I'm Natalie, and Mommy tells me it's my birthday today. I don't really understand what that means, but she sure gets excited when she tells me, and she holds one finger up. I want to chew on it! I thought I would tell you about my great accomplishments this year. I was born on March 9, and Mommy says I was too early, so I had to stay in the hospital. They took good care of me, but Mommy and Daddy wanted me home. I went home on March 23. I started smiling at two months old, when Mommy said my name. When I was five months old I learned how to roll over. That was on the Fourth of July! Boy, fireworks were cool! At six months I could sit up by myself. Mommy says that is because I was so fat that the rolls kept me from falling over! At nine months I figured out how to sit up when I was laying down. It wasn't long until I figured out how to crawl at ten and a half months. Then my first tooth popped out at eleven months! Today my biggest accomplishment is standing up when ...

Here is Natalie with her new favorite book. She is totally in love with "Touch and Feel" books, and I just bought her a bunch off eBay, so she is in high heaven. For those who are wondering, yes, we are having a little party for her, but not until the 23rd (Invitations are coming).

Lately I have been thinking how grateful I am for my family. That might seem strange, but it seems like the last few days the things I have seen on television have been so sad. There was a special Tim was watching about a reporter in Iraq, who was nearly killed in a road side bomb. He is now campaigning to shed light on the situation facing soldiers with head injuries. He received a serious head injury. Then I also watched a program about a family with triplets who were deaf/blind. The pain and frustration were so intense, and the reason the girls were handicapped was because of medications they were given due to prematurity. As the mother of a healthy premie, I am always reminded how much I have to be thankful for. For those of you who have forgotten, here is a picture of my tiny baby when she was born. Today she is trying so hard to stand, and is doing so well. I am so blessed! Then, yesterday I watched a program about a woman whose two year old and husband were both killed in a smal...