Harms Family News

How far along? 35 weeks! Maternity clothes? Yep! I had to try on four shirts this morning before I found one that would cover my bump with the capris I am wearing. Sigh. Sleep: Working too much. Best moment this week: When my doctor hinted we might not make it until May 17. Let's face it, the last month of pregnancy is not comfy. I wouldn't mind having this baby a couple of weeks early. Also, the way Miss M's face lit up when she thought I said the baby was coming out. She really, really wants to meet her baby sister. Movement: Remember how I said she wasn't moving as much. Yeah, well, she got over that. She was moving so much during my last NST that they had to keep repositioning the sensor and I had to wait forever before they got the reading they needed. Milestones: All major organ work is done. Now she's just gaining weight. Gender: Girl Labor Signs: Lots and lots of contractions, but not too uncomfortable. What I miss: Energy What I am looking forward...

I think she is going to take after Miss M with that round face. Definitely filling out. Ok, so I missed a few weeks. It's been busy, what can I say? How far along? 33 weeks! In my first pregnancy I was in the hospital on horrible drugs and awaiting my girl's lungs to develop enough that they could deliver me. So thankful to be where I am right now! Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Hot flashes, potty breaks, and crazy dreams mean poor sleep. normal at this stage in the game. Best moment this week: Um, the floors are done! Also, got a 3D picture of her sweet face. Movement: She is definitely not moving as much. No one but me seems worried by this. Milestones: Growth ultrasound showed her to be 5 lb, 1 oz, and they said I don't need to come back to the high risk ward. Still waiting to see if my doctor is done monitoring her growth. . . Gender: Girl Labor Signs: Contractions have started, at least I think that's what they are. Nothing regular, but I don't th...

Well, we are nearing the 3rd trimester. I think it is next week. The further along we go, the happier I am to still be pregnant and really fairly uncomplicatedly so. Here's the update for this week: How far along? 29 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: not so good this week due to a reaction to all of the dust in the air from our NEW FLOORING!!!!! Best moment this week: Taking my MIL and mom to the ultrasound. The tech was able to work with us to get some face shots even though baby is plastered up against my side. She is measuring in the 75th percentile at 3 lbs, 5 oz., which is ahead of target for her. The main concern with the high bp on the baby's end is her not growing, so she is growing well and that makes me happy. Movement: Still very active. At my last OB appointment they couldn't get the heart rate because she was moving so much (I blame the drink from the glucose test. . . Milestones: Not sure Gender: Girl Labor Signs: Nope What I miss: Not thinking about...

Tonight the baby had the hiccups and I was letting Miss M feel it. I wish I could have videoed her response. First, when she felt one her eyes got huge and she said, "I feeled it!" Then she felt some more and she said, "She has the hicumups. Like me. I get the hicumups too." Then, she got this very worried look on her face. "Is her getting sick?" I assured her the baby was fine and hiccups were good for babies, then she gave me a huge, excited hug. She is going to be a great big sister.

My husband has been working hard to get the big girls' room ready for the big move-in. We are redoing it quite a bit so that Miss N does not feel like Miss M is "invading" her space. It is going very well and I am so thankful for a husband who works hard all day doing manual labor and comes home and is willing to do it all again, but with kids underfoot. Yet I find myself fearful. It is time to start preparing for this baby. I mean, she is coming in less than 12 weeks max, and it takes time to redo things around the house when you have little ones underfoot. But, the "what if" thoughts are overwhelming. What if we are doing all of this and we are not able to keep this baby. What if my bp goes crazy, the placenta dies, and she dies. What if. . . I am sure many pregnant moms feel these thoughts, but I don't remember having them with either of my other girls. This time is still different. The loss makes it different. The Reality that sometimes, things do not go...

Oops, missed a week! Tim's grandmother passed away this past week on February 17 at 93. We have enjoyed time with family looking back over a life well lived. I did not know her well, but after hearing stories about her I realize that she left an excellent legacy and I am thankful for her life. But, all of these events plus the sickness (it was N's turn and my turn this past week for the tummy flu) have left me with little blogging interest. So here's a double update :) How far along? 27 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. And starting to outgrow some :( Sleep: Starting to get a bit uncomfy. Best moment this week: At the funeral yesterday, our niece played a violin solo. This baby does not respond to music the way her sisters did, but she went nuts when the violin was playing. She settled right down as soon as it stopped, too. Interesting. Movement: Still very active. It is not bothering me, but I do find it interesting that my doctor has commented on how active she is at m...

How far along? 23 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Slept on the couch for the first time ever. The dog was sooooo loud and I couldn't make her be quiet without waking Tim, who had already gotten up to let her out once, so I just went to the couch. Best moment this week: My sweet big girl wrapping her arms around me when I was sobbing on the couch about a cut up check. Movement: She's an active little thing, but is nice to her momma at night so far. Miss M would kick me all night long! I don't remember about Miss N. Gender: She's a girl! Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Walking without hip pain. Not having swollen feet. What I am looking forward to: Reaching viability. I think I will feel so much better! Weekly Wisdom: If your child cuts up a huge check, the bank can reissue one, and maybe even without fees. If you receive a huge check from a client, the piano is not the place to set it. Even though your child never touches the mail and knows she is not t...

Ok, so I failed last week in posting my update. There was a lot going on and it just didn't seem important. I almost failed this week because suddenly the work is flowing, but this week it seems more important to me, so here it is! We are at the 22 week mark as of yesterday. I feel baby kicking all of the time. We have learned she is a girl, and her nickname (not real name) is "Lucy," as Miss M named her. So maybe I will call her that on the blog until she is born. I'm not calling her that much at home because I don't want to confuse Miss M. How far along? 22 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Doing OK with the exception of getting up with all of the sickies of late. Best moment this week: Tim got to feel Lucy kicking for the first time! I'm hoping the girls will be able to feel it soon. Movement: Daily. I find it reassuring which is nice. I found it creepy with my other babies. Gender: She's a girl! Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Being emotio...

When I was expecting Miss N, I was a teacher. I had a great, small group of kids to teach. They always wanted to know what I wanted to have, and my answer was, "A boy. I love you girls but girls are too catty!" Of course, we all know that Miss N was a girl. I should have never said anything. Because come May, I will be the mom of three girls. Meet baby girl #3 She is healthy and weighs approximately 13 ounces, which apparently they measure by measuring the femur. Tim's response: "Well, this will be a lot cheaper!" Miss M's response: "I gonna have two sisters? I will call her Lucy. Why we not gets a brover?" I haven't gotten to confirm with Miss N yet. I am totally cool with this. I think the events of the last year and a half made gender less of an importance to me than having a healthy baby I can hold. God knows whether or not we are the right family for a boy, and at this point he said nope, we get another girl. I love watching my two sisters...

Technically I will not be 20 weeks until tomorrow, but I opted to do this tonight while I have a little extra time. I went to the doctor (not the high risk doctor, just the regular one) today and got some answers to some questions. She was fine with where my readings are, for the most part, and wants to play with the timing of my medication to optimize its effectiveness. It seems the goal is not necessarily to lower my numbers significantly but rather to stop the continual increase they were seeing, as numbers naturally increase in the third trimester. All in all I am feeling much calmer about the whole thing. We also got a peek at the baby and are fairly certain on the gender, but his/her legs were closed pretty tightly so the ultrasound tech didn't want to make an "official" call yet. I will share when we get that "official" call. :) How far along? 20 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Hubby hasn't been sleeping well and keeps nudging me. Not sure if I...

So, this blood pressure thing - it is making me crazy! The medicine seems to be working at a higher dose. When I take it, after a while I start getting readings of 118/72. Those are good readings. But, and here's the real kicker, it seems to wear off before it is time to take it again. I take it first thing in the morning and first thing before bed. In the morning, my readings are high right after I get up. How can sleeping make your blood pressure go up? I have gotten some readings over 140 and over 100. Those are high. Then, again, in the evening before I take it it is high again. I am sure it goes down after I take the medicine, but i am sleeping. If I sit and do nothing except work it goes lower, but the minute I get up to move it spikes. I know these spikes are not good for me or baby, but I can't live my life sitting on my tushy with two little ones relying one me. All of this does not bode well for staying off of bed rest. Tim and I talked about our options if that happ...

How far along? 19 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Decent Best moment this week: Christmas! It wasn't "perfect" but it was fun! Movement: Daily. I remarked yesterday to the girls that the baby was kicking me, and Miss M said, "The baby kicking - it want to come out!" Gender: Unknown. Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Being a regular OB patient. I found out today I'm getting a referral to a high risk specialist. The bp medication was not as effective as she wanted, and I got some scary high readings, so she upped the dose (which so far seems to be working) but because of this I have to go to a specialist. What I am looking forward to: Maybe getting an ultrasound (finding out gender) a little sooner. I think that's one of the tests the high risk specialist does. Weekly Wisdom: Proverbs 3:5-6 Milestones: Not happy ones, but the carpel tunnel and intense (sporadic) hip pain has started. Isn't it early for that? Not fun!

So, I am a weepy mess with this pregnancy! It's crazy! You can ask my husband, I am not one prone to crying. Sure, I have the emotional outburst occasionally (don't all women?), but it's not a regular thing with me. Not so anymore. I mean, just today at church a friend said Merry Christmas and gave me a hug and I was almost in tears. How embarrassing! The other night something fairly minor happened and I was fighting back tears the whole night in a public situation. Caused a few people to worry that something was wrong with the baby and it really was something minor. This week a sweet friend offered to come and help with some stresses I was having, and I found myself in tears again because of her sweetness and my inability to manage it all. That inability led to a huge meltdown later in the week. And don't even get me started on the Target.com fiasco! What's a girl to do? I do not remember being THIS emotional any of the other times I was expecting. After they were...

Kids are on break and my kitchen is a disaster (can anyone keep a clean kitchen while baking?) so this will be short. 18 weeks today! How far along? 18 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Decent Best moment this week: Having a day when I didn't feel the baby kick (which was also the most stressful day of the week so that added stress didn't help) and as I was reading my Bible that night, it gave me some real strong kicks to let me know all was well. Movement: Daily Gender: Unknown. Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Not thinking about my bp every second of every day, not taking it three times per day. What I am looking forward to: Getting good news on my test results today because it WILL be good, right? Weekly Wisdom: I definitely am not drinking enough water. Let's just leave it at that and not go into why I have come to know this. Thanks. Milestones: None I can think of.

Ok it's Wednesday, and that means time for that weekly update post! So, blood pressure update. It's been all over the map, but I'm still not sure I am reading or taking it accurately. Friday I go back in for a bp check, so I plan to take the two machines/cuffs I have with me and compare readings. Yesterday I got 140/100 for my evening measurement, then this morning (laying in bed) it was 120/70. I am very nervous about ending up on bed rest. Sheesh, I have two small kids, a husband who cooks only using the grill (and it's winter), and a thousand responsibilities. How will we eat? How will my kids get bathed, fed healthy food, dressed, lunches packed, out the door on time? How will the laundry get done??? I know others have ended up on bed rest with little kids, but I am praying it does not happen to me. But a b/p reading of 140/100 seems very high. Hopefully I am just not taking it right. Tim is convinced it is stress and worry making my bp high. . . How far along? 17 ...

So, blogging about pregnancy was the last thing on my mind while in Kansas City this past week. Really, these two weeks are not much different, so I will just make one update. How far along? 15 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. And I am sad because it appears I will need to buy some. I was really hoping to avoid that. Sleep: Up once per night usually but not too bad. Best moment this week: Eating dessert like a normal person and not getting sick! Movement: Too early Gender: Unknown. Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Not being winded all the time. I wish I knew for a fact this was normal. The baby isn't big enough to be causing this yet. My doctor said "You are just out of shape" but I was pretty well out of shape before I got pregnant and didn't have this problem. What I am looking forward to : Feeling movement. Should be happening sometime in the next few weeks. Feeling a baby moving inside of me kind of creeps me out, but it's also very reassuring that all is we...

How far along? 13 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Crazy, crazy dreams. Last night I dreamed that my SIL was adopting a baby, and I found out in her annual Christmas letter. I told Tim and he said, "I know, I've known for five weeks." I was so livid that I started screaming, crying, and hitting him. I was mad that he kept a secret from me. Best moment this week: Going almost the whole week without needing a nap. Movement: Too early Gender: Unknown. I think I have come to peace with either way, honestly. I just wish people would stop pushing me with "I bet you are hoping for a boy!" Makes it hard to stay focused on being content with a healthy baby, regardless of gender. Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Not having to eat constantly. What I am looking forward to: Thanksgiving trip to visit family Weekly Wisdom: Praying in the morning, even just for 5 minutes, focuses my mind and helps me be much more patient with my kids. Milestones: Depending on where...

Ok, you all know how scared I was that there would be bad news today. Amazingly, I was very calm when the time came for today. All day I was calm. At my appointment, my bp was up. Not sure if it was because I was nervous or what, but my doctor seemed a little concerned and said, "We wll have to keep an eye on this." It was 134/78, which isn't that bad, right? The weight check was great! I only gained half a pound in four weeks! That is a total of 4 pounds the entire pregnancy so far. I am very happy with this. I tend to gain a lot early on. Maybe my inability to eat sweets is helping! The doctor told me right away that she was going to try to hear the heartbeat, but that it might not be possible yet. She was not able to hear it. Again, I was amazingly calm. I think having the girls there was a good distraction. So, I had an ultrasound. I don't think I have seen any of my babies at 12 weeks. It was amazing. There were little feet and arms. Miss N thought it was pretty ...

Well, I Was going to wait until tomorrow and what WILL be a good doctor's visit, but I had some extra time today so here is my update! I cannot believe I am now 3 months pregnant, and I also cannot believe so many women wait this long to tell their news! I am taking the girls to my appointment tomorrow. I could drop them somewhere, but it woudl be very inconvenient with a 4:00 appointment, and, well, their presence or lack of presence will not change the outcome of my appointment. I have no reason at all to think anything is wrong, so I am going to embrace faith and take them along. How far along? 12 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Sleep: Definitely not the best this week. Best moment this week: Enjoying some time on the old treadmill. Movement: Too early Gender: Unknown Labor Signs: No way! What I miss: Being able to walk without getting winded. I really think it's too early for this but others have said they experienced it early. I still plan to ask about it. . . What I a...

OK, blogfriends , I am going to be honest. I am starting to get worried again. I mean, it's been three weeks since i have seen/heard the baby. And, not at all intentionally, but in my working and surfing lately I have read about at least three women who saw the heartbeat at 6-7 weeks, then had the baby die. I have no reason to think anything is wrong, but I am scared! I wish I had a different personality and could just let whatever will be, well, be. I have an appointment on the 11 th . This many weeks between appointments is torture! So, anyways, here is the 11 week update. How far along? 11 weeks Maternity clothes? Yep. Tim vetoed an outfit tonight because he said it made me look 30 weeks pregnant. Oye . Sleep: Not too bad. Best moment this week: Eating a tiny bit of chocolate and not getting sick! Movement : Too early Gender : Unknown Labor Signs : No way! What I miss : Having a neck that does not ache. What I am looking forward to: Appointment next week. Weekly Wisdom...