Hi Ho Hi Ho

It's off to birth we go....

Finish my joke.

So I had a thought while I was changing the lamp in my car's headlight. This thought came about 45 minutes into the project with the wheelwell liner removed, a couple broken plastic clips lying benignly by, and me lying on the concrete: "How many nuclear engineers does it take to change a light bulb?" I actually couldn't think of anything humorous to finish it with.
OK, on to the big news: Amy and I will be pursuing our lives as parents starting this Friday. Our SCHEDULED birthday for Stoke is November 30th at 7:30 in the morning. I'll keep it short- prayers are appreciated and we'll let you know when we have some news to share.

RIGHT SIDE UP

Announcement No. 1: The Monster Baby Pool is now closed. We apologize for the inconvenience, but if you were this late submitting your entry, you've probably missed out on other stuff before and you should be used to it.

Announcement No. 2: Another reason we're closing the entries is because we know when (if things continue as they are now) baby Stoke/Tate will be born.

The above announcements are based on the discovery that our baby has not yet flipped into a position that will support a normal birth. Stoke is breech, and at this phase of the game, not likely to flip on his/her own. After careful consideration, we have decided to plan a C-section for a couple days before our expected due date. Rest assured, both Mommy and Baby are healthy and doing well, although Amy is about ready to be done with the 'last month' aches and pains. Sooo... we now eagerly await our first baby's birth. (even though we have a receipt that tells us the time and place). Your continued thoughts and prayers are appreciated, as always, and we look forward to sharing our big news with you when that wonderful day comes.

In the mean time, we DO have an image from our last Ultrasound that shows us how Stoke is positioned inside Amy.

Monster Baby pool

The time is drawing closer- Baby Stoke/Tate will make HIS/her widely acclaimed entry into the atmosphere we all breathe.

Of course we do not want to miss this opportunity to make gamblers out of ya'll. (you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em) So we have made a baby pool to honor/celebrate/pay for the occasion. The pot is up to $125, winner takes all. The totals/averages: 14 boy bids, 11 girl bids, average arrival date: 5 December, Average weight: 7lbs, 11oz. If you still want in on this exciting contest,

GET YOUR BID IN!!!!

Buy-in is $5, and the info I need is: 1. Baby's sex 2. Birth weight 3. Birthday Then put the money in the mail (or log on to Paypal and send it electronically to martinharms@hotmail.com) The website for sending money is: https://www.paypal.com/ ("Personal" tab, then hit the button "Send Money")

On a lesser note, Marty is now up on Facebook, hope to see you there.

T minus 5 weeks ...

It seems like just yesterday that Marty and I were sharing the exciting news of our pregnancy with all of you ... and now, amazingly enough, we're riding out the last few weeks. We've rapidly gone from calmly talking about the baby's arrival "in a few months ..." to touring the hospital's labor and delivery ward, finding a pediatrician (not as easy as you might think!), and for me, washing every item of baby clothing and bedding I can get my hands on. The "nesting" instinct has truly set in. Our anticipation of Baby Harms (or "Tate" for the Schnettlers ... or "Stoke" for the kiting boys!) has been greatly fed by both friends and family, who have showered us with gifts and good, sound baby-raising advice ... Thanks everyone!

No Really...

I've been wanting to share proof that I really can kiteboard for a while now. I suspect many have assumed it was all just a ploy to ward off the rumors of aging bones, slowed reflexes, and thinning hair (now you'll have to wonder). So I finally had a camera available, a willing assistant, and some wind all show up on the SAME DAY! (Thanks Reid & Kyle)Not much to look at, but proof nonetheless. I've been getting better each time I ride, I'm hoping to get some big air tricks into the mix by next year sometime, Stoke dependent. ('Stoke' is the new nickname for 'Tate', as bestowed by our collective Community Group from Trinity Presbyterian Church) So please, come visit; let me share my love of this new sport. Or at least take care of Stoke while Amy takes some lessons....

East meets West

Literally.... Jeffrey DeGroot of Grand Junction, CO and Sara Jacob of Houston, TX were married in Houston, TX on October 13th, 2007. Jeff has Dutch blood, Sara is of Indian descent, they met in Japan.... you can't make this stuff up. I (Marty) had the priviledge to stand (for 2 hours) in the groom's party. An incredible display of family, tradition, and love, the wedding was a great time for everyone involved. Amy made the trip like a champ, but we won't likely be flying anymore before the baby comes. Our rental ride, a Dodge Caliber, looks like a Malibu Maxx (oh so ugly) and drove like a paint shaker. With all the miles we logged, we ultimately triggered a relapse of Amy's first trimester nausea. Note to self: No Dodge Caliber w/ a pregnant wife. We're happy to be home for hopefully the next 2 months, enjoying the final weeks of the human gestational period.