Christmas 2009

These pictures are all out of order so my apologies. The first two pictures are from Christmas morning at Joey's mom's house. We got up and headed over at around 9 AM and enjoyed a wonderful morning with his mom, brother and sister. We opened and exchanged presents, ate a delicious breakfast and enjoyed being together for Christmas. After that we headed home to freshen up and meet back up to watch Avatar at the theater. It was a good movie though not quite as good as I was expecting it to be after all the hype I had heard about it but, it was still fun to enjoy the tradition of eating junk food and watching a flick on Christmas day together. Oh, and the best part was that Joey's sister Jess was able to feel the baby kick a couple of times during the movie. That made my day:). After the movie we headed back to Joey's mama's house for a DELICIOUS dinner of prime rib, green bean casserole, rolls and twice baked potatoes. It was soooo yummy! After we all hung out and watched TV and stuffed ourselves even more with pumpkin pie and chocolate cake thanks to Grandma and Granddad:). It was a wonderful day to say the least and can I just say how happy I am that Joey's mama and sister live out here now! It is such a blessing to have them close by and to be able to spend the holidays with them and with Joey's grandparents. Joey and I both are so thankful for that:).

The other pictures below are from Christmas Eve. Joey and I are going to have our own Christmas day festivities on Christmas Eve. It's fun to spread the cheer around for two full days so I am really excited about beginning this tradition with our kids in the future. We were surprised to receive an unexpected package on the doorstep on Christmas Eve with Jammies that my Grandma had gotten us and my Aunt had kindly sent. I was SOOOO excited to see that I had new jammies to wear to bed and it made it feel like I was somehow a part of my family even though they were a countryside away in California. Thank you Grammy for the jammies!! Christmas eve morning we woke up late...one of the benefits of not having any kiddos yet but that will change next year so don't worry:). We opened our presents to each other as well as the presents that were mailed to us from my sister and her hubby and my dad and mom. It was so fun to have surprises from our family and again it almost made it feel as if they were with us:). We had a pretty lazy day after that of napping and then heading out for our churches Christmas eve service that was really wonderful and then eating after at Chili's together. Joey and I both have been talking a lot about how we really want to start some new traditions once our kids are old enough that really give Jesus the glory and recognition that he deserves during this holiday. We want our kids to know that Jesus is the most important thing to us not just at Christmas but, all year long. He gave us the ultimate gift by being born among us, dying for our sins and rising again so we can be with him in Heaven someday. It was fun thinking up some fun age appropriate activities and traditions we can take part in with our kids in the future to celebrate baby Jesus!! It will be such a blast!! Oh, and if any of you have any fun suggestions for us please share. The more ideas the merrier:). Can't believe that next year we will have a 9 month old with us during this time of year:). YEAH!!!

The last picture is of my 26 week belly. I will be posting a 27 week belly shot here in a few days. All is pretty ordinary with the pregnancy these days. I feel pretty good during the day aside from fatigue which I have gotten pretty used to. Nights are tough because I am very crampy and achey and no position seems to give my lower back relief which is probably why I am so tired all day since I don't sleep much at all:). It's okay though because I welcome it as a way to get a wee bit prepared for my sleepless nights with a newborn. I have noticed that my appetite has literally tripled in the past week or so. I'm hungry all the time and I crave sweets way too often. lol. Trying not to get too carried away:).

Joey and I got a great deal on a glider via Craigslist a few days ago. It's white wood with pink fabric and looks absolutely adorable in the nursery!! Thanks Grandma Martinez for helping us afford the glider!! I couldn't find Joey anywhere one night and finally I noticed the dark outline of him resting in the glider in the nursery with the light off. It was so cute to see how happy he is in our baby girl's room and boy is he excited for her arrival!! He also took down the stock light in her room and hung a white ceiling fan yesterday. The nursery is a little over half way done. We just need to find a nice used white changing dresser, a book shelf and a couple other little things and then we will post pictures:). Probably in another month or so. Hang in there!! We are also in the process of pinning down a middle name for our little munchkin. The first name is finalized though and we are both so happy with it:). That's about all for now:). HAPPY NEW YEAR ALMOST!!! :)

In Loving Memory - Two Years Ago Today

It's hard to believe that two years have already gone by since Joey's Dad passed away unexpectedly in the early morning just two days before Christmas. Joey looks just like his Dad, has a lot of the same passion and zest for life that his Dad had, definitely got his love for fishing and animal life from his Dad, and even shares the same name as his Dad as a matter of fact! I am so thankful that I had the honor of getting to know Joey's Dad for 8 years! Joe was one of the funniest practical jokers you could ever meet! There was never a dull moment when he was around:). More importantly than that though was how clearly Joe loved and adored his wife and kids. He worked so hard for his family and loved to spoil them all whenever he got the chance. I got a kick out of how excited Joe got at Christmas time when his kids were opening their presents from him. He got out the video camera or regular camera and would be taking pictures like crazy to capture the memories and his kids facial expressions. Joe also loved his dogs and I remember on so many occasions that Joey and I would be hanging out watching a movie with Pebbles (their Jack Russell) on our laps and Joe would come steal her away to take a nap with her upstairs. lol. It always cracked me up!

Joey and I talk about his Dad all the time and reminisce about all the memories we have of him and we always end up laughing because Joe was just a funny guy:). We miss him dearly and wish he was still here with us today celebrating another Christmas with the family but, we are thankful for the time we did have with him and we will always cherish all of our memories. To all those who knew and loved Joe, my thoughts and prayers go out to you today as you remember him and miss him. I pray that you all feel a big hug today and you feel warmed by the beautiful memories you shared with him. May God comfort each of you today. Joe, we love you, miss you and look forward to seeing you again someday! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo All our Love!

p.s. I'm sorry I don't have a better variety of pictures with all the family members as that was what I hoped to post but, I couldn't find them unfortunately:(.

CA part 2 - visiting the Fishers and other things

It's such a treat to visit our good friends the Fishers each time we are in Cali because their kids are always bigger and it is so fun to be a part of each of the life phases they go though. Maddie looks just like her daddy Ben and Hudson looks very much like his mama Melissa in my opinion:) Thanks for having me over you guys! It was so great to visit and catch up and drink a cup of coffee with you!

The rest of my CA trip was not documented with photos and I should have been a little better at that. I wanted to get a picture with Joey's grandparents and I wanted to get some pictures with my co-workers but se la vi. The week was the usual non stop locomotive experience that it usually is but, I do have to say that being pregnant made this an especially trying trip for me. I was beyond exhausted most days and I was having lots of mild contractions and stomach pains all week. On the other hand, it was such a blessing to get to see friends and family and I wouldn't trade that for the world. I do hope to never travel across country alone when I am this pregnant though. It's just too much. I ate at all my favorite places and that too was fantastic!! I got lots of tips from another pregnant friend about finding great deals for baby stuff on Craigslist and she showed me all of her amazing finds. I was inspired to say the least:). Thanks to all you Cali folks who made this trip a blast! Miss you guys already!

My last news that most of you already know is that when I got home late this past Saturday night Joey kept trying to get me to check out the nursery by saying, "I put your gifts in the baby room, you should go check them out." To which I would say, "I'm too tired babe, I'll check them out tomorrow." etc. He finally walked into the room with a Christmas card and said, "Let's see what this card looks like in the baby room." I was completely confused and thought his behavior seemed a bit odd so I followed him into the room to find that he had painted while I was gone (with a lot of help from his Aunt, Mom and sister...THANK YOU guys!!). I was so surprised, and in shock that I started crying and had to walk out of the room to process the wonderful gift I had been given. Really, something like that is a bit out of Joey's character so it just blew me away. One of the best gifts he has ever given me!! I cannot tell you how much that gesture blessed me and I feel so lucky to have a hubby who looks for ways to spoil his wife:). Sunday we ironed bedding and hung the little curtain valance. It has a ways to go so I am not posting a picture just yet but, it looks absolutely adorable and I couldn't be happier!! I will post pics as soon as it is more complete:). Can't wait to have our little girl in that room in just 3 short months!! YEAH!!!

CA part 1 - baby shower

I got to CA last Saturday afternoon after a pretty lousy flight experience but, I was refreshed after eating at El Tecolote with my Daddy who was kind enough to kill time until I finally arrived:). I ate two tostadas (my all time favorite food at that restaurant). And they are BIG tostadas!! I seriously felt like I was enjoying a piece of Heaven!! I miss CA Mexican food more than anything and every time I go back I eat as much of it as I can:). After dinner I headed to Grandma's house to hang out and was blessed by the surprise of my mom, two sisters and my sister's hubby showing up unexpectedly at my Gram's to spend the night and hang out with me:). It was such a treat as they live an hour and a half away and I wasn't expecting to see them until the baby shower the next day. We hung out and chatted all evening long and the next day (Sunday) was baby shower mode from early morning until late in the evening. Food shopping, decorating, game planning, goodie bag stuffing, food preparing and so on. It's amazing that a simple baby shower can require so much planning! It turned out great though and I am so thankful to everyone who came and for all the gifts our little girl was blessed with. My Dad and mom blessed us with our big car seat which was awesome and we were also blessed with clothes, blankets, money and lots of other lovely things such as a handmade rocking chair for our little girl made by my Uncle and handmade blankets and quilts. God is good! It was a super busy day and I was 100% wiped out when it was over but, it was so great to see old friends and to catch up a little bit with everyone. Wish I had more time to spend with each person as it all goes by so fast. Thanks to everyone who helped, who came and for all the little gifts that were such a blessing!

I am blessed

Wowie! I leave for CA early tomorrow morning! It came up so fast as this time of year is so busy with so many distractions that when I woke up today I was almost shocked that it's time to go already! I am really looking forward to seeing all my friends and family while I am out there this next week and I am also looking forward to my first baby shower at my Grandma's house on Sunday. I will miss my hubs thouhg and wish he could be there to celebrate with me and my family but, maybe next year! If all you NC folks could keep him busy and preoccupied for me that would be great:). lol.

I just want to say that during this crazy season of life that Joey and are going through with all sorts of interesting twists and turns that I cannot help but, give God all the glory for giving me (us) little bursts of sunshine here and there to brighten a dreary day, week or whatever. Today's blessings came in the form of our bank having mercy on us and cutting us slack for making a silly mistake which saved us a good amount of money and an unexpected baby gift that arrived on my porch today in the mail. Thank you sooooo much to the friend who sent it! I don't want to single you out on here and embarrass you but, I do want to say that her gift came at such a perfect time and what I love about God, is His timing is always perfect and He is so faithful to provide for us! I love that when we feel lonely, he is faithful to comfort and to love on us, when we are struggling, He is faithful to bless and provide and when we need guidance, His voice, though so still and quiet can be so strong and clear. Thank you Jesus for loving on us! I can't imagine walking this life without you beside me!

I probably won't be posting next week so hang tight and I look forward to telling you all about Joey's fishing tournament finale party (he's getting 3 trophies!!), the baby shower and all our adventures when I get back to NC:). God Bless each of you this busy holiday season and I hope you all stay safe and healthy! I pray that if there are needs in your life, that the Lord meets you where you are at and provides. I pray that if anyone is lonely or needing to be reminded how loved they are...that God wraps you in his endless arms of love and peace and sends people alongside you to encourage you in the perfect moments! Lots of love to all of you from Joey and myself this Christmas:)

Merry Christmas 2009

Welcome to the Martinez home this Christmas:). Sorry that these pictures are a little blurry and or dark but, at least you get the idea:). I love holidays! I don't think I really have a favorite per se but, there are different things that I like about each one. I love that Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I cannot imagine a world in which Jesus had never been born and never died for our sins! So, Christmas decor for me is a fun way to incorporate my faith into my decorations as often as possible. I love nativity sets and ornaments with verses or symbols of faith. I like having those constant reminders around and I look forward to teaching my children all about baby Jesus each Christmas! It reminds me of the bible verse, "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." Deuteronomy 11:18 Or in modern English, "keep the word of the Lord close to your heart because it is everything that matters in life!"

We had a very small progressive type dinner get together last night with two other couples. Appetizers at our house and desserts at another couple's house and we had such a wonderful time! That is my second favorite part of Christmas; getting together with friends and family, eating good food and laughing together! It blesses my socks off:).

I am looking forward to traveling out to CA this upcoming weekend. I will be having my first baby shower with my family and friends out there and I will get to see lots of people that I haven't seen in a long time. It'll be a crazy trip as they always are but, also a wonderful time! Can't wait to see all you California folks again:). TTFN and Merry Christmas month! Jesus loves you!

6 months and counting

For all you patient folks who so eagerly awaited the next belly shot....here are the 6 month pictures that really do prove that my belly has indeed "popped" in the past 2 weeks! It's crazy because everyone at my church was just telling me how tiny I was a couple of weeks ago and no one was even noticing that I was pregnant. Then out of no where I had a lot of cramping for a few days and could even feel my skin stretching and then BAM, I had a big belly!! Although I am not eating much more than usual I will admit that I crave sweets pretty much all the time which is not normal for me. I guess our little girl will have a sweet tooth:). I'm trying to stay active and not let this belly slow me down but, I have found that simple things like bending over to tie my shoes...or even put them on for that matter has become a challenge. My eye sight has gotten really bad and I actually had to buy my first pair of prescription glasses this past week because I can no longer see writing or signs if it is 10 feet away from me. Sad. I sure hope my eyes bounce back when the hormones mellow out after pregnancy.

I have to add (since I don't think I do often enough) that I AM SO EXCITED about our baby girl! Each and every day I feel her strong kicks and feel her press her little body against my stomach and I talk to her as often as I think to. I have gotten some clothes and an adorable Halloween costume for her from friends and family and each girly little thing gets me more and more excited about meeting this little peanut! Joey has made a complete 180 and is ecstatic about our little girl! The other day I was shopping with him in TJ Max for bathroom appliances and I couldn't find him anywhere. Turns out he was browsing through the baby clothes and he found an outfit that he just had to buy His little princess:). It melted my heart to pieces that he picked his daughter out something special. Ahhhh, the simple things in life:). I can't recall if I mentioned this already or not but, Joey has decided that he wants to keep our little girl's name a secret until her birth announcement. I personally am not a fan of long kept secrets but, he likes the anticipation so I am honoring his wishes. I love the name we have chosen for our little girl. It is already so perfect for her and makes me smile every time we say it. It is a little different but, not so uncommon that you haven't heard it before. Can't wait to share it with you all! Only a little over 3.5 months to go!!

My Handy Hubby

Just thought I would dedicate a post to my hubs since it seems that 99% of what fills this blog is me and the pregnancy lately:). Meanwhile Joey is a very, very busy guy too and I was finally around to get pictures of him hard at work. This past week Joey hung a bath and hand towel bar in our guest bathroom and ran all over town shopping with me until I found the right ones. We have been here almost two years and haven't had either in there. It was lonnnng overdue! I get stressed out trying to hang things perfectly straight and measuring super detailed stuff is overwhelming for me. Joey thrives off of that kind of thing. I am so grateful that He can get this stuff done for me! Joey also built our little girl's crib this past week. Lastly, he moved a humongous new office furniture set up a steep flight of stairs with the help of a friend and had to set everything up all over again. It looks so much better than the previous office set and he is so happy with it and so am I. His office is pretty sharp eh:). Not to mention that my hubs also hung our Christmas lights today and planted two bushes in our front yard to replace the ones that were dying. He is such a hard working guy! Thanks for all you do babe! I appreciate you so much!

Nursery Mode

Our white Graco crib was delivered to my porch today. It was a very prompt shipment I might add but, the box is a bit messed up so I'm hoping it is all in tact inside. I love decorating and always dream about the fun things I could do with my house if I had more money but, let's face it....what is money?? haha. So, that being said, my goal is to create a very simple, yet girly room that requires very little money to decorate and minimal effort on my part to prepare as I just don't have any of either of those things at this point in my life. I am going to be painting the walls a bright green, hence a few of the pictures above for inspiration but, our little girls room won't be looking like a designer showcase as most of these pics do rather more like the second picture. Basic yet, cheerful:).

In other news: I am 6 days shy of the 6 month mark but, my stomach would like to disagree because it looks like a 7 month belly. I basically popped all of a sudden about 2 weeks ago. Now my stomach itches on a regular basis from the rapid stretching (yes, I am using lotion as best as I can) and our little girl is kicking much, much harder:). I sleep horribly at night. Scratch that. I don't really sleep much at all these days because my back is really achy and I still pee 5 times a night so I feel like a walking zombie most days. It's all good though. I'll take exhaustion and back aches over depression and nausea any day! I have started getting a pretty regular headache everyday now too and I have found that drinking a small amount of caffeine really helps take the edge off. The doc. says that is aok so no worries. I will post a belly picture soon I promise. I never knew it could be so difficult to consistently take a picture every week on the same day in the same spot. That requires me to get dressed and look halfway presentable and I just don't do that every Tuesday folks:). haha. Anyhoo. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! God Bless each of you this Christmas month!! xoxo.