Baby Stuff (yeah!)

No more caffeine for me per Doctor's orders but, decaf is still aok. I love my TEA!!!
Can you tell that I'm excited about our little girl's carseat:).
Love getting Target packages unexpectedly at the doorstep!!! It's like Christmas all over:)
A friend gave me the mobile for the crib and I think it's too cute. I wouldn't have spent money on one otherwise and this one is perfect:). Now our little girl can enjoy listening to a baby lullaby while watching the stars and moons spin overhead:).

Heard the doorbell ring this week (a sure sign UPS has dropped something off) and it turns out Joey's aunt and uncle blessed us with our infant car seat and some other much needed goodies. I cannot thank them enough for these things and it is such a huge relief to have the infant car seat in hand in case for any reason our gal should decide to come early. Thank you guys so much!!! It was such a treat to rip open the boxes and assemble the car seat a couple of days ago. I bought some cute strap covers for it with the pink lambs on them and now all it needs is a baby sitting in it:). Yeah!!! I will say that I realized when picking up the car seat how out of shape I have gotten. Man, that sucker is heavy without a baby in it! On the flip side it does have the in car base attached to it which adds a good deal of weight but, still. Man, I need to do some preggo push ups or something! haha.

The doc told me at my last appointment that my one cup a day of caffeinated tea is most likely the cause of my intense Braxton Hicks contractions. So, I stopped drinking it and for the past week I have had hangover headaches but, I guess he's right because I barely had any BH contractions this week. Sigh. Oh, green tea with caffeine how I miss you:(. OH SUSHI I MISS YOU EVEN MORE!!!! I swear I could go fish a salmon out of the ocean and eat it raw right there on the boat at this point. I dream about eating sushi and am not sure what I am counting down to more...my baby or some delicious pieces of raw fish sitting atop a pile of rice and covered in soy sauce. Oh my golly, YUM!! hahaha I'm joking about what I am counting down to with the most anticipation of course:).

We are supposed to get a good deal of snow this weekend for the first time this winter. Joey and I are really looking forward to it since it will be the weekend and we can actually enjoy it together. Fun! I'll make sure to post pics if we get any.

It just makes me happy:)

A Very Good Reminder

Spending quality time with the Lord is like enjoying an awesome afternoon with a best friend only better and just like any relationship we feel closest to the Lord when we spend more time with Him. Sometimes I lose site of how much my soul needs to be nourished and edified by spending regular time with the Lord. Sure, I might pray on a daily basis, or read my bible periodically or I quote my favorite scriptures in my head when I need to be reminded of something but, consistent quality time with the Lord is always an area that I could use some improvement in. Reading my bible daily to be reminded of God's promises and truths, actually getting on my knees to thank God for how amazing He is in my life, praying for people in need and listening to beautiful worship songs instead of songs that don't penetrate my heart...all these things add up to a day well spent with the creator of the Universe. It's amazing how easy these things are to do and how rewarding and fulfilling they are and yet, I put them off time and time again until I'm as dry as a dessert and have lost site of the Greatness of God.

Tonight while driving home from Wal-Mart with Joey, he put his I Pod on a Jeremy Camp song that he has been enjoying lately (it happens to be one of my favorites too) and though I have heard it a hundred times before it was especially stirring and relevant to the place we have arrived at in our lives today. More importantly than that though, it was as if God was gently whispering in my ear the truths that I so needed to be reminded of, "I know that I've been given MORE than beyond measure. I come alive, when I see beyond my fears. I know that I've been given more than earthly treasure. I come alive when I've broken down and given you control" Amen and Hallelujah. God is as real as it gets and though I may lose site of how awesome he is when I fail to make the time for him, he is always patiently waiting and gently reminding me that he is here. He is faithful and He will never leave nor forsake me. Simply Beautiful. Thank you Lord for taking the time to chat with me tonight. I really appreciated it:).

31 weeks and the latest in Martinez land

I love this baby so much and haven't even met her yet! Can't wait:).
Joey taking apart the laptop piece by piece. Thanks to him it works again:)
The shelf in progress. I can't show you the letters unfortunately. Soon though:)
Joey worked all afternoon long to replace his front brakes and rotors. Hard working guy!
I love these mozarella, tomato, basil and a dash of garlic salt grilled cheese sandwiches YUM!!!

If money grew on trees I would snatch up this adorable adorable chair for our little munchkins room. I saw it at TJ Max this past weekend and just thought it was too stinking cute!! Not practical of course but, SO cute:).


Got the new laptop frame in the mail today. Joey put the computer back together when he got off work:). Thanks babe! Woohoo!

Let's see....a few things to update on: pictures of my 30 week ever growing belly (from last week). I am 31 weeks now (just 9 weeks or less!). I swear, in just the past week I think she has grown tremendously or else she has just gotten much stronger because her movements are more powerful than ever! I also figure that she has a lot less room to move in so I feel every little movement now and have I already mentioned how active this kid is? Joey trips out when the baby slides or rolls from one side of my stomach to the other because you can actually watch my stomach undulate like ocean waves. Pretty crazy awesome. Still most comfortable sleeping on the couch but, I don't like sleeping apart from my hubs every night so now I spend half the night in my bed and half on the couch so I get half a nights sleep. lol. I still can't believe how fast the time is flying by in spite of the aches. Our little girl is going to be here before we know it!!! Wow!

Two: We were super blessed by a gift check that came in the mail last week from one of Joey's co-workers. It was so incredibly generous of her and we cannot thank her enough for helping us get a few much needed things!!! I love the awesome ways that God works and I am so grateful for his provisions.

Three: We have been doing little projects here and there this past week. Joey worked on replacing his truck brakes and rotors all weekend while I painted a small shelf for our little girl's room and also painted her name letters from white to green so it will stand out better on the wall above her crib. I bet you guys can't wait to see those letters or her name that is:). lol. The nursery is almost done except for the dresser and I feel confident that we will find one on Craigslist before long. I have been searching that dang website faithfully every couple of hours for the past 2 months! lol. Every white dresser I find is either too short or long gone. I just figure God has a much better one waiting for us so I am not worried. Gosh, I just love walking into our little girl's nursery and soaking up the cuteness of it. You would too, trust me:).

That's about all for now. Chao!

No pics - lo siento

Our personal laptop frame cracked and died on us this week. Joey took the entire laptop apart last night to figure out if the part could be replaced instead of purchasing a whole new laptop. He is such a sharp cookie! I would have thrown that sucker away and racked up more debt buying a new one if it weren't for him:). He was able to determine that the entire monitor frame will have to be replaced before the laptop will be usable again. He found the part online last night and now we just have to wait for it to get here, hope it's the right part and then wait for Joey to put it all back together again. Till then, no pictures unfortunately because that is our only personal computer. I even have 30 week preggo pics and a few other things to post but, I guess we will have to endure a slight delay:). Till then....

I have spent the past two nights sleeping in an upright position on the couch with pillows stuffed everywhere to hold me, my stomach and my back in comfortable positions. It would be a funny picture to post now that I think of it so I might have to do that! Prior to this I had 4 nights that I averaged about 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night and by this past Sunday afternoon I almost had a nervous breakdown from sheer exhaustion. It doesn't matter what pillows I use or what position I lay in anymore, my body is beyond miserable in my bed and I actually dread sleeping at night because it is so unsatisfying and uncomfortable. After two nights on the couch I feel about half caught up on sleep which is great and hope that after a couple more I will feel normal again though sitting up on the couch is not an ideal way to sleep. I think Joey is also sleeping better in our bed without me waking him up 8 times a night when I need to pee so this new arrangement has advantages for both of us:). Some people have an amazing experience with pregnancy (I am so happy for them) and I really wish I had more wonderful things to say but, honestly, pregnancy is just not that great for me. For me it's been a lot of headaches, nausea, awful back pain, hormonal depression, acne, and constant sleepless nights for the past 7 months. I want to also emphasize that I know very well how incredibly blessed, spoiled and lucky I am to be carrying a child when so many people struggle to get pregnant or have lost a child and I have not taken this little girl for granted for even a second and I would endure this misery for another two years straight if I knew it would produce a healthy baby. I also cherish ever kick, roll and punch even if they are under my ribs because they remind me that my baby is strong and happy and I am so incredibly thankful for that! Plain and simple it's just not fun to feel physically crummy for 10 months. That's all I'm saying. Just thought I would clarify a bit because it seems that some folks think I am not appreciative of my pregnancy or my baby when I share how uncomfortable I am feeling and that is just not the case at all. All in love.

Still enjoying beautiful weather here during the day with temperatures in the high 50's or low 60's. It is such a treat and so uncommon for this time of year. The birds are chirping at night, the frogs are croaking and I think the plants are very confused. They will all be in shock when the winter cold comes back in a week or two! I have to say that I am so happy to be having our baby in the spring because the weather will be so beautiful and the humidity will be pretty mild for a couple of months. Spring is my favorite in North Carolina. I can't wait to take pictures of all the beautiful flowers and trees when they start blooming. It's breath taking!

Pictures coming soon so stay tuned:).

Oh my Golly it's a beautiful day!

Seriously, today's weather is blissfully, smile inducing, work ditching, tan longing, flower planting, lake fishing, shorts wearing AMAZING!!!! I walked outside at the end of my lunch break to see my hubby off to work (he comes home for lunch most days) and I was truly in awe of how warm the sun felt on my face and skin. It has been in the teens and 30's most mornings and most everyone here in NC has had to become a hermit as we all are trying to stay warm in our homes until this winter season passes. Today it is a whopping 61 degrees, with clear blue skies! Why do these wonderful days only seem to come around when I am stuck in my office? By the time I get off today the sun will already be going down because it sets so dang early here in the winter. Sigh. I sat outside for a few minutes just to treat myself and I think I might have heard angels sing it felt so wonderful! haha Even baby girl Martinez was kicking and moving all over while we were sitting in the direct sun rays. I think she is going to be a sun basker just like her mama:).

Just because I am feeling so cozy today I thought I would letcha peak in the nursery. I would be happy to share more of it but, it's currently a bit messy with stuff lying around everywhere because we still haven't been able to find a cheap, but nice, white dresser to put everything in. I'm really hoping to find one soon because that would pretty much wrap things up aside from wall decor and I promise to post more pictures then of it all cleaned up! It'll be nice to be done with it mainly so that I can focus on all the other things I still need to do like find a nanny and the $$ to pay her, find a good pediatrician (any suggestions?), save my butt off for my maternity leave, wash all the baby clothes and get them organized, find the last few things we still need like the infant car seat, pack n' play and swing, and maybe even pack my hospital bag just for fun:). Yeah!

Joey is dying to go fishing!! That's what this weather gets him excited about:). He came home on his lunch break and went and sat in his boat for a minute while he was working on something and I could tell that it took all sorts of restraint for him to not hitch that boat onto his truck and take off for the lake. Instead he went back to work like a good man with visions of bass fish dancing in his head:).

Crazy thing is that it is only January 15th and North Carolina still has some really cold weather ahead in February and March. Well, for today I will savor this sun as much as I can and as you can tell by the skip hop and jump in my sunny post today...I am not a cold weather person. Hope winter ends soon!

Our last baby shower

A couple of wonderful gals from my church (Sumer, Miriam & Hannah) were beyond wonderful and threw me a baby shower here in North Carolina. A lot of the gals that came are from my church and the other lovely ladies are my awesome neighbors. It was such a treat to walk in to the house and see all the adorable decorations (loved the hanging tissue stars!) and the beautiful cupcakes (which were DELICIOUS!!), hear the relaxing music playing in the background, see candles lit everywhere and to only have the task of being the guest of honor which is so foreign to me!:). I felt so incredibly blessed that these gals went out of their way to make the day special for me, for Joey and for our baby girl in order that she could be blessed with the things she needs. I have honestly been feeling a bit overwhelmed the past couple of months with all that I felt that we still needed in order to be more or less ready when our baby arrives. I have been praying about it and re-learning what it really means to trust that the Lord will provide and meet our needs and in the process God has really been teaching me a lot (of good things) in this season. After this baby shower and all these gals wonderful generosity we have just about all the little things we need for our munchkin. We got our bath stuff, boppy pillow, some adorable jammies, an awesome play mat, rattles, blankets, wipes, diapers etc. I also got a couple of duplicate gifts which was actually a huge blessing because I was able to return the doubles and then get the onesies, blankets, jammies, wash cloths etc. that we still needed for the first few months. That was a fun shopping trip! So, to sum up, thank you everyone for supporting us, blessing us and being such amazing friends and thank you Lord for taking such good care of us day after day!

Labor and delivery class, belly and random

Me and my awesome hubby learning labor relaxation techniques
Our church friends Todd and Lindsey are taking the class with us. Much more fun!
A bare belly shot per requests almost 29 weeks...hope you don't mind or get grossed out..eeek
I wanted to show that Dakota takes a big bite of food, then drops it on the floor to eat it..funny.
Daddy to be working on the home internet issues while Dakota keeps him company

So, let's see. We started our labor and delivery class this past Saturday. It is a long 6 hour class and then we have another 6 hour final session this upcoming Saturday. We learned some things that were not all that useful (for us personally) but, we did really enjoy learning about the various relaxation techniques, message tips for dads to help moms while in labor, and various positions to ease pain while in early labor. I'm glad we are able to take the class with our friends Todd and Lindsey because we all laughed at the things that the other serious folks wouldn't even bust a smile over. It sure makes the class more fun with other people there to crack jokes with and pass the time:). Glad you guys are there Todd andLindsey! The class also made the whole impending labor and delivery feel much more real. I really haven't thought about it much because I don't like to over think things and freak myself out but, I realize that in just a little over 2 months this will be a reality and though I know it will be grueling, I am motivated by the goal and very excited about the outcome of having our baby girl in our arms and out of my stomach!!

I have been having really uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions the past two days. So bad that I have to stop walking and brace myself and hold my stomach up for relief at times. I decided that if they continue this strong that it wouldn't hurt to give the doc. a call tomorrow. I'm sure they will say it's normal but, the discomfort feels a little too strong to be normal this early in my pregnancy. So anyways, I'm sure it's nothing but, wanted to share the latest.

Joey and I found a really adorable and reasonably priced white bookshelf tonight. I was SOOOO excited that it was so affordable and also everything that I was looking for. Joey built it when we got home (my hubby rocks) and I set a few trinkets (thanks Jenn for the basket as that is decorating it currently and I love it!!:) that we have on it and I melted like butter. The room is just too stinking cute and though we still haven't hung things or found a changing table dresser etc. it is coming together so well and so easily. Thanks again to those of you who painted it while I was in California. That got the ball rolling to say the least and I am so glad I didn't have to deal with that!:).

The baby shower pictures and update will be the next post...hopefully tomorrow if I have time.

Who will our baby girl look like?

I always love when people post baby pictures so everyone can speculate about who the baby will look like so I thought I should do the same. With less than 3 months to go Joey and I are really enjoying our discussions about what our little girl is going to look like. Is she going to have hair when she's born or have none? Will she have dark hair or light hair, my nose or Joey's (or neither:), will she be 8 plus pounds like we both were (dear Lord I hope not!) or lighter (yes please!), will she have brown eyes or hazel? Will she be a great sleeper or fussy...guess which person each of these descriptions represent:). lol. Of course only time will tell.

The first two pic are of me. The top is me at 3 months and the second is me on day one at the hospital. The next two are of Joey and I am not exactly sure what his age is, but it is somewhere between 2-5 months or so I'm guessing. His hair was not red as the first picture indicates, that is just how the picture scanned. He had fine brown hair. Thanks Papa for giving these pictures to me. I really appreciate them SO very much!

So everyone...begin your speculations...who will our little girl look like?

Can't wait to meet you baby girl:).

4 Preggo ladies and my first glasses

For the record I did not post a picture of my mug and glasses because I wanted to, but because a lot of you have asked, "what do you look like with glasses on" and "please post a picture of you with your glasses on," so, I am sharing this pic for you folks but I kept it small cuz I don't like it:). The glasses have really opened my eyes (no pun intended) to how blind I have really been for so long. I can now read signs on the road, see definition in the trees and HD movies have true HD quality now:). I don't like wearing them all the time though because I can see fine close up and they tend to make me dizzy. So, that's that:). The second picture was taken at our pregnant ladies dinner get together this past Tuesday. It has become the most wonderful blessing to have 3 women, all pregnant with their first child and all friends that I see regularly at church around to share in this new adventure with me. We got together and talked all about our aches, sleepless nights, baby showers, favorite moments being pregnant, what we are looking forward to, fears, joys etc. God is so faithful to provide people in our lives at the perfect time and I am so thankful for these women at this time in my life. Jenn, on the far left is due early March, Lindsey D. next to her is due mid February, I am due late March and Lindsay H. on the far right is due the first week of March. 3 baby girls on the way and one baby boy:). Meanwhile, Joey hung out with one of the Papa's to be and they also enjoyed catching up on life and the impending fatherhood. Joey of course doesn't take silly pictures of himself unless I am around to make him so I don't have anything to document of his time:).

Still trying to find a white dresser that can double as a changing table (we are tall so it has to be taller which is the problem) and have so far had zero luck on CRaigslist. They sell out instantly because everyone is having babies right now and everyone wants white furniture!! It's like a frenzy on Craigslist for changing dressers! I also haven't seen a single decent, white, 6 ft tall bookshelf for the nursery on Craigslist. Sigh. I'm going to try and keep waiting but, I am so anxious to finish our little girls' room and be done with it so I can move on to other things.

We might get snow tonight. That would be so fun! TTFN!

7 months Preggo - Last Trimester (WooHoo)

I am officially in my last trimester now! Praise God, I have made it to the home stretch! lol. My cravings these days are most always for sweets. I crave fresh baked cookies all the time but, Betty Crocker frosted cupcakes, maple frosted donuts, chocolate milkshakes and sweet cereals are also just as satisfying:). I force myself to eat salads as I still don't really care for them but, I know how much I need to eat healthy right now. I just had a salad for lunch and yuck, it wasn't satisfying at all so now I am eating 3 oatmeal cookies and I feel much better:). haha

During the day I am more or less fine aside from the dull ache I have in my stomach and lower back from the tightness and cramping, but it's nighttime that is tough for me. I sleep horribly and average about 4-5 hours of sleep a night these days. Yes, I know this is "baby preparation" as everyone tells me that but, I am not wanting baby preparation right now..I just want to sleep while I can! My back, for whatever reason just isn't handling the new weight gain very well but, I think that is pretty much how most all pregnant women feel at this point soooo yah. :). I am thankful that my hormones have given me some relief in the emotions department. That has been the hugest blessing over the past 2 months!!

Our little girl is so strong and active. She punches, rolls and kicks on cue every night for Joey when we first lay down for bed. He gets such a thrill out of how predictable her nightly activity is and how strong she is now. One of my greatest joys in this pregnancy has been the times when my hubby and I get to feel our little girl move together while we talk to her, plan for her and pray for her. Just under 3 months until we hit Due Day but, we shall see if this little one makes her appearance early or late. Only time will tell:).

Happy New Year 2010

Joey and I had a blast ringing in the New Year with some friends last night. We played Catch Phrase and Apples to Apples and I don't think anyone has ever laughed that hard playing those games before. It was a good time for sure! lol. When we got home Joey and I chatted a little bit about all the things we experienced in 2009. We decided in February to expand our family, found out we were pregnant in June, celebrated 5 years of marriage in the Dominican Republic in May, Joey's mom and sister moved here to NC in July, my sister got married in September, our dog swallowed a 6 inch bone in October and need a whopper of a surgery, and we accomplished a lot of little projects here and there around the house. The year held many challenges for us as well but, it flew by nonetheless. I actually can't believe how fast it flew by! To close out our old year and open a new one Joey and I prayed together right before bed last night and asked the Lord to bless 2010 for our growing family and to show us where he wants us to be and what he wants us to do with every day. There is no better place to be than resting in God's hands at the start of a New Year!

I began taking Christmas decorations down today and smiled as I realized how much I love the holiday season but, that at the same time it is always nice to bid it farewell after New Years. I like that January is a nice recovery month from all the business. It's a good month to clean, get re-focused and get ready for a new baby! :). lol. I have my final baby shower next weekend thanks to some gals from church who offered to host it and my 3 other pregnant gal pals all have showers every weekend after that! Wow! It's a baby celebration month to say the least:)! Joey and I also start our parenting classes this month. We have two full Saturdays of classes and to be honest I am looking forward to them because I could really use a rundown on all the details from labor to caring for a newborn. It's been years since I have babysat infants or cared for my little sisters so I definitely need a refresher on things and I'm sure Joey will really benefit from the classes as well. So, to sum things up...January is already jam full of baby this and baby that and our little girl isn't even here yet! lol. Wish us luck!

In conclusion: Happy New Year to each of you! We pray that the Lord guides your steps and blesses each of you along your journey this year.