Books, Books, and more Books!!

Frank and I have been trying not to buy anything for the baby until we know if this little one is a boy or girl. This has honestly been so hard (for me anyway!) so Frank and I came up with a fun little something we can do with each other. For each month of the pregnancy we are going to buy a few books for the baby. Frank and I love to read so much that we are hoping that we can instill a love of books in our little one. I LOVED this idea and we have had so much fun with it so far! I also asked my parents what their favorites were when they were young and have tried to include them in the budding collection! Frank is a huge fan of Dr. Suess so we of course have gotten a huge start on those fun ones! I, of course, am a huge fan of Olivia the pig's books! She is such a funny little pig...and I do love cute little piggies! I also love the classics like Curious George, Winnie the Pooh, and Babar...but we still have a few months to collect! I just love Frank for sharing this with me! It has been the most fun! We are so excited to read to the baby that we have already started! Who knows they may actually be enjoying story time in there!

Baby Belly Bump...

I had a few friends ask to see the belly bump. I know it is a horrible pic and I am half cut out of it, but I promise better pics soon. I can't believe my rump is the same size as my bump and this is only 13 weeks!! Ha ha!

New Recipes!!!

Since I have had an abundance of free time this past week...I put some new yummy stuff on my Recipe blog! Hope you guys like them! They are pretty tasty!


http://martiyummies.blogspot.com/

Thank you!!

I just wanted to get on here and say "Thank You" for all the phone calls, sweet messages, and notes on here and on our facebook! I have the best family and friends! I promise pictures of the belly...and believe me there is one already...as soon as we can get them up! Hope everyone and their families are happy and well! Oh yes....for those of you that thought Frank's nicknames for the baby are funny....the latest is "babykins". :)

Sick Sick Sick....

So I got a good scare. The other day I woke up to drive back to Virginia from visiting my parents in North Carolina and was covered in sweat and felt HORRIBLE!!! My mom took my temp and it was 102! Being that this is my first baby I freaked out. Since Frank is active duty military I have to get approved before I can go to see a doctor....Those people kept me on hold for an hour and a half!!!! I was so upset!! Finally I got thru to someone who could help and she told my mom to take me to the emergency room. Let me tell you that group at Moses Cone was soooo wonderful. They took me in right away and I was only there for two hours running labs! For an emergency room that is pretty quick. Fortunately I didn't have the flu just a virus. I am still sick and still in NC, but my fever is down to 99. Everyone told me I would freak out and become super protective over my baby while I was pregnant, but I think that was an under statement. As ridiculous as this sounds I thought I was hurting my baby by having a fever! It of course is dangerous to have a fever that high while you are pregnant, but I could not stop crying!! Babies make you and bubbling idiot, but I do love my little bambino (that is what Frank calls the baby)!

Baby Stuff...

Oh I am sooooooo excited. So everyone has been asking me alot of questions...I will try to answer them all.

Frank and I have been trying for awhile. When I went in for my yearly physical I mentioned it to my doctor and she sent me to see a specialist. When we went to see him he told us if we weren't pregnant by December we would try some other options, but he said he had never been wrong before and that we would be before Christmas....MAN IS HE GOOD!! Hahaha!

When I took the test you could have knocked me over with a feather. Frank was so sweet....he told me not to worry about anything and just to think happy thoughts and he would do all the worrying! I think that is the sweetest thing he has ever said to me!

As for being sick...I haven't had any morning sickness!!! I know how lucky I am with that!! The only things that are kind of annoying is the tightness I am already feeling and being tired all the time! Plus Frank and I came down to NC for the weekend and it took FOREVER to get home because I had to stop and pee so much!! Haha! All this water drinking makes travel take so much longer! :)

It was fun telling our family! Everyone is sooooo excited about being Grandparents and Aunts/Uncles! I think that telling everyone has been the most fun! Especially when it was totally unexpected.

Frank and I of course are worried about money and being so far from home with no family near by. I think everyone worries about money, but from what we are told it all works it self out in the end. We are so thankful that this happened while Frank is on shore duty and will get to be here for the whole thing and will probably get a full year with the baby before he goes back on sea duty. I am scared for when that happens and having to do it all by myself while he is deployed, but I have been assured by all the three sets of grandparents that I will have as much help as I can stand!

Thanks everyone for all the nice messages on here and on facebook. It has been such and exciting thing to share with you all. I will try to keep you posted as I go through my appointments...our first is November 13th! Love you all!

We are having a BABY!!!!!

After quite awhile of trying we are finally expecting our first little one!!!! We are so excited! I found out Monday, but we waiting to tell everyone until we could tell our parents the exciting news!!!! The only info I know at this moment is that we are 3 and half month and due May 13th! I know I know 3 + months!!! I will write more later, just wanted to share our news!!!! We are so excited!!!!!!!!

New Blog...

I loved Ann and Gina's idea of posting receipes and thought I would share some of our favorites. Alot of them are Once A Month Cooking Ideas and just other things that Frank and I love. Hope you guys will take a peek. I will probably post new receipes at least once a week. Let me know what you think of the ones you try!

http://martiyummies.blogspot.com/

Sooooooo Much to Say...

WOW has this been a busy month!!!! We have had so much company and so many wonderful things going on up here!! I will try to do a quick overview so you don't have to read a novel!

First, My Dad and Grandfather came up for the Yearly Oceana Naval Base Airshow! It has become somewhat of a tradition for the family to come up for the festivities. The show was great this year. The Blue Angles were there, and lots of other fun stuff. I think they really enjoyed it!

Then last week my brother Jason and his wife Liz came up for a long visit! It was so fun to have them up here. It was their first visit up here to see us! We don't get to spend alot of time together so it was wonderful, but the timing was bad and good. The day they came up we were expecting a North Eastern (really bad storm...lots of rain and wind) and it was really really really COLD!!! It was also the weekend of the Neptune Festival which is the BEST!!!! It is like City Stage back home, but with huge sandcastles!!! Later in the week we actually were able to get a little sunshine and were able to make it down to the beach to get our toes in the water and check out the crafts and venues at the festival. We even took their babies (Puppies Colby and Oscar) down to the beach for the first time!!! I don't think they liked it much! Mainly we stayed around the house though playing Playstation and visiting. It was nice. Since my Brother and Liz have been married I really haven't gotten to know Liz very well so it was nice to have some time to just talk and do some fun things...just the two of us. I loved having them up and hope they will come to visit again soon! We have some pictures to post from the weekend, but I have to wait to get Liz's pics.

Our other big news is that Frank passed his test for Master Training Specialist!!!!!!!!! This is such an accomplishment. This means that now he, as a Naval Instructor, can teach any courses the Navy offers in ANY subject!! I was so proud of him!!! He has worked so hard on this. The studying doesn't end there though....he has already began studying for the next Chief's exam in January. We will have to start our prayers and finger crossing again now! :)

News from me...I just got my first calling at church! Guess they really do snatch you up quick when you are in a small ward. I got called to be the Relief Society Secretary. When the Bishop called me into his office I thought I was just there for a "Welcome to the Ward" talk, but when he said he had a calling for me I was nervous, but this calling doesn't seem so bad! Also I have started taking Yoga four times a week. Let me tell you....after class you feel great...on top of the world...the next day....PAIN!!!! I hope it is all worth it!!

Visting Teaching for the First Time...

So I was totally excited last Friday. Since I have been going to the Cape Henry Ward I have been so overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and just how they have really gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. They all have been so awesome, but there is one family inparticular that just immediately put me at ease...The Palmers. Rachel came up to me the first Sunday and we chatted like we had been friends for ages. It was so nice because that Sunday was so difficult. So Friday I get a call and find out that Rachel is my Visiting Teaching companion!! At first when they asked if I would be up for it I was so unsure. Just the idea that I was just coming back to church getting used to things, and the fact that I am super nervous around new people had me feeling sick. When I found out Rachel would be my partner I thought well maybe. Well...Rachel and I decied to meet at my house write some notes just and drive around and see if anyone was home. It was rather unsuccessful because only one person on our list was home, but it was enjoyable all the same. We also found out that we are a good fit and that we have gifts that the other is lacking. She can't cook...I can, I am not extroverted, she is, but we also have so much in common. I have been praying for friends who have the same goals and standards as myself since we moved to Virginia. We have been here for quite awhile and friends have been few and far between. I know this sounds corny but I have never felt so heard by our Heavenly Father. I pray for courage to meet new people, I pray for friends that are good people, I pray for opportunities to use what gifts I love, and the opportunities fall right into my lap neatly wrapped like a present. How can you not just feel comforted and loved then? Just had to share how greatful I was.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE...

I am not usually an Oprah watcher, but I saw a show yesterday that broke my heart...I sat on the couch and could not look away and I just cried and cried. The show was on child molestation and a new bill you can encourage your state senator to vote for. The bill will allow more funding to much needed resources to programs fighting this issue. Right now they can only act on 2% of the leads they receive because they just don't have the money or the people. TWO PERCENT PEOPLE!!!! I really hope that you all will take the time to look at this link and cut and past the letter given to your states Representative. I have never felt so motivated to make a move on something in my life! It will only take a few seconds out of your day, but that few seconds can save children across the US!
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators

Back To Church...

For the first time in 10 years I have started going back to church. I went in active due to alot of issues I would rather not go into, but I was very angry at alot in my life. I felt alone when I needed people the most, but unable to find people that could understand what I was feeling. I seemed to have forgotten that through it all I was never alone. There was always one person there with me through everything...Heavenly Father. It is funny because all through the trials I would ask myself "What more do you want from me?". It turns out he just wanted me at church. This past Sunday was the first time I have felt whole in a really long time. I felt a release of so many burdens and so many wrongs. As soon as I sat down I knew I was were I was supposed to be. I have never felt the spirit so strongly. When I came home Frank was so happy that I had finally worked up the courage to go and is very encouraging. For a non-member I really thought he would feel akward, but he is so supportive. Not to mention a missionary favorite now! He really respects what they are working to accomplish which really moves me. He even started talking about the church at work and found out one of his co-workers is a member. I know it will be a struggle at first to figure it all out, but I am so grateful for this Sunday and the people of the Cape Henry ward.

Love Some Singing and Dancing...

So I just got through watching the movie Hairspray! I know it took long enough huh. I know people will think I am a total dork, but I love me some Musicals!! This movie was GREAT!!! I thought it was sooo funny and loved the songs!! John Travolta as a woman...too much!! I tell ya people bring on the song and dance and I can stay infront of the stage or tv for hours!!!! My husband is slowly coming to the "dark" side as well. Since we have been together we have gone to see several broadway shows. Frank's first show was the Lion King....he hated to admit it but he loved it. I love that we have this to share. Now we just have to work on getting him to the ballet and the opera....what do you think ladies....do you think it will happen???? I guess I will just have to make due with him watching Gigi and Singing in the Rain with me! Hahaha!