My Best Friend...

Three years ago today I married my best friend. It is still what I consider the best decision I have ever made in my life! Now in another month we will have the best anniversary/birthday gift ever given. I love this man!!! Here is the latest photo of our "gift" to each other at 33 weeks.

Baby Shower Pics!

This is what a happy pregnant lady looks like!!

Yay for CUPCAKES!!!! The Jenkins Girls.

Me at 29 weeks!! Christi, Myself and my Cousin Stef....two of my favorite girls! Me and My Sister-in-Law Tori.

Becky, Myself, and Renee...two dear friends from school. Cute "Peter Pan" Birdhouse my Aunt Lisa Made!

Baby Shower Fun!!!

I feel as if it has been FOREVER since I have been on here!!! We have been busy busy bees in this house! Well...let me get everyone caught up....hmmmm lets see here.
My wonderful cousins Stefanie and Jennifer threw me and baby Frankie a fun little shin dig down in North Carolina. We had the best time just hanging out and having some BBQ and Cupcakes! There was such a good turn out and I got to see so many people I haven't seen in years!!! We are usually so busy running around when we get home we don't get to see too many people so that was a very special treat! My dear friend Gabby was kind enough to drive me all the way from Virginia down there for the festivities...THANK YOU GABBY!!! You are the bestest friend a girl could have! Not to mention the fantastic gifts we recieved from everyone!! I got the most beautiful hand-made gifts and lots of essientials. (Sorry the thank you cards aren't out yet, but I have over 100 to write!!! I feel horrible about this!!) I will take pics of all the fun stuff when we finish getting his room set up. I really have the most wonderful friends and family! Thank you all so much!!! I had the best time!
When I made it back up to Virginia I was also hosting a baby shower for my visiting teaching companion, Rachel, at my house. She is also due with a little baby girl in June!! It went off so well...I don't have the pictures loaded up yet, but promise to post some soon! It was such a good time. I got to really get to know some of the women from church and even had fun with the games ( I know this is hard for some of you to believe!). It was the first big party we have thrown in our home and I can't wait to have another party in our home! So much fun!
Frank and I have been so busy getting everything ready for the baby. All of his clothes are washed and the essentials organized. I think the most fun was putting together all of his stuff. It makes it seem so much more real as I look around and see his stuff spread through out the house! I love just going in his room and sitting in the rocking chair feeling him kick and looking around at his room! I am so excited! All we have left to do is paint and hang curtains and a fan. I even set up his little bathtub and put his little tub toys in the bathroom a few days ago. Now everytime I go in there I find them in the big tub where Frank has been playing with them or as he says..."Checking them for Safety!" He is so funny! He is going to be the best Dad!I can't believe how fast it has all gone by!
Speaking of the baby Frankie he is doing so much better! He has gotten so big and kicks all the time now and not wimpy kicks either!! My belly is so round everyone keeps telling me he is going to be super early. We just had a doctor visit yesterday and everything is going wonderful. His heart rate was a steady 140 beats, his head was down and he was kicking away at Dr. Brayboy!! I think he is ready to go! I think his favorite time of the day is when Frank or myself read to him. He really kicks away then! He loves hearing Frank's voice. We are just so excited for his arrival.
As of right now we have taken I think every class the Naval Hosptial here offers!! It has been so helpful though and I know it will pay-off. I was really nervous about breastfeeding but attending that class was very confidence boosting so I hope that will work out. We have our most important class this weekend...Labor and Delivery with a tour of the maternity ward. This is the one Frank is most nervous about. He is not sure he is going in yet when I deliver. He doesn't do well seeing me in pain so he is really anxious. I hope this class will be helpful!
Well...hopefully everyone is doing well and enjoying the nice summer weather we are having. I will post pics from the baby shower too! Take care and our love goes out to you all!

Just A Quick Update...

I just wanted to give everyone a little update on our little man Frankie. He is doing great all snuggled in there. He has been much more active and kicking up a storm now. I guess he was feeling kinda gloomy too from all the rainy days we have had, but now that the sun out he is ready to move! I still can't believe how wonderful I am feeling. I have so much energy and have to remind myself to not over do it! It is so hard though! I have to be honest once this little guy gets here I am kinda going to miss this big round belly. Frank thinks I look so cute...which is a big suprise. It is nice to have a portable table too! :) I just can't get over how blessed we have been this year so far! So much to be thankful for! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and we will send a little sunshine your way!

My Sweet Man...

1.When did you meet your husband?
I was 15 years old, and he was a Recruiter at the Navy Recruiting Office my brother joined the Navy from.

2. How long did you date before you got married?
We dated for 3 years and then decided to get Married and it took weeks from making that decision to it actually happening! We get things done around here! :)

3. How long have you been married?
It will be 3 wonderful years on April 28th!

4.What does he do to surprise you?
He never forgets any detail of our life together...He can still remember what I was wearing when we first met and what color my toe nails were painted the day I met his parents!! I think that is UNBELIEVABLY sweet!

5. What is your favorite physical feature of his?
I love his pillow lips...he has the softest lips and his legs...my man has some sexy muscular legs! :)

6. What is your favorite quality?
He is so loving and protective of me and he is a wonderful teacher.

7. Does he have a nickname for you?
Lots! Babykins, Honey, Sweetie, Baby....I don't think we ever call each other by our names in the house!

8. What is his favorite food?
PASTA!!!!!! CHOCOLATE....he will wake up in the middle of the night looking for some!

9. What is his favorite sport?
He is not really a sports guy, but he likes Cycling, Soccer, and Duke Basketball

10. When and where did you first kiss?
At his parents house in the living room. It was the second half of our first date. He went up stairs to brush his teeth first too....I thought that was funny.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
We hang out all day in bed and talk sometimes, but I really love when we cook together...we both really love to cook.

12. Do you have children?
Not yet!! Our first little guy will make his debut in June and we are THRILLED!

13. Does he have any hidden talents?
He has a photographic memory...he remembers everything and he quite possibly knows everything there is to know about Airplanes.

14. How old is he?
He will be 37 on July 15...his birthday is the day before mine.

15. Who said I love you first?
I did....I think it scared him a little...I was his first real serious relationship EVER! He was more of a dater.

16. What is his favorite music?
Dave Mathews when he listens to music, but he really loves talk radio

17. What do you admire most about him?
He is a fantastic role model to his students in the Navy and he is devoted to his family.

18. What is his favorite color?
Blue or Green

19. Will he read this?
I don't know...probably.

Doctor Visits...

Call me crazy, but I have never minded going to the Doctor or even the Dentist. I have enjoyed it actually now that I am pregnant. I love going in and seeing how he has grown and hearing his little heartbeat. Who knew something so small could be so wonderful.

Well today was not a fun doctor visit. I have had a relatively easy pregnancy...trust me I know how much of a blessing that is!! Today I went in to have my glucose screening and just a regular check up. Apparently one of the fun side affects of drinking the sugar solution is that it makes the baby kick like crazy on a sugar rush...or it is supposed to. Our little one only kicked one time the whole time I was at the office. Being that this is my first baby I didn't know that I should feel him move everyday. Well the doctors are all concerned because when they asked me I told them that some days he won't move at all and then others he will kick. Well who knew this would send them into a tizzy. I immediately got hooked up to the heart monitor which showed his heart rate is all over the place; and now have to take it easy and count kicks till our next appointment. Of course they tell you not to worry right before they tell you ...now if you don't feel him kick all day you need to get to a hospital ASAP. How can you not worry after hearing that!

I am trying very hard not to worry. Everytime I feel even the tiny flutters it calms me, but I just would like to ask for prayers to get this little guy moving more. I can't believe I am asking for people to pray that I get kicked, but we need them. I am thinking (all of your mothers out there can tell me if this logic is accurate) that if it was serious they would have sent me to the hospital or kept me there at the clinic. Please tell me I am right in thinking this!! I could use the reassurance now!

Baby Kicks...

Baby Jamison, Shannon and Grandma Pam!

So I haven't really been feeling good lately hence no posts. Something you never read about in pregnancy books is how crummy your immune system gets! I have been sick for most of the past two months and I never usually get sick! However there are only 98 days to go and I can see the light!

The big news is our little "Dash" aka Frankie is kicking!!! I love it! He has been kicking for awhile and I just sit for hours talking to him and feeling him kicking away! It is an AMAZING FEELING! He has started to give me stronger kicks and it is funny to watch my belly move! Frank was finally able to feel his son kick the other day. He made the cutest face...he was so amazed! He kept asking is that really him. I think fatherhood is starting to be an exciting idea to Frank now verses the "scared to death" idea it has been since he found out! He has been a good sport...they even have some matching outfits to sport later! :) I thought Frank would never let me do that!

Lets see....some other big news....my cousin Shannon finally welcomed her son into the world! He is such a cute baby!!! So huge...he was 8lbs 20 oz and 20 inches!!! He looks so much like her too! I can't wait to meet him! Our family just keeps getting bigger and bigger! I don't know how we keep up, but I know that my Grandparents really enjoy having all these grandchildren and great grandchildren around! I am so glad our son will have the same fun experiences with all kinds of cousins like I did! I wish we were closer, but still how wonderful to be from such a large family!

I hope everyone is have as wonderful a month as we are! So many blessings this year!!!

How We Met...

How I met Frank:

1. Where did you meet? I met Frank at the Navy Recruiting office when my brother joined the navy.

2. What was the first thought that went through your head when you met? Really Really HOT in his Navy Working Whites...I fell out of a chair trying to lean around a corner to check him out. I thought he was an arrogant jerk when we finally met...he was so "cocky".

3. Do you remember what he was wearing? Navy working whites...you know the ones...the short sleeved ones that they are always wearing in Top Gun. Gotta love a man in uniform!

4. When was the first time you kissed this person? At the end of the first date at his parents house. He was so nervous it was really cute!

5. Where did you go for your first date? We actually had three dates on our first date...He met me at work in Greensboro and took me to lunch, then I met him in Charlotte and we went to Dave and Busters and then to his parents house...it was the most fun I had had in a really long time!

6.How long did you know this person before you became a couple? 9 years

7. How did he ask you out? I had actually just gotten out of Active Duty and was back home in Greensboro. I stopped by the recruiting station to see if any of the guys were still there and say hi. A friend of mine from highschool was stationed there now and I ask what was up with the old guys and he told me where everyone was now and how they we're all doing. Then I asked about Frank and he said that he was stationed in Virginia but passed thru every once and awhile when he was on leave to go home. I told him that next time he came thru to tell him hi for me. Then we just started talking about my new job at Camden Apartments and that was that. Well....right after I left Frank stopped by and my friend told him what I said but couldn't remember the name of the apartments where I worked. So Frank drove around all day trying to find me....he said he stopped at like 30 places before he gave up. He did somehow remember my email address, which he only used once, and sent me an email. He was asking how things were and how my marriage was going and if I was happy....I was engaged last time I saw him. I emailed him back and told him that I wasn't married and that I was living back in NC...I asked him why he was being so nosey and was he intrested in me or something. He emailed me back "Hell yeah I am intrested!"....We have been together ever since. I knew when he walked thru the door when we went on our first date that I was going to marry him!

8. Has this person ever proposed to you? Yes and that is all I am going to say.

9. Do you and this person have kids together? 1 sweet little boy on the way and we are THRILLED!

10. Have you ever broken the law with this person? Yes...I made it to Charlotte in 15 minutes for our first date and have gotten 3 speeding tickets going to see him in Virginia while we were dating! I can't wait to get to him!

11. When was the first time you realized you liked this person? Our first phone call, but like I said I knew when I saw him walk thru the door to take me out the first time that I was going to marry him.

12. Do you get along with his family? I think so, but I am still getting to know them. We don't see them very much.

13. Do you trust this person? I wouldn't have even gone on a date with him if I didn't.

14. Do you see him as your partner in the future? Most Definately...Couldn't love anyone more!

15.What is one thing he does that gets on your nerves? He is super messy, and all of our friends thing he is neat!

16.Where do you see each other 15 years from now? Back in North Carolina, With our kiddies just living life the fullest!

17. What causes the most arguments? We don't really fight. We pretty much bring issues up right away and settle them right away. Frank doesn't really handle change well so I guess when we do fight it is over change, but he is getting better at it!

18. How long have you been together? 5 years, married for 3 this April...the best part is we have laughed everyday in between!

Who do you tag?An yone who wants to play!

Ultra-Sounds and A Better Belly Pic...

The Belly shot is @ 21 Weeks and the Black ultra-sounds are @ 10 weeks and the Blue are @ 20 weeks!

Belly Pics....

I know these aren't the best pictures, but so many people have been asking for new belly shots! So here it is Me and Frankie (Aka Dash) at 20 weeks. Frank calls the baby Dash for Dashtu...which is Navy Pilot speak for "wingman". I think it is cute! :)

I Know We Aren't Due Till June But....

Let me just tell ya'll Frank and I have the best friends in the world! Our friends from Williamsburg (Jason and Kim) have been so excited to hear the news that we were finally pregnant they have been spoiling us rotten with sweet little gifts, but the best news we got about a month ago! Their little one, Brooke, had finally out grown her baby bed and wanted to know if Frankie would like her crib! Not only was she generous enough to give us her crib but she gave us her changing table, toys and even some of her brothers clothes! She is too kind! It was so exciting to have Jason and Frank put it together last Saturday!! We can't wait to get it all set up and put in order! Every time I walk past that room I have to go in and sneak a peek at his little bed! I couldn't wait to see what it would look like with some of the bedding on it either so I tried it out! Now all we need to do is touch up paint the furniture and get some color on the walls and we will be all set! Thanks so much Jason, Kim, Jeremy, Dylan and Brooke! We love you guys!

Plus I have some exciting news...Frank has finally chosen the baby's name! Our little boy's name will be Frank Samuel Marti! Frank said if he was going to be named for him he might as well be named for me too! Not to mention he will still have the same initials as his Daddy, his Abuelo and his Bisabuelo!

We Finally Have An Answer....

I am so HAPPY to tell you all that Frank and I will be welcoming a little BOY into the world in June!!! We are so thrilled!!! I can't even begin to explain how excited we are! We would have been happy with either as long as they were healthy and happy, but I was sooo wanting a boy!! When we went to have the ultrasound done the tech didn't even have to tell us. He wanted his mommy and daddy to know so he had his legs opened wide so there could be no mistaking it! We are also thinking that we have a little soccer player on our hands. He is just like his daddy and nothing but legs and he was laid back with his arms at his sides and legs just a kicking! I have even found a little pair of addias for him now we just have to find a Manchester United Jersey in his size! :) I would post pics from the ultrasound but I can't figure out our scanner. As soon as Frank has a second we will be sure to put some up!

5 Fun Things...

10 years ago I was...Signing paperwork to go into the Navy, taking ballet classes in NYC, and enjoying my last season of playing soccer.

5 things on my to-do list for today:
1. Laundry...the never ending task!
2. Pick up perscriptions at the base pharmacy
3. Sewing name tags and rating tags on Frank's new Camis
4. Organizing the Baby room
5. Reading confessions of a Shopaholic

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Black Olives...I just love them!
2. Fresh tomato, cliantro, onion, and lime juice with tortilla chips!!! SOOOOO YUMMY!!!
3. Pineapple...fresh not the little fruit cup kind
4. Ovaltine Chocolate milk
5. Spinach and Artichoke dip with toasted french bread!

What would I do if I suddenly became billionaire:
1. Pay off my parents debt, my brother's debt, and Frank's sisters Debt
2. Invest, Invest, Invest!!!
3. By a nice piece of property for a house
4. Enroll in classes just to take classes that intrest me
5. Travel with my family

5 places I've lived:
1. Greensboro, North Carolina
2. Chicago, Illinois
3. San Diego, California
4. Singapore
5. Virginia Beach, Virginia

5 jobs I've had:
1. Cashier @ Winn Dixie
2. Life Guard @ Emerald Pointe Water Park
3. United States Navy
4. Leasing Agent @ Camden Wendover and Columbus Station
5. Bank Teller @ Wachovia

5 things you don't know about me:
1. I LOVE to cook and I am really good at it.
2. I would love to take classes and learn new things every year of my life even if they never amount to a degree. I don't really care if people think that is a waste. Knowledge is never a waste.
3. I love love love to read and read about 6 books a month! A good book is wonderful, but I will read just about anything! I think it is amazing the way different authors use their words to make a story and how different they all are!
4. I miss the Navy very much...It was the last time I truely felt like I accomplished something at the end of the day. No other job can give you the satisfaction you can get from serving your country....maybe motherhood we will see!
5. This will sound horrible, but I love leaving my huge family and taking on a new adventure alone and with my husband and soon to be baby. I always have. I love the independence of not having to meet anyone expectations but our own. When you do have to come back sharing those experiences is wonderful not to mention you appreciate your family more when you spend time away from them.