Pictures!

This is probably picture overload, but it was too hard to choose.  Highlights from our trip:

Tyler's First Swim Meet (he got first place in both of his heats!)

Two lovely days at the beach:

Baby Shower- little Miss Martinez is going to be a very cute girl thanks to so many kind friends!

Tyler's Baptism

A hike with my two favorite boys

And, finally, evidence that there is in fact a baby in there:

P.S.  For any of you that were worried (like I was) about the reliability of our mall ultrasound, we went to the "real" doctor today and she confirmed that we are indeed having a girl, what a relief!

Home Again

We just got back from the airport and what better way is there to avoid unpacking than blogging?  Our trip was fabulous.  I want to go back right now.  Unfortunately my camera cord is missing so I don't have any more pictures yet.  If I ever find the motivation to unpack I'll update with some pictures.  We stayed busy doing lots of fun things with the family.  But, the thing I did the most was GROW!  I feel like my belly tripled while I was gone.  It's kind of fun though because people can now really tell I'm pregnant and will ask about it.  Like when the lady handing me my food at Wendy's got a big smile on her face and pointed at my stomach (I don't think she spoke English.)  It's fun to have random people get excited for you.

Half Way

Today we are half way to meeting our little girl (yea!) and half way done with our Virginia vacation (boo.)

So far we have:

gone to my first Drive-In to see Toy Story 3 and Karate Kid

gone to a Flying Squirrels baseball game (you can make fun of our mascot because we do too!)

learned how Ty gets whatever he wants

celebrated Father's Day with matching polos for all the dads

This is how Jenn showed her love for Dad:

gone tubing down the river

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

Sunday night I leave for Virginia.  I made my packing list early on in the week and was completely packed and ready to go by Friday.  You could say I was a little excited.  This morning Bryan asked me what I was going to do now that I was all ready to go.  I had no clue.  So, Bryan took over the planning for the day.  We: went for a run, watched the soccer game, went on a bike ride, and now we're watching Napoleon Dynamite.  Bryan has been working super hard finishing his last few assignments as a BYU student and so it was very fun to spend all day with him.  Maybe I should let Bryan plan our days more often.

Laptop Case

When we got our computer I commented that maybe we should invest in a case (I tend to have bad luck with expensive electronics.)  Bryan's reply was, "Oh no, you can make us one."  Bryan tends to be overconfident in my sewing abilities.  But I took on the challenge and I am ridiculously pleased with how it turned out.  And, it really wasn't even that hard!

Rachel's Laptop Case:

(I found some different instructions online but none of them were what I really wanted so I kind of just made up my own thing.)

1. You need 2 fabrics (I LOVE this flowered print and can't wait to use the leftovers!)  I got the print and a solid beige.  And you need a batting to protect your precious electronic (I got the cheapest one there.)

2. Cut the 2 fabrics in the shape you'll need- be sure that you leave enough extra to do a flap and allow for seams.  (Mine was 26 inches by 16 inches.)  If you do a scalloped edge, I would advise measuring it to make it look even and not just winging it like I did because then it doesn't look very good.  :)  Cut the batting in the general shape you'll need (because it moves around so much when sewing I cut it a couple inches bigger than the fabrics then just cut off the excess after sewing.)

3. Sew all 3 pieces together- batting on bottom and the 2 fabrics right sides together.  Leave about a 4 inch opening.  Trim all the edges (I trimmed them really close) and then pull it through the opening.  Sew up the opening by hand then iron the case.  

4. Sew up the 2 sides- be sure to use the computer to decide where you want the flap to start.  

*I think I will add velcro, I just haven't gotten to it yet.  And, I'm wondering if I should have done the velcro before I sewed it all together.  Oops.

Sorry, these instructions would be a lot better if I had taken pictures during the process but it was pretty messy and I really didn't have any faith that it would actually turn out.  

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

It's a girl!  

We found out yesterday afternoon and visions of tutus and tea parties have been swimming in my head ever since.  Bryan is very excited, just a little overwhelmed as he informed me, "I don't know how to be a dad to a girl!"  But he'll figure it out and do an awesome job.  The person who I think was most excited was Bryan's mom.  After four boys of her own, she can't wait to finally have a little girl.  We're all excited for her to join our family!

I should be freaking out right now

For the past 3 years our lives have been fairly stable.  We've lived in the same apartment (and oh how ready we are to leave this small space) and been in the same ward.  We've had some friends come and go, but for the most part we've been friends with the same people for the past few years.  Bryan has stayed busy with school and various jobs and internships.  Except for one stressful month when I had to find a new teaching position, I've had a stable job that I loved and was so great for us.  We haven't had any extreme emergencies.  If you ask me, they've been a perfect 3 years!

And now all of a sudden everything is changing.  In November we're adding a third to our little family and we're increasingly aware of the changes this will bring.  I am no longer working which means no more monthly check to boost our bank account.  Bryan is about to finish up his last 2 classes and his Master's project which means that we will no longer be affiliated with BYU (one or both of us has been going to school here since 2001.)  We're on to bigger and better, but unfortunately at the moment that bigger and better is completely unknown.

The greatest blessing in my life right now is the peace that I feel.   I have complete confidence that Bryan will find a great job (if you ask me, any company would be very lucky to have him!) and we'll move on to a great place and make some great new friends.   Every once in a while I think, "Why am I not completely panicking right now?"  But, luckily the panic doesn't come.  Somehow I am able to know that everything will work out.  I love this talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin and have the quote "Come what may and love it" on my fridge.  Hopefully we can keep doing that because I'm sure there are many wild adventures ahead for the Martinez family.

Oh. My. Delicious.

I found this recipe a while ago and I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner.  Now it might become one of those meals we have every other night and unfortunately the excuse "I'm eating for two" won't last forever.  It was supremely delicious and I can't wait to make it again using some other kind of delightful ingredient.  Stop reading and go make these stuffed pizza rolls from ourbestbites.com now!

This is what's left after Bryan and I devoured our pizza rolls

Oh Baby, Baby

{I think it is appropriate that I'm watching a Justin Bieber concert on the Today Show this morning while composing this post}

Yesterday I went to see my cousin Stephani and her cute cute cute new baby Abilynn.  In my opinion, there is no better feeling in the world than holding a newborn in your arms.  Pure bliss.  I realized as I gave Abilynn back to her mom that in 5 months I get one of my very own- I can hold him/her whenever I want and never have to give him/her back (even though sometimes I might want to!)  I can't even begin to describe how excited I am.

Speaking of him/her, that's a big debate around here.  From the beginning Bryan has exclusively called the baby "he."  He even went so far as to introduce us at church as "his wife and his son."  I just went along with it all the while, knowing either A- we'll have a boy and he'll be super excited and think that his "positive thinking" contributed to our baby being a boy or B- we'll have a girl and he'll be super excited and realize what a pure joy girls are (and they smell much better!)  So, no matter what it is a winning situation.

My sister was best at summing up my opinion on the him/her debate (that's what sisters are for.)  She said that if I could be assured that I will eventually get a girl, it wouldn't matter to me at all if this is a boy or girl.  So true.  If I (like my Mother in Law) never get a girl we'll have a big problem on our hands.  My life would not be complete without a daughter to dress up and play with.  So, my life would be a little easier if I could rest assured knowing that I already had my girl.  But, at the same time I would be thrilled to start out with a little boy- I can't imagine anything more fun than watching Bryan and our son head out on many crazy adventures together.

Since I will be in Virginia during our baby's 20 week birthday we do not get to go in for our ultrasound until 22 weeks.  Lame.  Ever since I found this out I've been debating going to one of those crazy Utah gender check places.  It would be so fun to know what we're having when we're home with my family.  But, I'm nervous that they will get it wrong, and the only thing worse than not knowing if you're having a boy or girl is thinking you're having a girl then learning it's really a boy (or vice versa.)  And, I'm kind of opposed to paying $50 for something my insurance will pay for in just a couple weeks.  But, it is very likely that we'll give in and go find out the gender of our baby in the next week.  Wish us luck!

Weekend Update

We had a delightful Memorial Day weekend this year.  Bryan's brother Trevor and his wife Kristen came down to hang out with us.

We celebrated Kristen's 23rd Birthday

We roasted hot dogs up in the canyon 

(Bry was too hungry to stop chewing for a picture)

We went on a walk through Sundance

(as usual the random guy we asked to take our picture cut off Bryan's head)

Trevor took care of Kristen when she started misbehaving.

Hopefully we'll get to see them again soon!  I love having another girl in the family :)

And now, I think it is most ironic that just a few days after I 'retired' from a job that surrounded me with germy kids all day long I get sick.  At least I can just lay on the couch reading/watching tv/sleeping without worrying about sub plans.  And, hopefully I'll feel well enough to finish all this darn laundry tomorrow.