Happy Birthday Mike!

Mike prefers to make funny faces in pictures

Today is Mike's 29th birthday! I met Mike a few days before his 21st birthday, and we started dating a few months later. That means we've been together for almost 8 years:) He's already told me he wants a big party for his 30th birthday, so I'm open to ideas.

We're going to dinner tonight at Bonefish, and hopefully we'll get away for a beach trip in the next couple of months.

We love you, Mike! Happy Birthday!

Love,

April. Bailey and Baby Reed

Thank you

Thank you all so much for your messages and prayers for Baby Reed. I LOVE seeing the voting results!! Mike and I will be ecstatic either way, but I can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. We've decided we're not going to focus on a name until we know the sex. My super laid-back husband isn't so easygoing when it comes to naming our child. I was kind-of hoping he'd just go along with my ideas, and that isn't happening:)

Just for "voting" purposes, I will give you a little more information about me and Baby Reed. The Chinese calendar says Girl. The heart beat has been in the 160's. I have only thrown up one time, but felt nauseated often. I've been drinking gallons of apple juice and orange juice (the low sugar kinds). I'm craving McDonalds nuggets, hamburgers and Arbys roast beef sandwiches. I do not feel pretty (Do people really feel pretty during pregnancy? How does one become one of these people?) I am not "showing," but I do look like I've put on a few pounds... which I have. Anyone need to change a vote?

In other news, Bailey is sick. I went to McDonalds yesterday for lunch and brought it home. They gave me 11 nuggets instead of 10, so I gave Bailey a nugget. I also gave her a few french fries. Her stomach has been very upset since yesterday. I feel badly; I felt even worse when I saw the stinky accident on the floor (her 2nd accident in 3 years... the first one was when I gave her part of a milkshake). Hopefully she will feel better soon. I decided not to share my Arby's with her tonight:)

This Saturday is Mike's 29th birthday, so we're looking forward to a fun weekend. And Baby Luke is coming home tomorrow! I can't wait to meet him and see his sweet family! Please keep the Martins in your prayers.

Exciting news...

We has some news... Bailey is going to be a big sister! No, we're not getting another dog (yet)... we're having a baby!

I'm a little over 12 weeks pregnant, and Baby Reed is due Jan. 18, 2009. We've had one ultrasound and heard the heart beat a few times (thankfully, I have a great doctor who will let me come in anytime to hear the little heart beat.) I've been feeling okay. The oddest pregnancy symptom I've had is crazy dreams... nightly. Has anyone else experienced crazy dreams during pregnancy?

We find out the sex of the baby in about 6 weeks. Most people are guessing girl, but I'm kind-of thinking boy, at least for today :) We'll be thrilled either way. Please join us in praying for a healthy baby.

10 years

I can't believe I graduated from high school 10 years ago. I've been out of college and working for six years. Mike and I have been married for over four years and together for almost eight years. Bailey will be four in September. I am 28, and Mike will be 29 in a few weeks. Crazy... but the past 10 years have been great.

All of this reflection stems from my high school reunion, which was last weekend. It was an experience. I don't think I've ever seen Mike laugh so hard in his life. Did anyone else have a self-nominated "best dressed" contest that turned into a "dance-off" at your reunion? Yes, you might need to read that question again. And no, I did not participate.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

I know my dress was too short. Unfortunately, I didn't know until my mom pointed it out once I got to Opelika and put on the dress. Oh well... it was a great excuse not to "get low" during the dance contest. If anyone has any funny reunion stories, I'd love to hear them; and I'm pretty sure I can top them.

ps- I thought I was going "Pro" blogger and ordered Adobe Photoshop Elements. It came in today, and it's not very easy to use. Does anyone have it and know how to use it?

Weddings and Cake

My cousin, Cory, got married in Atlanta this past weekend. The wedding was beautiful, and it was fun to spend time with family. Cory and Carrie are now honeymooning in Mexico, and I wish Mike and I were there too!

I realized this weekend that wedding cake is very important to me. Each time we attend a wedding, one of my first questions is, "Do you think they will have cream cheese icing on the wedding cake?" I LOVE cream cheese icing! I've been known to buy it and eat it by the spoonfuls, and I often eat the icing off multiple pieces of cake.

My wedding cake had cream cheese icing and was one of the best cakes I've ever tasted (my other all-time favorite is Nancy Patterson's strawberry cake). Many people tell us they remember our wedding cake (not my dress, not the flowers, not the band and not the food- the cake). My sister, who's 1-year anniversary is next month, had the same fabulous cake at her wedding. My mom pulled an extra piece out of the freezer this weekend, and I managed to bring it home (I think Tracy forgot it was there, but she'll get her top piece next month).

Here is a picture of the delicious cake (taken at Tracy's wedding) and some pictures from this weekend.

I also want to give a shout-out to Mike, who played golf yesterday for the first time in two years and shot a 90 (he says that is not good, but it sounds good to me.) I don't think he will wait another two years to play again!

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day! I'm very thankful to have an awesome Dad! He is the most giving and hard-working person that I've ever met, and he sets a great example for us.

Just so this won't be totally sappy, I will add that I inherited his lack of patience and his large rib cage :) I love you, Dad!

Some random happenings around here

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I really like the last post and wanted to leave it for a while. I love that it got so many comments and that so many of you agreed with me! : ) GO GOLF!!

I went to Corks and Canvas a few weeks ago with some friends. I had a great time, but I thought the painting was pretty tough! I'm not creative or artistic, so thankfully I was there with a fun group. It was dark outside when I got home, so when I showed Mike my painting he asked, "Did you really paint that? It looks good!" But then when I brought it inside to the light, he completely believed that I did it. I want to go back and paint a dog (it's coming up soon), but I think I'd be better off paying for someone with talent to go paint me a dog for me.

Our niece, Hannah, turned two on May 18th. She is so cute, smart and well-behaved! Mike and I always say that our future kids will never measure up to Hannah. Here she is on her "bike."

Won't she look cute it this litle Lilly Pulitzer dress we gave her? I found it at Costco! They had tons of them. If you have little girls, you should go get a few!

Mike will not like me posting this picture, but this is what happened a few nights ago when I asked him to clean the toilets and try not to breathe in the fumes from the toilet cleaner. He made a "mask," and I'm not sure why he's holding the Clorox wipes.