Pictures From the Hospital...

Here is mommy sleeping like a baby...well, better than a baby. We now know that babies don't exactly sleep peacefully...nor for very long. I love sleeping on my stomach and was glad to be able to do it again...so comfy.

Mommy and baby sleeping. Awww!


Mommy got tired of being in the bed so daddy took it over for a little while.

She is so precious!


Cute sad face. Great smile!

Here's our first family picture. Where's Marlayna (you know like Where's Waldo.)

Are you my mother?

Marlayna is getting ready to leave the hospital. Her premie outfit was too big!

Aunt Julie holding the dressed and ready Marlayna...ready to venture out of her second home...first home, mommy's womb...second home, the hospital.

All strapped in.

On our way to the car.

I was so glad to get out of that hospital room!

So was Nathan!

Happy parents and baby in back.

We are a happy family!

Marlayna Joy

Marlayna Joy Freitas was born on April 10th at 1:17 p.m. She weighed 5 lbs and 12 oz. and measured 17 and 1/2 inch long.

Labor pretty much began at 4:45 a.m. and lasted until 1:17 p.m. just over eight hours. Not exactly a picnic for any of us. especially being up for 36 hours with a brief nap between. Becky had to overcome vomiting and numbness before she could enjoy her baby girl. Marlayna had lungs that didn't want to work just yet and needed help from a machine to blow air into her lungs. Nathan had feet that felt like they walked through disney land ten times and starvation because he didn't want to miss a thing. Right now we are enjoying the calm before the real life begins.

Marlayna is named after a girl I met on my mission in Montana. My first area was Billings and my trainer and I were the missionaries in a family ward and a single adult ward.

Marlayna Arcile Wiley was a ward missionary in the single adult ward. She was one of the best ward missionaries of my mission. She is one of those people who I met and instantly loved. Not only was she a devoted single adult ward missionary (which is super rare) she is absolutely devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She is funny and witty. She makes friends with everyone and she keeps them! She never says anything negative or cruel about anyone else. She is true! She has been and continues to be a great example to me. Before I finished my mission Marlayna was sent to the Maryland Boston mission! She is now studying at BYU-I.

Serving a mission was a great time in my life. I loved it. Many many many people have impacted my life, but I really REALLY like Marlayna's name and since she has impacted my life by her good example and she happens to be from my mission too, we named our daughter after her.

Marlayna Joy's middle name comes from my Grandmother on my mom's side. She was a great woman! She was killed in a car accident when I was 5 but, I do have memories of her! She would play hide and seek with us and always gave us wonderful hugs! She always seemed happy, a true reflection of her name...Joy!

Growing up in San Jose where my mother was raised was cool! Especially when people who knew my grandmother would tell me things about her! Everyone loved her! She was a very service oriented woman. She devotedly served in many callings of the church. One calling I know she had was the Nature Lady at girl's camp. They called her Madame Butterfly. Isn't that cool!!!

Well, that's pretty much the story on Marlayna Joy's name. She already has a number of nicknames.

I like to call her Marlayna or Mara.

Nathan likes to call her M.J. (her initials and the heroine's name on Spiderman =-)

Julie my sister likes to call her Marley...and sometimes even calls her Bob (because of Bob Marley)

My mom likes to call her Layna.

I don't know if one sweet little girl could have more nicknames.

I am trying to post this at the hospital but I am unable to load any pictures. You will have to wait until I get home.

We finally managed to get a few pictures up. More will be coming so be patient.

One of the few pictures we have of Marlayna. She doesn't open her eyes too often yet so this one is a little blurry but you can still see how beautiful she is.Becky enjoying her new role as a mother!
Nathan trying to look comfortable in his new role as a father.

To garden or not to...

Because Becky keeps getting threatening memos about not posting lately, she has taken it out on me, the farmer, to post. At this time Becky is currently doing a training on conference weekend or she would be doing this.

The topic I have been assignend to brag about as these spots should be called is our attempt at gardening this year. Last week, which would be the 29th of March, I could not refrain from trying out the new Mantis tiller that Becky's parents have bought. It made gardening so much easier for me. Now I just need to convince some people that weeding is not neccessary beforehand but we still had fun. We planted a lot of peas (yuck!) and also did an herb garden of a sorts. with popsicle sticks to label the different herbs. We had to eat four popsicles each that day just to have enough popsicle sticks.





Even though it was a lot of hard work, we had a lot of fun. I don't know why it was fun because it was work! But the real kicker is after a nice productive spring day in the garden on a Saturday nature decides to drown out the happiness with a couple of inches of snow the next day.

The snow has finally cleared off. This week we are going to venture out again with hopes of planting raspberry bushes. They are not blackberries but I guess a farmer has start somewhere.

How To Lose Your Husband....

Well, I have been thinking that I want a new camera, but we really don't have the money. Who does!?!?! Honestly! I wanted one because I want to be able to video our new baby, when she comes. Then I remembered that my current digital camera can do video clips!!! Perfect!!! Problem solved.

I found the button that does the video clips and we had to test it out.

We will practice to to get more cinema savvy before the baby comes. And I'm a little camera shy...especially video camera shy. This video does not do this little dance justice. So, I if you see me and want to see the cute little hip shaking tummy rub dance in person...just ask!!! It's funny! But, very much like something one might do to repell others.

I Like Change....Change is good.

Ok, I know posting a blog doesn’t take very much time, especially a blog with few or no pictures but, I honestly have had NO TIME!!!

Work has gotten MUCH busier with my new responsibilities, which I am so grateful for. They just hired a new guy, whom I’ve been helping train that will take over all my responsibilities while I go on maternity leave. Then he goes off to law school in July or August…just in time for me to return to work and take back my responsibilities. Perfect!!!

So, my plan is to try and post every Saturday. I know that’s just once a week…not the every four days that Julie the Blog Czar demands, but that is the best I can strive for, at this time.

This blog is generally about work but, mostly it's about change and how change is good. There have been A LOT of changes at work. One change I can talk about without having to kill anyone when I’m done (I work with a lot of top secret information) is the topic of moving. Yes, our whole department moved. We were in this area:

Lots of windows, nice big 1 acre plots, big desk tops and three drawers, low cubicle walls so we could still see each other and talk to each other, etc.

This is my old lonely desk and those two gems are my co-workers who miss me so much!!! (They are in a different department now, SO many changes!) Lindsey is my deskmate!!! I miss her so! I put her stapler in jell-o once (there is a blog about it somewhere, still gotta post the pictures, someday)…it was a disaster…That reminds me, I gotta try that again!

This is Lindsey's desk. Since the move was kinda sudden and I didn't have my camera, I didn't get a picture of my desk before it all got moved. So, this is much like what my desk looked like.

ANYWAY.

This is our new cave. (no windows)

And this is my new desk…

Yes, 1/3 of the size of my old desk, only two drawers, much higher cubicle walls.

Ok, honestly, the move was not so bad. And I actually like the cave. I had my apprehensions but, I’m keeping a positive attitude and I think that has made all the difference.

No windows- Yea right!!! I can have any VIEW I want!!!

Breath taking!!! Right?

Or

YES!!! This is an actual “view” from MY “window!”

This one is my favorite!

I love the ocean and the beach! Look at the sky!!!

Going from one acre to a third of an acre is not so bad either. When I took the picture of my cubicle above, I was just settling in and now it’s much more organized and efficient. I think a smaller space will help all of us stay more organized.

Another thing I like is that our whole department is in that room. No more background noise of customer service and collections! Changes occur pretty fast at my job and it will be nice to all be in one location where our manager can say, “Hey everyone! We gotta change this or that” And we’re all there to hear it and get it from the horses’ mouth.

Change is good, especially when you focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative.

Funny New Word...

So, I'm at work and two of my co-workers are standing around my cubicle talking to me about various work topics. One of them started reading "My Goals" (which I just set with my awesome new supervisor and hung up as a reminder) and I tried to cover them up and say, "This may be up in my cubicle but, it's not for public reading!" But, all I said was, "This may be up in my publicle." (I mixed Public and Cubicle and made Publicle!!! Who does that!?!?!?) Then I just started laughing really hard. The other two didn't hear what I said because the conversation was so random and the topics were coming and going so fast. But, the girl noticed I was laughing and wanted to know why. I explained later after the male co-worker (the one trying to read my goals, rude!) left. When I explained she laughed really hard too!

Maybe you had to be there.

I laughed SO hard the whole time I typed this...and I think everytime I think of that new word I will laugh so hard. The hard part about this new word...when will I ever use it again. Hopefully never!!!

I Found The Sleeve Only Guy!!!!

Back on the 13th I mentioned in my post that I have hot flashes...but, they are weird and that my arms and feet will be freezing but the core of my body is burning up! I also referenced a certain article of clothing that would be perfect for this situation and saw it on School of Rock...but, couldn't find a picture of the said article of clothing. Well....my husband found the picture! I'm sorry for how icky this guy looks (I tried to edit the picture to cover his torso, but I'm not savvy enough, sorry)...but, it's that thing he is wearing on his arms I'm interested in.

Honestly! That thing would be perfect for me! It doesn't have to be made of leather and I promise to wear all my normal clothes under it. I should try to make this and market it as a Hot Flash Jacket for Pregnant women!

From Blog on the 13th -

"I have decided I need a hot flash "jacket"an article of clothing that is the opposite of a vest.I found the perfect one....it's on the movie School of Rock. It's at the end and one of the guys in the band that wins the battle of the bands is wearing it. Unfortunately, that is all he is wearing on his top. But, really it's just sleeves...that's what I need. I tried REALLY hard to find a picture of this guy. He is totally hittinng on Joan Cusack in the end....he's really hard to miss...he looks and acts ridiculous. By the way...I love that Joan Cusack! I'll keep trying to get a picture of the sleeve guy."