Another Nikon owner here, D40.
Please don't be mislead by megapixel count, it means practically nothing, and I have had hundreds of pictures published that were taken on a camera with a mere 3.2 megapixels.
I would suggest that it would be worthwhile to visit a shop, as size and balance of an slr is important. Years ago I bought a little Pentax (pre-digital), it was a great little camera, but I ended up using my other cameras more, simply because it was too small for my hands.
There are some good deals at you local camera shop, new and s/h, always worth a look.