Baby Moore is a BOY!!!

Nathan and I were able to experience one of the most awesome things today!! We had an ultrasound and found out that our baby is a boy!!! We are so excited and I wanted to let all of you know so you can praying for us and baby.

We were able to get several pictures but some of them would be too embarrassing to our precious little one so just know that it is a boy! =)

This was taken before the ultrasound tech zoomed in. This is a profile - you can see his head and arm.

He's just chillin'.

The past few days have been neat as I have been able to feel the baby move. So much is going on in his little life right now - it's SO amazing!!!!

I have been very blessed through this pregnancy so far. I didn't experience morning sickness or nausea. I haven't had any food cravings or restless nights. I pray that everything continues to go smoothly...if not, it's all worth it. Thanks to those of you that have offered words of encouragement. We don't take it for granted!

Oh, and the official due date is June 16, 2009!

Meg

Christmas in Hendersonville

Since Nathan and I were in Alabama on Christmas Day, my parents decided that we would celebrate Christmas at my sister's house in Hendersonville, TN. That's halfway between here and Jackson so it worked out perfectly. Nathan and I left early this morning so we could go to church with Tiffany and Tommy. By the time we got back to their house, my parents and brother were getting there from Jackson.

Tiffany cooked and it was VERY YUMMY!!! We exchanged gifts, watched football, played Yahtzee and celebrated Sunniee's (my neice's) 7th birthday.

As was our trip to Calera, it was sooo quick but well worth it.

Jonathan and Graciee

Nanny and Sunniee (the birthday girl)

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY, SUNNIEE!! WE LOVE YOU!

Austin and Sunniee. They can't even act like they love each other - hahahaha, look at Sunniee's face.

Graciee Ann

Meg

Christmas in Calera

Nathan and I decided last Friday night that we were going to spend Christmas Day with his family in Calera, Alabama. We both had to work Christmas Eve so we left Louisville around 4:00 on Wednesday evening. It's about a six hour drive so we didn't arrive in Calera until late that night. His parents, brother and sister-in-law were all still awake so we visited with them for a while before going to bed.

We spent Christmas Day opening presents, watching movies and visiting with one another. Jeremy (Nathan's brother) made everyone pancakes - thanks, Jeremy! =) Since Nathan and I got married in April there has been a new addition to the Moore family. Jedediah is the fifth grandbaby...and so cute!!!




That afternoon we had a DELICIOUS Christmas dinner. Papa Walter and Mama Carol (Nathan's parents) took the time making a wonderful meal - thank y'all!!

We left Calera around 4:00 Christmas evening...yeah, it was a quick trip but well worth it. It was great seeing family that we hadn't seen since the wedding. Hopefully it won't be 8 1/2 months before we see you again!


Meg

Baby cousins...

My sister, Tiffany, and Tommy got married in January of this year. Nathan and I got married 9 weeks later in April. It was a pretty crazy few months - for my Mama mostly!!! =) We were each others maid/matrons of honor and loved celebrating our special days together.

This past week Tiffany called to tell me that she is PREGNANT!!! She just found out so we are thinking she is about 9 weeks behind me...I am just about 14 weeks along.

Nanny (my Mama) is so thrilled to have TWO new grandbabies on the way and Tiffany and I are excited about our "baby cousins."

It's a very exciting time!!!!





Meg

Thanksgiving Weekend 2008

Tuesday - Nathan and I left for Jackson, TN.

Wednesday - Mama took me shopping for maternity clothes (thanks, Mama)!! Later that afternnon, Nathan and I went to a couple parks in the Jackson area. It was a beautiful day so we wanted to take advantage of it. Our first stop was Chickasaw State Park.






Then, we went to Pinson Mounds which is an old Indian burial ground.

You can't really tell in this picture, but we were able to get really close to some deer which was pretty cool.

Thursday - That morning, we drove to Covington, TN with my family to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Wrights (my dad's side of the family). As always, there was LOTS of good food. It was another beautiful day in west TN so we spent most of the afternoon outside.
Nathan and I drove to Jackson in separate cars because he had to work on Friday. So, after our trip to Covington, Nathan had to head back to Louisville. =(
The rest of us stayed in Jackson to celebrate the holiday with the Gregorys (my mom's side of the family). Since we all fill up during the day, we just have snacks/desserts. As we do every year, we played Bingo. Daddy Bill is the caller and we play for prizes. It's like Dirty Santa where you can steal someone else's prize when you win. In years past kids have left crying because mean uncles (I won't mention any names) have stolen their prizes but this year was pretty calm.

Friday - Early that afternoon I went to Jonie's house to pick a few things for THE BABY!!! =) She was gracious enough to give us a baby bed and pack-n-play. It is officially time to start the baby room!!!!
Later that day my brother-in-law drove my mom, sister, neices and I around Jackson so we could do a little shopping. When we got home that night we ordered SUSHI!! I miss Sakura when I am in Louisville because I haven't found a sushi restaurant quite like it so I love going home for sushi night!

Saturday - I came back to Louisville just in time to see Phillip Fulmer coach his last game as the head coach of the Vols.

It was a great weekend!! I am definitely thankful for such a great, loving family!


Meg

Baby Update

WE HEARD BABY MOORE'S HEARTBEAT THIS MORNING! According to Nathan, it sounded like we were trying to pick up a football game on AM radio...hahahaha! We had our 11-week appointment first thing this morning and we were told everything looks good. It was GREAT to hear the little heartbeat and know that we are right on schedule with everything. We go back the Monday after Christmas for our 16-week appointment.

Right now...
Fingernails and toenails are forming
The brain is continuing to develop
Vocal cords are beginning to grow
Kidneys are beginning to function
Ears are forming completely
Facial developments are continuing
Reflexes are developing

HOW AMAZING!

Meg

Thanksgiving with the Moores

Nathan and I spent this past weekend in Nathan's hometown of Calera, AL. It was a quick trip (as it normally is) but we had a great time. We arrived in Calera late Friday night and stayed until mid-afternoon on Sunday.
Saturday was a very relaxing day which I am very thankful for. It was needed!
On Saturday evening, Nathan's parents provided a FEAST for Thanksgiving dinner. We had fried turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and more and more and more. It was so yummy (thanks Daddy Walter and Mama Carol)! =)
We were able to go to Nathan's home church on Sunday morning then we ate lunch with his parents before watching a little football and heading back to Louisville.

Oh, and I got to see Daisy!! She remembers me when I go over there which just blesses my little heart! =)


Meg

Happy Birthday, Nathan

Nathan's birthday was last Thursday (November 20th). Unlike myself, Nathan is not a big birthday party-er. In fact, I can remember his first birthday in Louisville in 2005. A group of us were hanging out at someone's apartment and Nathan decided to let people know it was his birthday...yeah, just like that! =)

The past couple years I have tried to make it special...well, in 2006 we weren't really dating so I didn't take the initiative but last year I had a little surprise get together at his favorite restaurant, Famous Dave's.

This year I had a surprise party at our apartment. Since it was a surprise, I didn't have time to make a birthday cake. So, instead, I made A MOUND of his favorite cookie (no-bake chocolate oatmeal) and put a couple candles on top! =)



He was surprised and it was a good excuse to have people over and celebrate.


Meg

CONGRATS to Cassie & Cody

This past Saturday night one of my best friends got engaged! Cassie and I met in the fall of 1998 and have been great friends ever since. Her fiance, Cody, planned a scavenger hunt around Louisville which ended in the PROPOSAL!! Afterwards, they came back to Cassie's apartment where lots of friends were there to surprise her with hugs, words of congrats and see the ring (of course)! Good luck with the plans, you two! Love you and I will do whatever to help! Looking forward to April 2009!





Meg

God is "knitting away"

I haven't been sick since the 7th grade...seriously! Yeah, that was 16 years ago! I was trying out for the Hawkins Middle School basketball team and I had to leave try-outs because I got sick. I don't even remember what it's like to be that sick. Ugh...and I don't want to be reminded!

My mom used to say, "What are you gonna do when you get pregnant and you have morning sickness?" Well, what if I don't have morning sickness?! =) Luckily, I have somehow avoided the nausea that comes with pregnancy. I have been extremely sleepy/fatigued and I have had some food "issues" (for one, I can't stand cutting up chicken), but I would much rather take naps and modify dinner recipes than stay locked up in the bathroom. Ugh.

We go back to the doctor on the 25th for an ultrasound/checkup. I am about 9 1/2 weeks pregnant and I am still so AMAZED at all that is going on. As my friend, Shawnda, says, "God is knitting away." So true and so awesome!!

• Fingers and toes are becoming distinct


• Muscles are developing enough for his/her first movements


• Ears and upper lip are forming


• Vital organs are beginning to work together

In the meantime, Nathan and I are preparing to transform our office space into the baby room. I am excited about the organization to come but I can't say that Nathan is near as excited as I am! hahahahaha!

Meg

First Ultrasound

This past Saturday morning, Nathan and I lead a volunteer group at A Woman's Choice Resource Center (http://www.awomanschoice.org/) in downtown Louisville. AWC is a non-profit organization that assists women that are abortion minded, post-abortive, or seeking counseling and/or assistance. They offer free pregnancy testing, maternity clothes and infant clothing/supplies. It's a great ministry that our church supports financially and with numerous volunteers.

Located across the street from AWC is an abortion clinic. We started our morning prayer walking and lifting up those abortion-minded women in prayer. Half of us walked the block around the center while the other half watched women walk into the abortion clinic. They prayed that those women would choose to turn around and walk across the street to AWC to seek counseling.

We spent the rest of the morning organizing the donations closet. Several people from our group brought donations so we sorted those then started on donations that had been brought in by other individuals/volunteer groups. There was SO much stuff to sort through but we did get a lot done and hopefully it was beneficial to the staff and clients at AWC.

Ok, so what does our first ultrasound have to do with this????? Well, there is a doctor that is on staff at AWC. He is actually an OBGYN, pastor, and seminary professor of mine. He happened to be in the office on Saturday. I introduced him to Nathan since they had never met before and went on to tell him that we were expecting our first baby in June. He was so excited for us and offered us an ultrasound! What a blessing!

We were able to see the "bean" which was amazing to see. It's our little miracle!

Dr. Cutrer let us know that everything looks great. In order to hear the heartbeat I am supposed to have a full bladder and it was only 1/2 full. When we go in for our ultrasound with our doctor in 3-weeks Dr. Cutrer said we will be able to see the baby and hear a really good heartbeat. It was a very encouraging experience for me just to confirm that everything is right on track!


Meg

Baby Shower and Friends

My friend, Mona, and I hosted a baby shower for our good friend, Sally. We had a great time planning, organizing and cooking. I was so excited to find out that the majority of our invite list was coming and that a lot of those people were friends from out of town that I had not seen in MONTHS! It was great to be together for this special occassion.

A baby shower with lots of food! =)

Beth and Mariah's little girl, Maddie

Baby shower games...they were drawing a baby on their paper plates and then Sally judged who had the "prettiest baby"

Ginger and Mariah

Gina and Cassie

Gannon (Mona's little boy) and Maddie (Mariah's little girl)

Gannon Dolan...what a cutie!

We all chipped in and got Sally a car seat. This is actually just an empty box that Mona had. We collected the money and we are going to let her pick out her own car seat. We just wanted her to have something to open.

Sally's "Louisville friends" - Caroline, me, Beth, Cassie, Ginger, Mariah, Sally, Mona, Gina

Sally's "UK friends" - Grace, Caroline, Kristy, Sally, Gina, Whitney, Catherine

Sally and Gina are both due in December -- how cute are they?! =)

I had a great time spending the afternoon with friends that I don't see on a regular basis. I am SO thankful for Sally's friendship and this is the least I could do to show her how much I appreciate her! Love you, Sally Wally! =)

Meg

Palin Power =)

I am glad my friends thought of me when they had an extra ticket to see Sarah Palin in Jeffersonville, IN last night! What would normally be a 20 minute drive across the river turned into a 2 1/2 hour ordeal due to all the traffic, but when you are in good company it doesn't really matter.
We got there just in time to hear Hank Williams sing his last song...yeah, we didn't miss much! =) Palin was well received by the rednecks of southern Indiana - I mean, the gracious republican hosts of southern Indiana. hahahaha! It was an interesting evening but Palin did a great job and we had a fun night. Thanks, Chris, Gilbert, Kim and Tracy!

Tracy and Kim on the way to Jeffersonville, IN

Sarah Palin...woo hoo!!! We could see her from where we were standing but she was very miniature so I took one of the screen instead

Kim, me and Tracy at the rally

Chris, Kim and Tracy showing their Palin support

This is the poster that I made in the backseat of the car while we sat in traffic...unforunately they didnt allow posters to be brought into the rally so it was pointless, really.

Meg

UT vs. Bama - I lost the bet!

Nathan is from Alabama so he is a Bama fan...yeah, one of Tennessee's biggest rivals in college football. Well, they played yesterday so we decided to make bets. If Tennessee won, he had to clean the toilet and if Alabama won, I had to clip his toenails. Note: I HATE FEET!!!!!! I guess I had too much confidence that the mighty Vols could win. After the season they have had I have NO CLUE why I agreed to the bet but oh well.
The final score 29-9 Bama!






Meg

Pregnancy Update

Nathan and I went to the doctor yesterday. We were able to meet with the doctor that will become a close friend over the next 7 1/2 months. Personally, I am VERY pleased with him and I am completely at peace about the process knowing that he will be there with us.

We found out that I am 7-weeks pregnant and due mid-June. How exciting! I will keep y'all posted as new developments occur. Luckily (knock on wood), I haven't experienced any morning sickness - just fatigued and HUNGRY! =)

WEEK 7 - The babies heart begins to beat; the brain and nervous system begin to grow rapidly; arms and legs begin to grow; facial features (including eyes) start to form. IT'S AMAZING...such a little miracle!


Meg

Baby Moore

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!! Details are still to be determined due to the craziness of birth control BUT we are way excited and we have been waiting for the confirmation to be able to tell everyone!! We think I am about 6-weeks along but we are waiting to have an ultrasound on Wednesday. I was on birth control for a few months before and after we got married and I quit taking it about two months ago. My body hasn't been "normal" since -- some of you women out there might be able to relate! =)

Anyway, we could be closer to 8-weeks but we are going to wait until Wednesday and find out. I will keep everyone posted! Yay!

Ok, now for the HUMOROUS side of this - I took the first test and was kind of in shock, "For real? Am I really pregnant?" Ok, so a few hours later (yes, you heard me right...a few hours) I took another test that was another brand, "Ok, so this might be true." Then the next day I took yet ANOTHER test..."Oh my goodness! I am PREGNANT!!" And I few days later I took the final test, "It's official and Nathan is going to kill me if I keep spending money on pregnancy tests." My doctor just laughed and said, "I think we have an affirmative." Ya think? =)

I will keep you posted but know that we are VERY excited!!


Meg

Game Day with the Girls

I have been a UT fan for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching my Daddy cheer the Tennessee Vols on with contagious enthusiasm. I don't pace from room to room like he does -- which is hilarious to watch -- but I LOVE football season and I look forward to game day every week. I am fully aware that this season has been a struggle for the mighty Volunteers but I am confident that they will redeem themselves in the years to come.

Yesterday, the Vols played Mississippi State. This is UT's homecoming so it's normally not expected to be a challenging game. To be honest, I was nervous to see if UT could pull off a victory considering they were 0-3 in SEC play (that means that they hadn't won a single game in their division - yeah, NOT OK!).

Luckily, I have a few fellow Tennessee fans here in Louisville so we decided to get together and watch the game. The game wasn't being shown on basic cable but a friend of mine has ESPN GameDay in her cable package so she got the game for free - free is always good! =) I also have a couple friends that are Mississippi natives and committed MSU fans so what a great opportunity for some clean, fun, competetive fellowship! =)

Lauren Helfenbein and Lauren Farmer...my UT buddies

Katy Ferguson and Beth White...MSU fans

Friends and rivals =)

Fighting it out before the game even began!!

Lauren and I excited to see the VOLS finally win!

Meg

HBC Fegenbush Festivities

Last night Nathan and I joined about 100+ other members of the Highview Fegenbush Music Ministry (www.highview.org) for an evening of fall festivities - BBQ dinner, pumpkin painting, hayride, carriage ride, bonfire, smores and lots of fun!

Birthday Week Part III

Birthday week was great -- I was able to have a special dinner with my wonderful husband, get gifts in the mail from family that lives too far to hand deliver them, receive phone calls and emails that reminded me of how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family and group of friends. Thanks to those of you that played a part in birthday week!

I spent the last few days of my 28th year (sounds so depressing but it's really ok...hahaha) in Michigan! Nathan and I took Friday off work and spent the weekend with great friends who went above and beyond what we expected. We are so thankful for their hospitality and friendship! THANKS, UTHE FAMILY!

Day One -

Nathan and I left Louisville on Friday morning at 5:50 - yes, I got up at 5:00am! I haven't been up that early in a LONG time. He got up even earlier than me so that he could finalize our "journey." He is quite the navigator so he had mapped out a way that would best allow us to see the fall foliage. We took the back roads/highways most of the way there and it was gorgeous!

I was really excited! I love road trips!

We arrived in Michigan later that afternoon and made our first stop at a park that was surrounded by Lake Michigan. This was GORGEOUS!! We spent about an hour to an hour and a half taking pictures, rock collecting and just enjoying the scenery.

Nathan did something VERY sweet. He is going to hate that I am bragging on him and showing this off but I thought it was very thoughtful...and creative! There were lots of pretty rocks on the shore so we decided to make a rock collection - I had lots of decorative ideas running through my head. =) Nathan had a different idea with the rocks....PRECIOUS!

After spending time at the beach we had a picnic at the park. There wasn't much to it but it saved us money...there's nothing like peanut butter and jelly, peanuts, pringles and bottled water! =)

We left Lake Michigan and headed towards Hudsonville which is where the Uthes are from. Marisa was SO KIND in allowing us to stay at her house all weekend. We went to her house, hung out for a little while then headed to dinner at Logan's.

Brennan & Nathan

Me & Marisa

After dinner we went to the mall to shop for Michigan gear. Remember those tickets I got in the mail during birthday week? Well, they were being put to good use!

Nathan, that might be a little small!

Crazy Michigan fan...

GAME FACE!

Remember, this has all happened in ONE DAY...we left Friday morning, went to Lake Michigan, had dinner at Logan's and shopped for Michigan gear. What a long day!!! We ended Day One at Marisa's house -- games and BIRTHDAY DESSERT!!!!

I have never played a game with someone that laughed so much...how fun!

CATCH PHRASE! The girls beat the boys 3 out of 4 games! Oh yeah! Way to go, Marisa and Jill!

APPLES TO APPLES...we only lasted one round of this game because Chris was no fun to play with. Hahahaha kidding.

Then came BIRTHDAY DESSERT -- birthday sundae! So yummy!

Day Two -

The Michigan game was at noon. Brennan and his family were supposed to meet someone at the stadium to get their tickets at 10:00. So, we left Hudsonville at 7:00am to make our way to Ann Arbor for the big game.

Ready for the game

Our seats were separate from the rest of the crew but we had fun cheering on the Wolverines from our side of the stadium. Unfortunately, Michigan lost to Toledo by a score of 10-13. The Toledo fans were SO excited for their big win while Michigan fans were just reminded that they were having a not-so-good season. No worries, y'all! Being a Tennessee fan, I feel your pain!

The "Big House"

Us at the game

It's not the Marching "T" but they did good! =)

The Michigan Wolverines

The Toledo fans were so excited that their team was able to defeat Michigan 13-10. The team rushed to the Toledo fan section of the stadium.

After the game Nathan had to talk football with his friend, Mike.

So, I just sat on the sidewalk and waited for everyone else to get back to the car.

Brennan was not too thrilled with the outcome of the game.

We drove back to Hudsonville after the game. Nathan and I decided to spend the evening watching the Florida vs. LSU game. We ordered take out from Famous Dave's and enjoyed a quiet evening at home. It had been a very tiring two days!

Day Three -

We got up Sunday morning -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! -- packed and went to church with Marisa and her parents.

Ready for church on our last day of vacation

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...but so sad that we had to go back to Louisville

After church we went to lunch at Arnie's which is a cute little restaurant in Richmond, Michigan. Brennan had to head back to Louisville after the game on Saturday because of his commitments at church on Sunday. Lunch was SO quiet without Brennan there. It was kind of nice! hahahahahahahaha

After lunch we walked around the park in Richmond. It was so nice!

But all good things must come to an end, right?! We left Richmond and made our way back to Louisville. Unfortunately, it took A LOT longer getting home due to heavy traffic outside Grand Rapids. But, we made it home safely and I had a GREAT BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! =)

Thank you, Nathan, for taking the time to plan our trip. You did a great job! I love you!

Meg