Laughs & Giggles

This is semi-new to Megan... she has been trying to giggle out loud now for about the past week, but tonight was the first night we actually did something over and over that she thought was funny... we had enough time for Matt to run down and get his phone to take this video of it... ENJOY... I am sure there will be more of these to come!

We've been busy!

Since Cathleen has been busy playing mommy she has asked me to update her blog for her. As you might know we have been a little busy since the last time she updated the blog and haven't had much time. Here is a recap of what has happened (sorry for it being a little long). Megan was born on the afternoon of January 15th after Cathleen was induced that morning. Her labor lasted for a few hours and went pretty well. She has decided that if we have another she will definitely be having another epidural because she felt hardly any pain once she got it. We got to bring Megan home Sunday afternoon on the 17th but before we left we were told Megan had a little Jaundice and that she would need to be put on a Bili Blanket. We had no idea what this was but if it was a blanket it must be okay. Little did we know that this "blanket" would soon turn our adorable little daughter into a glow worm 24/7. This lasted for a week and then she no longer had to have her "glowing" personality. We were glad to get that over with but then I got a phone call that started us with a whole new set of worries. Apparently one of the newborn screenings that Megan had came back saying she may of had a metabolic disorder. We had to go to a metabolic specialist and have Megan tested. We wouldn't have the results back for 2 weeks so we had to treat her as if she had it until the results came back. They thought she might have a disorder known as MCADD which means she was lacking some enzymes to break down fats. What was the treatment for this? We had to wake the poor little girl up every 3 hours to try and get her to eat as much as possible because she could die or have brain damage if she got too dehydrated. After 2 weeks of middle of the night feedings, many google searches on MCADD and many many prayers, the Lord answered our prayers and the results came back that she did not have it. Other than the worries we had, Megan did get something positive out of all of this, she gained almost 2 pounds in 2 weeks! So that is what has been going on with the Moore's for the last month. We now have a healthy 1 month old that has not only her parents but also her grand parents and uncle wrapped. So now the fun begins.

2009 is gone... 2010 is here!!!

Well, I made it to the new year! 2009 was great! From the Ice Storm of January...to finding out we were expecting in May, to Papaw retiring in December.... it has been a year to remember!

Looking back over 2009 though, all I can really remember is what it feels like to be pregnant. I love it!!! I don't know what I will do when I am not pregnant anymore! It is a great feeling when she is wiggling around in there or when I can feel her pressed up against me and I try to pick out what body parts are where. I can't believe I never had morning sickness, I really was blessed throughout my pregnancy, and have been blessed even up until the end here being on bedrest. I think it has been a blessing the last few weeks getting to rest and bond more with my husband and family while we wait on Megan to arrive! At times I feel helpless, like I am not allowed to do anything or go anywhere, but really when it comes down to it, I just want to do what is best for Megan, and if this is the best thing that I can do for her right now... that is what I am gonna do!

I go to the doctor tomorrow and can't wait to hear what she will say... I am 37 weeks now and that is the goal they were aiming for... so we will see... we may have a little girl this time tomorrow night. Or then again, we may not! Either way, 3 weeks more is not too long to have to wait I don't guess! So here is to 2010 being a great year! WE GET TO MEET OUR BABY GIRL... what is more exciting than that???

NAME!

We Have a NAME!!!

And the moment you have all been waiting for... WE HAVE A NAME! Yes, we have gone back and forth about what to name our baby girl! We've been given many suggestions, opinions and whatnot, but all in all, we have decided to go with the name that we had actually decided on before we even got pregnant! Like a year or two ago we had the baby name talk and both decided that if we ever had a baby girl, we would name her.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE.... MEGAN! So, after much deliberation, we are back to the beginning, Megan Elyse Moore it is! We have made it official today and even put it up on her wall!!! (See pictures below) We weren't actually going to decide yet, but yesterday we ended up going to Babies R' Us just to see all the cute little baby things again, and Matt decided we should go look at something on the opposite end of the store... I followed him over there and he had led me to the letters that you put on the wall to spell out baby's name or initials. By the time we had gotten over there (close to the bathrooms) I decided my bladder couldn't wait anymore, so I had to pee, I told him to pick out the letters to our name by the time I came back, just kinda jokingly, and that we would get them.... Well, I came out and he hadn't picked out the letters yet, but was still looking at them intently. So, I said, well, lets spell out our names and make a decision. So one by one he used the letters and spelled out all the names we had discussed right there on the floor at Babies R' Us... yup, and Megan won! I told him to make the decision and he decided! We both really love the name we have chosen - Megan means "Little Pearl" awww... how cute is that! And Elyse means "God's Promise or Vow To God". I can't wait for our little Megan Elyse Moore to get here! :)

31 Weeks and Birthing Classes

I've just entered the single-digit countdown (only nine more weeks to go!).

Here is what one website says about our baby at week 31!
"From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth! Other highlights this week:
Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses! By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world. Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches!"

Wow she is getting big in there! Still not settled on a name for her, but... we have 9 more weeks to decide unless she decides to make an early appearance for some reason! She seems pretty comfy in there though, so it may be a while before we get to see her. I can feel her moving around constantly now, and now it is not just kicks and jabs here and there, she actually rolls and tumbles and let me tell you it feels like she is turning my insides inside out sometimes! I am enjoying it though for the most part, except for that small issue of sleep apnea that seems to be haunting my third trimester!

Oh, I almost forgot, we went to Birthing Class for the first time this week, we were supposed to go last week but had to miss the first class because I was sick and running a fever, but we went this week and actually had fun and learned a lot! We practiced breathing and relaxation techniques to get me through some of the deepest labor pains that I may have... and Matt learned how to coach me through the pain. I don't know how well all this stuff works, but our instructor says distraction is the name of the game and the more you can distract yourself the better off you will be! I don't know that I believe all this stuff will actually work in distracting me throughout that kind of pain, but I guess at that point I will be willing to try anything!

That is my news for now... catch u later!

Baby Update!

So as you can see above I am now 27 weeks pregnant! Yay, I went and registered at Babies R Us finally, and I have officially entered my third trimester. We have only 88 more days to go! I can't wait to see her little face and hold her for the first time! Sooo exciting! Our doctor's visit last week went very well and he said everything looks perfect! They got a close look at her heart and we got to see her moving around in there again, oh yeah, and even got another "It's a Girl" confirmation! I am sure the next 88 days will just fly by. With Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and New Year's ahead, I won't even have time to think about being miserable, except of course after eating 3 plates full of Thanksgiving Dinner, or a whole tray of homemade candies! Oh well, this year I have an EXCUSE! Haha! :) Anyways, the next few months will fly by like I said, we have already scheduled Birthing Classes and it looks like they are going to be every Tuesday night for a whole month. Fun times! I thought this might be something fun for Matt and I to do together and will help relax us both when we know what to expect at the hospital since neither of us have ever had a major hospital visit, or who knows they could be a complete waste of time. We'll see. In the meantime we have her room all ready to go and Matt even added another rod and shelf in her itty bitty closet so we can continue to buy her clothes. :) We are getting ready for this girl (as much as possible anyways). But still no decision on a name. Any suggestions?

Gettin' Registered!!!

Well, it is about that time - I told myself I could wait at least until October to start thinking about putting together a baby registry! And guess what... it's October!!! We are a little over 3 and half months away from her arrival so, I am now starting to try to figure out what all we are going to need as new parents. So far our experiences at Babies R Us have been good, but overwhelming! There is sooo much stuff and it is all for babies!!!! Do we actually need all this stuff? What are the necessities and what are the best brands? I am sure the must-have items differ from mom to mom and baby to baby... but overall, what are the must-haves??? I have thought about starting to buy diapers early so we could have a small stock pile before she even gets here, but I have no idea what kind, how many, or what sizes! There is way too much to think about! So leave me comments about what all you experienced mothers think we will need! Keep in mind, it is our first so we don't have much! Although, I do have a swing, a jumperoo, a high chair, and of course her crib & furniture! Also, what kind of diapers/wipes worked best for you and why? Car seats & stroller vs. travel system? Diaper genie vs. diaper champ... and the list goes on...Help please!

Baby's Room!!!

The baby's room is finished! After searching through all the baby girl bedding that Lexington has to offer, we came back to the original bedding set that we liked before we even knew she was a she!!! We painted the walls blue... yes, blue, and the rest just kinda came together (thanks mom for helping)! We tried a sample of pink paint... but wow, it was a little too PINK!!! The blue walls compliment the brown in the bedding and curtains well, and there is still enough girlyness to go around with all the flowers! There is also a ton of red and pink throughout the bedding as you can see below! We are still planning to do some sort of custom art on the wall above her baby bed, but it will include her name and well, we haven't gotten that far yet! Here are some pics - enjoy!!! Oh... I almost forgot! I have just recently started feeling her move around in there! It is such a cool feeling! I have felt her the last three days right after lunch and last night after dinner! Good stuff!

WEEK 18: Sweet Potato

So I am in week 18 of my pregnancy today! Woohoo! Almost half way there!!! "The Bump's" weekly update says the baby is the size of a sweet potato. Awww... my little sweet potato! It also says, the baby has become amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, the baby's finally big enough that I'll be able to feel those movements soon. I still haven't felt the baby move yet, well, I am sure I have and just haven't realized it - I have felt some things, but nothing that I am certain is our little one moving around in there! Everyone says I should start feeling it regularly soon. I can't wait! When I went to the doctor last week, she was trying to hear the heartbeat and it was moving so much that she kept losing it, then it would move to the other side of my stomach and she would have to go find it again and again! She said it was VERY active at this stage. Only 2 more weeks until my BIG ultrasound! I can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or a girl! What do you think? Boy or Girl? Come on - you have a 50/50 shot at getting it right!

Also, in honor of the Sweet Potato....

Here is Mamaw Wardlow's Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe!!! I might have to fix this soon - it sounds delicious, but doesn't everything at this point!

1 can sweet potatoes

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

pecans or mar shmallows (optional)

Boil sweet potatoes with juice in pan for a few minutes. Combine sugar and butter in skillet til dissolved (over medium heat). If dry, add a little of the sweet potato juice. Put potatoes in skillet, if too dry add some more of the juice. Cook for 5-1o minutes. Put in casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Top with marshmallows or pecans! Bake until brown.

(Can add chunk pineapple (drained) during skillet stage).