It's a Boy! Now for a Name...

On February 17, 2010, we learned that we were expecting a baby BOY! We were thrilled. Some women say they knew it was a boy/girl all along, but I did not really have those strong feelings about our baby's gender. So, it was kind of a surprise with the ultrasound technician said immediately she could tell it was a boy. We shared the news with family and friends right away and began preparing for him!

Next, we had to decide what we were going to name our baby boy. We created a list of first names and debated on them for a long time. We tried to decide on a boy and a girl name before we found out the gender, but that was too difficult. Brian said I approached naming our baby like I approach shopping- I will find something I like, but I still look around for hours (sometimes days or weeks) to make sure that it is the right thing to purchase for the occasion. On the other hand, he also approached naming our baby like he approaches shopping- he finds something he likes and goes ahead and makes a decision on the spot.

So, we agreed to wait to resume conversations about names until after we found out the gender. Logan was on our list of names that both Brian and I liked from the beginning. One night Brian told me that he liked the name Logan best of all, and I agreed. However, I still had to "try it out" for a few days before we shared it with anyone else. Finally, we were sure it was the perfect name for our baby boy and started telling family and friends!

The middle name was easy- we actually had it decided before the first name. Logan's middle name is going to be James after his late Great Uncle James Edgar Higdon. I always grew up hearing stories about my Uncle James, but I never got the chance to meet him. He passed away at the age of 21 in a car accident the year before I was born- in September 1980. James was the son of my grandparents, Stanley and Betty Higdon, and the brother of my mom Janet and my aunt Alice. Even though I never met James, I feel like I know him well. Every time we have family gatherings, James is brought up in one way or another. He is still missed terribly by those who loved him almost 30 years later, and we wanted to honor his memory by naming our son after him. Logan James Tucker will grow up knowing his Great Uncle James just as I have, and we are honored to have Logan named after such a great guy.

Here is James's senior picture- he graduated from Central High School in Bruceton in 1977.

Baby Showers!

Brian and I have been honored to have several baby showers to help us prepare for Logan's birth, and I wanted to share some pictures from the occasions.

Several of my Alpha Gam sisters gave me a shower on Saturday, May 22. It was at the home of Meredith McKee and was hosted by Meredith, Mitzi Palmer, and Kelly Franks. We had a great time! Here are some pictures:

The wonderful hostesses and me

The yummy cake and decorations

More cute decorations




My sister, Mom, and me

On Friday, June 4, we were given a couples' shower by Jessica & Lee Williams, Emily & Stephen Fuller, Lindsey & Justin Waugh, and Virginia Richardson. It was at the home of Lindsey & Justin. We are all big U of M Tiger athletic fans, and the hosts of this shower are all in our tailgate group for football games! We have been tailgating now for more than 4 years. You know we are all true fans when you can remain loyal after the recent seasons we have been through!

Here are some pictures from the couples' shower:

Brian and me with all of the shower hosts


We left the guys out of this one.


Brian with Logan's new "Daddy and Me" onesie



And of course, the cake!

On Saturday, June 5, my sweet sister Holly and her husband Jason hosted a Family Shower for us at their home. We were fortunate to have lots of family here for the occasion! Here are some pics from that shower:

Brian and me- I am 34 weeks along and certainly look like it!

Holly, my Mom, and me

Papa and Me

Adorable cupcakes with Logan's initials and monkeys!

The cute diaper cake and some of the yummy food.

My wonderful co-workers at the U of M gave us a shower on Thursday, May 20. Here are some pictures from that shower:

Brian and me

Some of my co-workers- we waited too late to take a picture of everyone!

Brian and me opening presents- so much fun!

Our last shower is set for this Thursday, July 1 and will be given by the ladies of my Marriage Matters class at Highpoint Church. We have been so blessed by the outpouring of love from our friends and family. Logan is a lucky little guy to have so many wonderful people around him!

We are Expecting?! How We Found Out...

The date was Friday, November 5, 2009, and we were at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA at the National Orientation Directors' Association Conference. I attend this conference for work every year, and Brian and I went to Anaheim a few days early to enjoy a mini-vacation before the conference started. You always hear that Disneyland is a magical place, and I guess it was true for us in this case!

I woke up that morning and decided I would take a home pregnancy test that I had brought on the trip. It was a cheap one from Target. Brian was still asleep, so I thought I would try to find out if we would see one (not pregnant) or two (pregnant) lines! Well... it wasn't that easy. When I took the test the negative line was very prominent, but I could see a faint positive line. I woke Brian up to get his opinion, and he thought it was definitely negative. However, I was not convinced. I looked up some information online and read about "phantom" lines and false positives and was pretty sure it was negative. However, I had to know for sure since we were going to spend the day at Disneyland on roller coasters and other rides. If I was expecting, I couldn't put my baby at risk!

So, I sent Brian down to the gift shop to see if they sold home pregnancy tests. When he came back empty handed, I took our GPS and typed in pharmacies. The nearest CVS was about 1.5 miles from the hotel. Since we did not have a car, I convinced Brian that we could walk. After some disagreement, he finally gave in. We walked 1.5 miles to the pharmacy and bought the most expensive tests they sold because Brian did not want there to be any confusion- the digital ones that actually say the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant." We then walked 1.5 miles back toward the hotel.

Brian was not in a good mood after this 3 mile walk when he was convinced the test would be negative anyway. He started complaining that he is absolutely STARVING so we agreed to stop at a restaurant right outside of Disneyland's gate for breakfast--- Tiffy's Family Restaurant.

Little did we know that this would be the place where we would find out something that would change our lives forever. We walked into the restaurant, and I told Brian that I just could not wait until we got back to the hotel to find out the results of the test. So, I went to the restroom at the restaurant and learned in just a few short seconds (much sooner than three minutes) that I was "pregnant"- at least according to the test! I will never forget seeing those words prominently displayed on the test and realizing that they applied to me. I honestly could not believe it, and I could not wait to share the news with Brian. So, I replaced the cap on the test, cleaned it off, and wrapped it in a paper towel. I returned to our booth, and Brian looked at me like I was crazy when he saw what was in my hands. He thought I was still waiting on the results to happen and could not believe I had brought the test to the table (OK... maybe it was a little gross, but I just had to let him see it!). So, I sat down and showed him the test. He examined it, looked at me, and we both had tears in our eyes.

We were extremely thrilled to learn we were expecting our first baby! Needless to say, I did not get to enjoy all of the roller coasters and other attractions at Disneyland, but we still had a great time on the trip. Now, 8 months later, we know we are expecting a boy and cannot wait to meet him. Life just couldn't be better!

A little about us...

So... I decided to be a follower and create a blog to remember milestones in our lives as we are anticipating the birth of our first baby--- Logan James Tucker. He should be here sometime in the next three weeks (or less!).

A little about his parents... Brian and I met in January 2004, and we have been pretty much inseparable ever since. We were introduced by our good friends, Mitzi and Matt, and we officially met for the first time at the Windjammer! If you have never been to the Windjammer, it is a karaoke bar that looks like it fits better in a place like Bruceton rather than Memphis. It was and still is a popular hangout for college students.

I graduated from the University of Memphis in May of that year and went onto graduate school at UT Knoxville as planned for a Master's degree in College Student Personnel. Although this was difficult for our relationship, we knew it was the right thing to do. We figured if we could stay together in a long distance relationship over the next year, we would be able to make it.

Brian continued at Crichton College and graduated in May 2005 (he considers his 5 1/2 year progression to a Bachelor's degree as a sign of his "patience"- I call it something else!). Following his graduation, Brian moved to Knoxville and we became engaged on July 6, 2005. We married on June 3, 2006 and moved back to Memphis after I was offered a job at the U of M. Brian was fortunate to work with a company at the time that allowed him to move. We love our life in Memphis! We own a house in midtown Memphis that was built in the 1940s, and it has so much character and charm. I work at the University of Memphis, and Brian works for a small medical sales company. We are very fortunate to both enjoy what we do!

Brian and I attend Highpoint Church, and we have been so blessed by the wonderful people we have met and gotten to know in church over the last few years.

Now, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby boy, Logan James Tucker. His due date is July 16th. We cannot wait to meet him and welcome him to the world!

Here are some pictures of us from one of our most memorial days so far--- our wedding day! The date was June 3, 2006. Even though it was only about four years ago, I think we look like babies. Not that we look old now- we just looked so young on our wedding day!