The First Month with Maggie Jane

Maggie Jane turned 1 month old this past Wednesday. It seems like it was just yesterday that she was born and coming home with us! Although we've had a few rough bumps on the learning curve, we have been really blessed with a great baby. Maggie has brought so much joy into our house, and we're just having fun being mommy and daddy!

When Maggie was 9 days old, she had some special visitors. The Swager family came to visit and brought dinner. It's so nice to have family close by here in Missouri. It was great to get to visit with them, and Maggie was wide awake for the entire time. Dana's cousins, Lauren and Rebecca, set up a photo-shoot with Maggie and took some photos of Maggie that are just too adorable. They are so talented! Check out the rest of their work at alookthrulaurenslens.com (check out the "Newborn" gallery for the rest of Maggie's pictures).

Dana and I are very proud of our beautiful girl and wanted to share a few of her pictures...

5 Lessons Learned from being a New Dad

#5--Never remove a diaper unless you have a backup within reach...
Ok, so this one is pretty obvious and you hear it from every new parent--BUT IT'S TRUE! Just as soon as you remove a wet or dirty diaper, the kid will squirt/leak/blast something out all over the place! Maggie got me twice within 48 hours of coming home from the hospital. All I can say is that I'm glad she's a little girl or else I'd be repainting the walls!

#4--Baby will sleep when they should be awake, and be awake when they should be asleep
So, this one is pretty obvious too. You hear this all the time, but it's so different when you experience it firsthand. Needless to say, it is frustrating. Maggie has actually been an awesome baby as far as sleeping and napping, but she has picked her nights to be rebellious, and it's usually the worst night for mommy and daddy!

#3--Concern for your child is far greater than any other human need
In a mad rush to go the hospital on a Tuesday night, I had grabbed a pb & j sandwich for dinner. 2 days later I had a turkey sandwich and fries in the hospital cafeteria. I didn't eat, sleep, or use the restroom in the time between because I was so excited and concerned for my wife and our baby. Going without those things made me realize that there would be more times in the future that I would go without for the sake of my family. I learned the valuable lesson that Dana and Maggie will always come first.


#2--You will never find your wife more attractive and more amazing than in this season of life
Dana will tell you that pregnancy made her feel and look horrible, but she has always remained the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I am so blessed to have such an amazing wife. Seeing her now with our daughter only multiplies all that I feel for her. It's an amazing process that God leads a couple through from being a dating couple to parents. At every stage of this process, we learn to love each other in a different and deeper way. I know that Maggie will be blessed in so many ways by having such an amazing mother.

#1--All the dirty diapers, crying, sleepless nights, & hospital bills are well worth it when your little girl falls asleep in your arms
It was a few days after Maggie's birth and after we were home that I finally sat down with her in my arms. I was overwhelmed in that moment with the amount of love that I had for her, and knew how much more God's love was for me. In that moment, I was speechless. There weren't really any thoughts on my mind, it was just a quiet moment that made me so aware of unconditional love. It was that moment that I will always remember. I'll forget about the lack of sleep, the smell of the diapers, and the pain that is caused by the inflated hospital bills. But I will never forget that moment.

Make Room for Maggie!

We've been eager to get started on Maggie's room. We had some paint colors and bedding picked out, so we went to work as soon as it came in. Here is the room transformation:


We weren't sure about the green as we started to paint. It looked a lot like the green that you might see on a glow-in-the-dark toy! But it matched up really well with the bedding.


Dana got in on the painting too. We kept the windows open and fan going so that the fumes didn't get to her.


Here is a view of our bedding. We thought it was full of really fun colors and prints. I bet Maggie will love it!



Here is the view from the doorway. Dana is a decorator extraordinaire! She had a great idea to paint the butterflies and make them match the bedding. Then we found the letters and painted those pink with green dots.



Here is our dresser. We found the side table and the dresser at a flea market. A little bit of paint and some new hardware...viola!




Here is the view from beside the crib. Our bedding set came with the 3 art pieces, which fit nicely above the changing table. Jo-Jo loves the new room, especially the fuzzy pink rug!

We've had a lot of fun getting Maggie's room ready. Now we're just playing the waiting game. 3 more months!!

Busy, But still Blogging!

It's been more than a month since the last post. I figured we should put in an update since A LOT has been happening. So here is what the last month looked like.

The last picture that we posted was Dana's "Baby Bump" at 15 weeks. Here is the "Baby Bump" at 20 weeks.



And 20 weeks means it's time to find out whether Baby Mo is a boy or girl. We found out two weeks ago that we're having a Girl! We had names pre-picked so Baby Mo is now Maggie Jane Morgan.

We have been spending a lot of time talking to Maggie and trying to get her to talk back to us. Last night she told us that she would love to get some presents from Babies R Us or Target. Lucky for us we registered there! (wink, wink)

*Gift cards & Cash are also accepted

The Baby Bump

Dana is finally coming out of the queasy & sick stages of early pregnancy. It got so bad that when I bought her chocolate caramels from the Candy House...she wouldn't touch them! But I bought another box of them this week, and she's having no trouble this time! We're happy that she's feeling better, and we're eagerly waiting for April to find out if this little monster is a boy or girl. She says boy, I say girl. For the world's sake, let's hope it's a girl and hope it's like her!

We're still learning what to expect from day to day, but the baby bump has made an appearance. Even if it is only slightly, we had to share a photo. So here is the baby bump at 15 weeks.


We have also purchased all the furniture for the baby's room. We went the cheaper route and found some cool stuff off craigslist and at flea-markets. I have some sanding and painting to do, but it's gonna look great! I will post some pictures of that soon!

The Love of My Life

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, my thoughts are naturally on the love of my life, Dana. Simply put, she is AMAZING! It sounds cliche but I really cannot imagine my life without her. Here are some of my favorite memories that we've shared together.

After going out on a couple of dates, we ate breakfast together at Denny's before she had to leave town. We had spent a lot of time with each other that week and were really growing on one another. I didn't want to go back to school and not have a picture to show everyone. So, we stopped at the store and bought a disposable camera. We sat in my truck before she had to leave and I filled the camera up with pictures of her and pictures of us!

Later that summer, we visited Albert Pike for a day. Dana had camped here as a kid with her family, and she loves this place. She was always telling me about it. We spent the whole day swimming, hiking, and picnicking. We will definitely go back with out kids one day.

This picture was from our first Valentine's Day together. We had been dating almost a year, and we had plans to have a dinner at a nice restaurant. As you can see, the weather did not like our plans. It snowed hard enough to cancel our dinner plans, but we spent the afternoon together playing in the snow and building a snowman in the front yard.


This picture was taking before we went to dinner at Ashley's in Downtown Little Rock for our 1 year anniversary. We had a really nice dinner, but we definitely didn't fit in with such a fancy crowd. I can still remember that night because she looked so amazing. And I was wondering how she'd put up with me for a year!

A few months later, I drove to El Dorado to ask for Dana's parents permission to ask her to marry me. I was planning on doing something elaborate later that summer and making it a really big deal. That was Saturday. At noon on Monday, I decided I was going to do it that night! I drove to Arkadelphia and surprised her with a ring. This was taken outside the chapel were we were engaged and later married. It was an amazing night. I still have to apologize to her though because it was in the middle of her finals!


13 months later, we got married in the same chapel. This was taken as we exited the church after the ceremony. For those that know me well, you can see that I've already shed the jacket and I'm unbuttoning the shirt! My wife looked amazing. When the chapel doors opened and she walked in...WOW! I can remember tearing up and realizing that I was such a blessed man.


This is us on the plane heading to the Poconos for our honeymoon. The resort was not all that the brochure made it out to be, but once again we found a way to make it fun and memorable. We found a lot of cool places to hike and visit.

This was our first "vacation". We took a trip to Atlanta and stayed in the Olympic Village (in the background). It was a really fun week to spend with her and just relax in such a cool place. I love spending time with her!

So...years later and here we are. I love my wife more than ever now, and I know that will continue to grow each day of the future. We are anticipating the newest family member to arrive in August, and I can't wait to add "wonderful mother" to the list of things I love about Dana! I never thought that someone could make me as happy as she has made me. My wife is a great friend, a great support and encourager, an inspiration to me, and she definitely is the love of my life.

Dana, I love you!

My 3 Expectations of being a “Dad”

We made the big announcement to friends and family that we have a child on the way, and then it sunk in that WE HAVE A CHILD ON THE WAY!!! It’s funny how that happens.

When the reality sank in, my mind went to work on thinking what it takes to be a great (or at least semi-good) dad. I was able to think about my dad and the other examples in my life and come up with a few goals that I could strive for. Here is what I expect of my role as “Dad”:

1. Never say, “Go ask your mother!”

Ok, I might say it whenever we get to math homework with fractions, but I will not minimize my involvement in his/her life. I want to be active and show interest in my child’s life. I want to be able to listen to their questions, thoughts, and dreams. I want to be able to show understanding when they are pondering the complex things of life like why is the sky blue, why does milk go sour, and why did Lisa Turtle never go out with Screech on Saved By the Bell!?!? We’ll probably never get an answer to the last one, but I still want to always be present and active in his/her life. I want my interest and love for my child to be a miniature example of God’s interest and love for them.

2. Remember that what I say matters, and what I do matters more

A large part of being interested in my son or daughter’s life means spending time listening to them, but my response is just as important. I hope I can always capitalize on teachable moments by speaking Biblical truth to my child. The Bible has so much to offer a child in the stages of development, so I want to be that influence that shares those truths at the appropriate times because what I say matters. Even more so, what I do matters. I hope that my child will listen to what I say. If he/she is anything like I was as a child, then he/she will be so hardheaded that most of what I say will just be a waste of breath! However, I know that two beady little eyes will closely watch every move I make. If I plan to speak truth to my child, then I better live it as well. As a dad, I want to always remember that my actions greatly influence my child.

3. Show my affection as clearly and often as possible

I want my relationship with my son or daughter to be full of affection. From the moment we found out that we would have a baby, I have had an overwhelming amount of love for him/her. I realize that the way I display my love for my child will influence the way that they show love to others. I think a dad should show his love through protecting and providing for the family. This is a huge statement for the whole family that builds trust. I also think that verbal and physical affirmations of love are very important. I want our relationship to have both. Even when the kid doesn’t want it, I will still be offering the hugs and “I love you’s!”

I’m sure that I will continue to think more and learn more over the next several months. I’m might be able to add to this list or rethink some of the thoughts. I do know that everything I say and do boils down to 1 thing—I want my child to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Reggie Joiner, founder of The ReThink Group, has such a wise quote that I’ve heard him repeat at least a dozen times, he says, “100 years from now the only thing that will matter is a person’s relationship with Jesus Christ.” I understand my role as a father in this decision for my child. I want to be a great dad so that my child will see the awesome love of the Heavenly Father that was demonstrated through His Son at the cross.

Baby Morgan

Thanks to Facebook, many of you already know that Dana and I are going to be parents! We are super excited about what is to come. And to be perfectly honest, we're a little nervous and scared too. I'm guessing that it just goes with the territory. My fears are centered on is the baby ok, is Dana ok, and will I be a good daddy. Dana's fears are centered on will the baby look like Matt, will the baby act like Matt, and what am I going to do with another Matt???? (I'm going to get in trouble for that one later!)

We were guessing that most people got the announcement on Facebook but might like to hear some of the details, so that's what we'll blog about first...

We had our first ultrasound today. All I can say is...amazing. To know that the baby is the size of an olive, and yet to be able to watch and hear the heartbeat. I think the nurse and Dana were talking to me, but I was in a complete haze just watching that little screen. Dana and I felt relief knowing that everything was well with the baby and the pregnancy was progressing as it should. So here are some of the fun stories about what has gone on so far...

Oddest Moment of the Pregnancy (So Far)
So the oddest moment definitely came from Jessica. (Congrats Jessica, you made it into the blog) Only a few days after Dana and I learned about the pregnancy, Jessica calls Dana and leaves a message. The message from Jessica says, "Dana, I had the weirdest dream last night that you were pregnant. I never remember my dreams, but I remembered this one. Is there something that you need to tell me?" HOW WEIRD IS THAT?? So Jessica was actually the first person to find out about the baby. How could we not tell "The Prophetess"! That will make a really fun story to tell throughout the pregnancy and to our child. Now if we could just get Jessica to dream that we win the lottery!!

Telling Our Family
So we decided to break the news to our families at Christmas. We framed a family photo (Dana, Me, and the dogs) for our parents. Then we gave them a duplicate frame, only instead of the picture there was a note saying that we'd give them an updated family photo in August. They immediately got the message. Everyone was excited and it made us feel special that they were so happy.

Naming the Baby
No we haven't picked a name, but when you know that there's something in there you have to start using some type of term! So Dana thinks it's a boy and I'm thinking it's a girl. Being that I think it's a girl, I've given her the name Shanequa. I looked through some name books and it was really high on the originality scale, so I picked it. I'm not sure that it will stick, but it will do for now. I'm trying to get Dana to buy into my scheme of naming the baby. I want to allow people to bid on the naming rights of our child. I think it would be a great way to pay for all the baby stuff! Dana's not to keen on the idea. We'll see who wins this one!

Serious Stuff
For those of you who were looking for the sappy stuff, here ya go! On our way home to Missouri from Christmas in Arkansas, we decided that we wanted to write a journal book to our child. So we picked one up on the way, and started the project. We're using the journal to record our thoughts and emotions as key things happen in the pregnancy and eventually the life of our child. We're undetermined when we'll pass this project on to the kid, maybe at 12, 16, or 18...who knows. What we're hoping is that whenever he/she reads it they will be able to see and understand that in every step of life, Mommy, Daddy, and God truly loved them no matter what. After hearing the heartbeat today, it makes the letter so much more real.

Well that's all for now, but you can bet there will be more to come!

My Encounter with Mike

Wow! It's hard to believe that it's been so long since we've posted anything on here! Well, not really...cause I'm sort of a flake about these sorts of things. But my New Year's Resolution is to blog at least once a week, so hold me to it!

The logical place to start would be to fill in the blanks about what's going on in our lives here in Missouri (since we left off long, long ago when we were moving into the new house!), but I will try to do that at the end of this coming week. I really wanted to blog about something different, so bear with me.

I am getting my Master's of Christian Education from Southwestern Seminary, and so I spent this past week in Fort Worth, Texas taking a class. The class is a 1-week intensive course that goes from 8:00 to 5:15 every day! Needless to say, it is tiring. But the week ended up being a pretty cool experience. Here's how it went down...

Sunday night, I arrived in Fort Worth and checked into my 5-star hotel...the Delux Inn! (No typo there, they left the "e" off on purpose!) In an effort to save money and be frugal for our family budget, I put my life on the line and stayed here...


As you can see, it had cable! You can also see the candle and bottle of Febreeze! I should mention that this was hotel #2. #1 lasted about 5 seconds because the room to the left on mine had a notice from the Health Department on the door prohibiting entrance due to "overwhelming amount of roaches". That's what was written by the Health Inspector--and I'm guessing that he's seen a lot of roaches!! Anyway, back to the week!

So I survived my sleeping arrangements and went through the first few days of class. The class was on the subject of evangelism, and one of the assignments was to share the Gospel with 4 individuals in one afternoon. To be honest, I was upset about the assignment and did not want to participate at all. It was not because I was ashamed of my salvation or afraid of sharing, but it dealt more with the issue of authenticity and follow-up. (I'll save my reservations for another post or you can ask if you're interested in knowing why I was apprehensive) I worked with another student, Daniel, and found a way to make the assignment work for me and my apprehensions, so we set out on Thursday to complete the assignment. That is when I encountered Mike.

It was freezing cold outside, so Daniel and I decided to head to the mall and see if anyone was stirring there. Upon entering, we walked past a coffee shop where a middle-aged, black man was sitting at a table with 3 duffel bags at his feet. It was immediately obvious to me that he was homeless and seeking some shelter from the freezing temperatures outside. I walked right past and continued my conversation with Daniel not thinking anything about this man. We went through the mall for almost an hour and had some good conversations with a few employees and some students who were out of school due to the ice. During all our conversations, God kept putting the face of that man on my mind. Daniel and I decided to split up for a while and just hang out in different areas, so I knew where I was going. I went back to the coffee shop, and the man was still sitting in the same place.

I walked up and introduced myself to him. His name was Mike. I told him that I was heading to the food court to get some food, and that I'd be happy to buy his meal if he wanted to walk with me. He asked why I would buy him anything so I told him that I just wanted to make sure that he knew Jesus loved him. He turned down my offer but asked me for the money instead. We had a funny discussion about why I wouldn't give him cash, but I re-extended the offer and told him that I would be waiting in the food court. I honestly thought that the conversation was over. But it wasn't.

About 10 minutes later, Mike tapped on my shoulder and said, "Can I still take you up on that offer?" Are you kidding? OF COURSE! So Mike and I walked to "Phil's Philly Cheese-Steak Stand" where he bought a $12 sandwich! If if was extra and could be squeezed on a sandwich...then he had them put it on there! As we waited, we talked. Mike was from Louisville, KY and was talking to Waco, TX in hopes of finding work. He had nothing but the bags he was carrying. He hadn't had a home for about 3 years. He had lived with a lady for a few years before leaving for the streets about a year ago. Mike and I began to talk about church, God, and sin.

Mike would tell me something that he had heard about God or thought about church, and I would share straight verses straight from the Bible. Mike was eating it up! In fact, his food was served and Mike didn't touch it because he was so involved in the conversation! Here is a man that admitted he hadn't eaten since the morning of the day before, but he was too involved in this conversation about sin and salvation to touch his food. Mike let me share about my background, my church, and eventually my testimony. Mike sat and listened to the Gospel and got really honest with me. He told me that because of his circumstances and how he had been treated, he didn't want to trust anybody, not even Jesus. We continued to talk about who God really is and all that He has done for us. I could really see Mike's wheels turning. As we finished the conversation, Mike made a statement that profoundly impacted me.

Mike thanked me for the food, but then he thanked me for sharing with him that Jesus really did love him. He actually apologized to me for not trusting Jesus to be the authority and savior in his life. He said that he wanted to do that, but he just couldn't cause he wasn't ready. Then he said, "But you made me think about it and I promise I'm gonna keep thinking about it."

In no way do I think that I did even an adequate job of describing God and what He did for us by sending Jesus to the cross. And I definitely don't share this to say "look what I did." I share this so that you might pray for Mike. I pray that God sends another Christian into his path to keep his mind on his need for Christ. I also share to remind myself and you that there are dying people all around us that have only one hope...Jesus Christ. My encounter with Mike has my mind continuously thinking, "Am I intentionally sharing the redeeming power of Jesus Christ with all that I can?"

"When we see man for what he is, the wrath of God for what it is, and the cross for what it is, then and only then do we see love for what it is." --Leon Morris