Nesting! :)

It's been a productive weekend at our house! Saturday was a day of "nesting" as Collin and Howie set up the crib for Avery. We still haven't taken down the full-sized bed in Avery's room yet, nor have we painted... but we needed to go ahead and set up the crib so that measurements could be taken for the bedding that's being made. SOooo... the crib is temporarily in the kitchen! :) HA! But since the kitchen is not currently functional (under construction) it's a good holding place for the crib until we make room for it in Avery's nursery. **This crib is EXTRA special to me because it was previously owned by my sweet cousins, Jennifer & David Mabry, and used for their 3 kiddos... Michael, Gretchen & Margaret. We LOVE the crib, Jen & David!!**

Next weekend we have Collin's family coming to visit! It is always a rare treat when ALL the 6 siblings and spouses are together in the same place and it hasn't happened since November '05 when Collin's sister, Kendra, got married! We are really looking forward to it. Some of them will be staying with us and will be our last visitors in the house with TWO guest bedrooms. Once the weekend's over we'll start the process of changing guest bedroom #2 into the nursery. I will be sad to see my favorite guest bedroom go, but it will be such fun to set it up for Avery to come home to.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers! Things seem to be rolling along normally which is always a blessing! Now that I'm in my third trimester I will be seeing the doctor every 2 weeks until I hit 36 weeks and start going EVERY week. We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and we couldn't be more excited!!... We'll keep you posted!

Baby BOOM!

Well, it seems like a landslide of pregnancies! We have so many friends announcing that they're expecting, along with other friends who are about to POP!... what an exciting time!

So far, here's the list of Avery's friends-to-be... yet to be born!

Baby Armstrong (Due NEXT week!)
Julie & Chad Armstrong
Mom and Dad are our Church Friends

Baby Arnold (Due January '07)
Lea & Donny Arnold
Mom was Steph's sorority sister, College roommate & Bridesmaid

Baby Farell (Due February '07)
Lydia & Glen Farell
Dad is Collin's long-time friend and was his Best Man in our wedding

Reid Finley Ferguson (Due September '06)
Jaime & Kyle Ferguson
Dad is Steph's long-time family friend from Austin

Baby Flanagan (Due December '06)
Kelly & Al Flanagan
Mom was Steph's sorority sister

Baby Garthoff (Due January '07)
Allison & Shane Garthoff
Dad was one of Steph's work friends

Baby Holtzman (Due September '06)
Jenifer & Zach Holtzman
Dad is Steph's long-time family friend from Austin and worked with us at Pine Cove

Baby Hook (Due October '06)
Holly & Ben Hook
Mom & Dad are Collin's family friends

Baby Killingsworth (Due March '06)
Kendra & Mark Killingsworth
Mom & Dad are our friends from Church (and long-time friends of Collin's)

Baby Levy (Due August '06)
Amanda & Brett Levy
Dad was Steph's Youth intern at Hyde Park Baptist in Austin

Baby Padgham (Due February '07)
Paige & Bryan Padgham
Dad is Steph's friend from work

Emma Kate Wells (Due August '06)
Katie & Adam Wells
Mom was Steph's sorority sister

*Elizabeth Hope "Ella" Mitchell (Already born, but she totally counts! Born May 10th, 2006)
Andrea & Joe Mitchell
Mom and Dad are our good friends

....And I'm sure there are MORE babies that we don't even know about yet!!.... Lots of little lives to pray over and look forward to! What a blessing to be surrounded by such a great support system! Time to buy stock in diapers!! :)

11 More Weeks!

I am amazed at how quickly this pregnancy has flown by!! I feel like it was only yesterday that I was 11 weeks pregnant, and now I just have 11 weeks remaining! Surreal to say the least. The good thing is that I'm going to have PLENTY to keep me busy during the next few weeks which should cause the time to pass really quickly. (Absolutely no time for sitting around twiddling my thumbs, although all I really want to do is sit and feel those precious feet, knees and elbows moving around and daydream about holding our baby girl!)

We are finally making good progress on the kitchen project! Who knows if it will be completed by the time I go into the hospital or not, but we're moving on it! Cabinets are scheduled to be completed by mid-August and then the trick will be getting everything else to fall into place after that. Hopefully it will be a smooth and seamless project... HA!! Yeah, right. Let's keep our fingers crossed that we have it done by Halloween.

Avery's room is starting to feel a little more like a nursery and less like our 2nd guest bedroom with each weekend we work on it! Still haven't set up the crib yet, but the closets and dresser drawers are organized and decked-out with baby gear and diapers! It's going to be a precious room, since "Grandmommy Ellison" will be custom-making the crib bedding! (Thank the Lord for talented Grandparents who are willing to tackle such projects!) I think it's going to be so special to lay Avery down into a bed that was sewn especially for her with love.

OH! And our office moved locations over the holiday! TBG Partners is now in Mockingbird Station instead of the West End. It was quite a chore to pack up the office and move, but it's really refreshing to be in a pristine new space and to explore new surroundings!

**Next Wednesday I go back in to the doctor and they will run the Glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. Please keep us in your prayers for that.**

Our prayers this week for Avery:
- That she will come to know Christ at an early age (II Tim. 3:15)
- That she will choose early to submit herself to God and resist evil (Psalm 97:10)
- That she will continue to grow strong and that God will strengthen the umbilical cord as her source of nourishment until she is born
- That we get good results from the Glucose test next week
- That God will continue to hold her in His hands... until we get to hold her too!

Much love--
Steph

Proud to be Poages! :)

It was a weekend of learning all about our family's history at the Poage family reunion, 2006!

Collin and I got to go West a little to the "Rocking R-K Ranch" which is the home of Collin's great Uncle and Aunt, Roy and Kay Poage. There were about 50 relatives who came to hang out, eat, play and share stories. It was such a fun and relaxing weekend.

We learned that our family comes from "strong stock" as stories were told about Collin's Granddaddy getting hit by a taxi once that proceeded to run over his head! Hugh Poage was left with literal tire tracks on his forehead, but no serious damage! Unbelieveable... only the Poages. We laughed as the group joked about how quickly the Poages fall asleep. (This may only be funny if you KNOW one of these guys because it is SO TRUE.) Poages-- including my husband-- will literally fall asleep mid-sentence, and will begin snoring just seconds after sitting or laying down. THAT'S something I hope Avery gets from her Daddy!! :)

It was such a great time and we can't wait to go back next year with Avery! She will love seeing all the animals and hearing the noises they make! (Especially Cisco, the donkey, who "hee-haws" at anyone who walks by!) Such a great family tradition...

THE PICTURES: Just a few pictures from the weekend... Most are self-explanitory, but two of them need more info. One shows us with our hosts, Roy & Kay Poage. The one of me standing infront of the water wheel was taken on our way back to Dallas where we stopped off in Brownwood for an old Ellison favorite-- Underwoods Barbeque! My family used to eat there every year on our way to Lubbock for Christmas, but it had been at least a decade since the last time I ate there. Underwoods is celebrating 60 years this year.

She's been named!

It's official! There is no longer a need to call her "Baby Girl" "Sweet P" "Princess" "Peanut" "Peanette".... She has a name!

Avery Elizabeth Poage

Avery means "Nobility" and Elizabeth means "Consecrated to God." (Elizabeth also happens to be my middle name, and a family name on both sides!) We are so excited to know the name of our baby girl and to be able to pray for her by name now. She's already got both of us wrapped around her little finger and we can't wait for the weeks to melt away until she arrives!

We're getting close the 3rd trimester, so the clock is really ticking now! If we can just get the kitchen remodel finished and Avery's room in order before September 25th we'll be doing great! Only 15 more weeks!...

More "Baby-Moon" Pictures...

Last trip before baby!

Well... I've officially had my last plane trip before Baby Girl arrives. Actually, I had a few plane trips in the past week! Here's a brief run-down of the trip we will forever refer to as the "baby-moon." (Get it?... Like Honeymoon?)

Collin & I got to fly to St. Louis, Missouri, and drove from there into Flora, Illinois, for the wedding of our good friends, Mr. & Mrs. Cameron Cushman! :) While we were in St. Louis we stopped off and took a couple of pictures at the Arch.

After a very short night back home in Dallas we hopped onto another "bird" headed for the white sandy beaches of Destin, Florida, for a week of relaxing in the sun! It was surreal to think of how drastically different our lives will be the next time we see the ocean. We'll have our little girl with us and she'll be experiencing sticky sand and salty waves for the first time in her life! What an amazing thought...

We had a blast! Believe it or not.... I'm getting BIGGER! Baby Girl is moving around a TON and she loves to show off her kicking skills for almost anyone who will lay a hand on me. She's getting stronger everyday! Her favorite "pick-me-ups" are orange juice and anything sweet! (I.E. brownies, ice cream, etc.) She kicks for quite a while after having these treats!

Love to all! More to come......
Steph

More pictures...

It's a GIRL!!!

Collin and I are SO thrilled and excited to announce that we are having a GIRL! :) We feel so blessed and cannot wait until September!

She was moving around like CRAZY and kicking those legs! She will probably be a VERY energetic baby girl, but it was so much fun to see her dancing around in there. We're not quite sure if she's a thumb-sucker or not... some of the pictures look like she is, but she may also just have her fist on her chin as if she's in deep thought. We were amazed to see her cute little face, hands and feet and just in awe of how much she's grown! It's completely unbelievable to us how we can be so in love with a little girl we've never even met.

I'm half-way through! Thank you for all the prayers so far & please continue praying for a healthy baby and a normal pregnancy. We are so excited to see what God does in the life of our precious daughter.

Still a Mystery

Each May gives me and Collin the opportunity to take a look back at the road we’ve traveled so far. It was May 16th, 1999, that we first met at a camp in Tyler, TX called Pine Cove. And although it’s the most overused cliché in the world… I honestly knew something was different about him.

It’s hard to believe that seven years have come and gone since that date and now here we are tapping our toes in anticipation of finding out if we’re expecting a baby boy or a baby girl! But in all the ups and downs over the years, one thing has always been constant in our walk together—God has been there with us. He knew that hot day in the middle of the pine trees that “Nice to meet you, Stephanie” would turn into, “Will you be my girlfriend?” and then later, “Will you be my wife?”…. And most recently, “Are you sure?... We’re having a baby?” God was always there. He knew all along the answers to each of those questions… After all, it was Him who prompted the questions from within Collin.

He knows the answer to the big question on our minds now too. (Pink or Blue?) Even though we are still left curious for another 24 hours or so, He knows this tiny being inside and He knows the exact plans for this baby. Collin and I couldn’t be more thrilled to find out the gender tomorrow, but we wait with even more excitement and eagerness to see what God has planned for the life of this little person. These things that are still a mystery to us have already passed through the heart and hands of the Lord and are set in motion. We’ve just got to be patient and wait and see! (And hopefully we’ll be able to see what we need to see tomorrow… if you know what I mean!)

Thank you all for your support and for your prayers! We can’t wait to post the “BIG” announcement as soon as we know!

Hoping for a very “un-modest” and clear view tomorrow—
Steph & Collin

Signed up for Summer School!

Collin & I are all signed up for childbirth classes!

We've got a lot to learn from relaxation technique to infant CPR and everything inbetween. Collin's even registered for "Daddy boot camp" class! I think it's great that they offer and strongly recommend that for 1st time Dads. I guess they figure that once Mom goes through labor, that's boot camp enough!

The countdown to the gender sonogram is on... Only 11 more days!!

A REAL KICK!!! :) :) :)

Baby "nudged" me pretty substantially just a little while ago and has been following up with little softer wiggles and kicks! It's been moving a TON the past few days. Right now it's dancing around in such a way that it makes me realize that I probably have a kiddo with it's DADDY'S energy level!!

It was CRAZY feeling that for the first time. I was just working along and then BLAP! It was so significant that I kind of jumped and said, "Whoa!" out loud!! Good thing my co-workers wear headphones. My hands went straight from the keyboard and mouse to belly! I still can't get a good feeling of movement from the outside, but it is just like crazy from the inside.

I'm already picking up on sleep patterns a little. It's not moving big enough to wake me at night, but it usually sleeps through the morning until about mid-morning. From 9:30-10:30 it's pretty active and then it goes back to sleep until a little after noon. It wakes up after I've eaten lunch and goes NUTS from the food... especially if I have any sugar... then back to sleep. Mid-afternoon it wakes back up for play time! Today's play time must be EXTRA fun in there because it's STILL having a ball....

I told Collin that if it's anything like him it's in there carefully calcuating exactly which organs are the "bounciest" and what angle is the best to bounce off the sides of the walls to acheive the most velocity. If it's anything like ME, it's stomping it's foot saying, "Hey lady... only a turkey sandwich today?! Where's the good stuff??? I know Granmommy gave you a chocolate Easter bunny... when can we expect to see that coming down the tube?!"

I guess maybe it's just giving me a little TGIF dance....... but either way, it sure is amazing! :)

A few new pictures!

This is a random mix covering a span of about 4 weeks... A few are from a wedding we went to, one is of our "family" standing infront of the table set for a baby shower I hosted for my friend, Andrea, the night before the shower, and then some are just "watch me grow" pictures.

Just for fun! :)

"Welcome to Homeownership!"

That's a phrase we've been hearing a lot lately...

I'll cut to the chase, since most of you probably won't read through this but will just look at the pictures, and I can't blame you! :) The good news is the house is still standing! The bad news is... we've got issues.

Kitchen issues: A faulty dishwasher can cause a lot of problems. Ours leaked over a period of time causing the wood floor to need to be replaced, but once we ripped up the flooring we noticed significant damage to the cabinetry as well. SURPRISE Kitchen remodel! What a joy.....

Tree issue: TIMBER!! Our tree is giving out limb by limb. At about 11:30pm the night before Good Friday, a good portion of the tree in front decided to come crashing down. We didn't notice until morning and Collin spent his day off work outside with a chainsaw. Thankfully, he completed the job without any major injuries and he had the help of a very kind neighbor!

All of this was bound to happen anyway, so I guess we're glad it's happening now! It gives all our friends and family ample time to get their "Welcome to homeownership" quotes in before they're having to say, "Welcome to parenthood!"

16th Week Doctor's Appointment

Collin & I just got back from the doctor and everything looks good! I've just completed my 16th week and things seem to be rolling along like normal.

They drew some blood to test for chromosomal abnormalities and spina bifida. Please be in prayer with us that these results come back normal. But the FUN part was that we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again!! It's incredible to hear that sound... It was very strong at first and then the baby must have moved. We spent the next few minutes chasing it around my tummy trying to get a clear sound again. We heard it only a few more times, but I think the baby was trying to play "hide and seek" with us or something. (Sneaky little kid!! We may have a SWIMMER on our hands!) The heart is beating about 145-150 beats per minute and sounds amazing!

We go back on FRIDAY, MAY 12th to find out if we're having a BOY or a GIRL!! You can be SURE we will be posting that announcement as soon as we get access to the computer after the sonogram!

I'm feeling well & finding myself getting hungry a little more often. (I like to tell Collin that the baby is yanking on the umbilical cord saying, "More food!") Every now and then I feel a little bit of fluttering/movement from the baby, but nothing tremendously significant quite yet. The doctor said that I will start feeling "thumps" in about a month.

We'll be spending the Easter weekend with The Ellisons (and the Bossens) so I'll be posting new pictures of all of that when we get back!

Happy Easter to everyone!!

Who will "Peanut" look like?

Just for fun... Here are baby pictures of Me and of Collin to help predict what the next generation of "us" might be like. (Just a guess... but I think chubby cheeks are probably a given.) By the way... that's a very pretty daisy swing you're in, Collin! :)

Starting to Show! :)

I know I'm still just a "Mom in training" at this point, but I've already learned a LOT! Lesson 1: A MAN created high heels... but a very smart pregnant woman created MATERNITY PANTS! These things are SO comfortable, I don't know why women everywhere (pregnant or not) don't live in them! Who wouldn't want an elastic waistband if given the option?! I'm loving my new wardrobe... now I just need a bigger belly to hold up these Mommy-pants! But I'm working on that everyday, and my 7 1/2 month pregnant friend, Andrea, would advise me not to wish for a big belly too soon because it IS coming and I'll wish that I could occasionally take it off like coming out of a fat suit or something.

But for now, it's fun to document the belly in it's small stages. This first picture documenting the "baby bump" was taken at 12 weeks on St. Patrick's Day.

I'll keep posting pictures so everyone can watch me grow!... but hopefully not TOO much! :)

The Fellowship Class Stork

Collin & I had a hard time keeping the news quiet after seeing the baby's heartbeat. We are blessed to be a part of such an incredible group of young marrieds in our connection class at church, and it was too much for us to stand to keep this a secret from them for long! The class has a traditional way of announcing pregnancies with a visit from the Stork! And since the Stork is actually the Director in disguise... Dad IS the Stork in our case!

The class was really surprised (with the exception of a few... okay maybe five... that I had already spilled the beans to) and were VERY excited for us. They prayed a special prayer of blessings over our growing baby and gave us many hugs!

We're having a BABY!!

On January 21st, a pink line on a very important "test" changed our lives forever. It wasn't until February 6th that we had our suspicions confirmed through sonogram, and got to see the littlest heart beating on the screen... at just 6 weeks... telling us for SURE that our first child is on it's way!

The next few weeks seemed to drag as the fatigue and morning sickness set in. To add obstacles to the fun of sudden nausea at work, my desk happens to be one of the farthest in the office from the Women's restroom, and it requires a key to get in. My co-workers got used to my sudden sprints to the restroom and seemed to have fun telling me that I looked "green." But fortunately that only lasted for about 4 or 5 weeks, and now that I'm in the 2nd trimester things are really looking up!

I am at 14 weeks and 5 days... and counting! We have just about 5 weeks to wait until our next sonogram where (if Peanut cooperates) we will be able to find out the gender of our little one! We have no names picked out yet, and will probably wait to see what's coming before playing the "name game," but we feel so blessed and excited to be starting this journey.

We'll keep you posted!