Merry Christmas! Love, ThePoeFam 3 1/2

 

Prouder than Proud!

About a month ago, my little man was so proud of his very first “all my myself” Q when we were eating at a restaurant in Abilene. But, that Q quickly got covered up by many other Q’s and circles and we were unable to capture his brilliant letter. Since then, he has written many Q’s, but the same story often unfolds…more Q’s, more circles, and more scribbles cover up the masterpiece. But, yesterday, after he wrote a “perfect” Q, I stopped him and took a picture before he could do much more!!! Isn’t it brilliant? This momma is proud, to say the least! …Now it’s time to work on the u, i and n! :)

Dear {end of} First Trimester,

Dear {end of} First Trimester,

Maybe I could say that we’re starting to become friends. Thankfully, you are starting to treat me better. You decide to sneak up and attack in the evenings, but my days are getting closer to normal. Granted, I’m still SUPER tired, and the “rubber band trick” is a must on MOST of my jeans, but I’ll take that over the yucky tummy!

Somehow you have given me MORE ridiculous cravings. I had very few with Quinn, so these make me laugh…

1. Still Subway….MMM MMM! I walk in, smell the familiar smell, and can hardly wait. I love the turkey with LOTS of veggies, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. And, I love to dip it in their Chipotle Ranch sauce.

2. Strawberry Soda….my love for it is BACK! I loved it with Quinn and often find myself HAVING to have it. Matt has already made special stops for me because the restaurant he grabbed food at didn't have it. What a good husband. Wanna Fanta!? I DO!

3. Whataburger’s chicken strips WITH their honey mustard…if you don’t have the honey mustard, I don’t want it! It’s SOOOO good! 4. Beer Salt…yep, you probably bought it as a kid in little packets at the convenient store. I have this bottle and pour it into my hand and lick! Between this and my growing love for pickles, I think I have my salt intake covered!

Funny, right!?

Today, we went to the doctor and they reminded me that I’m almost DONE with you! Even though I can’t imagine NOT being aware of that, it was music to my ears. Because of you, our sweet baby had a SUPER loud heartbeat and everything looked great. Other than that, the greatest news was that I have only gained 1 pound! So, I guess I won’t talk too badly about you!

So, as I experience my last week and a half with you, I ask that you’ll continue to show me mercy and keep growing that baby as perfectly as you have been! (with the help of God, of course!) …I look forward to saing cest la vie until the next time I decide to welcome you into my world again! :)

Your {almost} friend,

Brittney

Just Like Handy Manny

Despite a yucky allergy face, Q and I anxiously headed to Lowe’s on Saturday morning for our first “Build and Grow” experience. When we got there, we followed the hammering noises to the work station. The men handed us our kit and we got busy! …Quinn proudly wore his goggles as we followed instructions and hammered away! After 45 minutes, I had a very excited little guy that couldn’t wait to show off his new Treat Keeper. When he took his finished product to the desk, he got a certificate, an apron and his first patch!!! SO CUTE! He wore his apron all afternoon and continues to wear his goggles MOST of the time!!! And, he now has the PERFECT Christmas gift for Kia & Krozby. He told Kia all about it already, but hopefully she’ll forget…and I’m sure the treats in it on Christmas morning will make up for the spoiled surprise! … And, we can’t wait to go back next month. What a precious program…what a fun memory!…and, the best part!?..it was FREE!

TAAAA DAAAAAAA…. And, all of his loot…minus the goggles…because he’s wearing them! :)

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ –Acts 20:25

This year at playgroup, amidst all of the YUMMY treats, fun chatting (that has been LONG overdue…I hadn’t seen all these friends since BEFORE I found out I was preggo) and Annie’s beautiful home, we all wanted to teach our boys that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. So, instead of adding to their endless mounds of toys, we decided to give to others this Christmas. The boys NEVER missed our gift exchange and I loved that Q and I got to talk about sweet Walker and the others at the children’s hospital that we were able to shop for. …I am thankful that all of these sweet moms have a heart that want to give, and that we all want to teach our boys this important message. I think it’s rare! …So, Merry Christmas from our playgroup…and, may their little giving spirits inspire you to give as well!

 

The Golden Girls said it best…

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again

 
Your heart is true you're a pal and a confidant

I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way

My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me

and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend

If it's a car you lack
I'd surely buy you a Cadillac

Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night
I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it's hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,

Thank you for being a friend!
 

Our photographer did an amazing job at capturing our sweet playgroup…and, trust me, that’s not an easy task. With 8 two year old boys and 8 mommas, it could have been a disaster, but the evening proved to be one of my favorite playgroup memories. What a sweet friendship we and these boys share…rare, for sure! … And, crazy enough, I found out I was pregnant the morning after these pictures were taken. So, the picture of Quinn and I (which I LOVE), will forever be a priceless one. The last one we have when he was my only child. How I love him!

Quinn + Santa = BFF

Dear Santa,

I just THOUGHT I loved you last year! This year, I decided that you’re the coolest guy in the world! Seriously, you might just be my new BFF! I’ve been SUPER excited to see you this year…we see your picture on the billboard, Mommy & Daddy have talked about you for weeks, and the stories we read about you make you the nicest guy EVER. Yesterday, when I saw you, I squealed…and smiled…and was very impatient as I had to wait my turn. But, when I finally got to you, I ran into your arms, let you pick me up and put me in your lap and told you my name. Then, crazy me…told you that I wanted a teddy bear for Christmas. Sorry! I was distracted by the toy pictures next to your big chair. Thankfully, Mommy and Daddy helped me remember that I’ve been talking about a Christmas Lightening McQueen, a Christmas Doc and a race track for weeks!!! So, I’m glad you got my real wish list!!! …Then, you tickled me with your beard!!! And, OH MY GOODNESS, did that make me laugh!!! You did it over and over and were in NO hurry to see the other boys and girls in the line! Does that mean I’m at the top of the nice list!? I hope so! …Then, to top off my visit, you gave me a coloring book. I LOVE IT! After we left you, and Mommy and Daddy asked me what I told you I wanted for Christmas, I kept telling them that this book was enough!! They thought that was sweet for some reason!!! …. Anyway, I had fun with you! I talked about it all day, and can’t wait until you come to my house when I’m sleeping on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Love,Quinn

  And, in Mommy’s words!!!….

Quinn with Santa this year might have been the SWEETEST.THING.EVER! He was precious! So excited! NO FEAR! Loved every moment of it and didn’t want it to end. It kind of made me sad that we couldn’t stay longer! When it was over, he couldn't stop talking about it. How fun it was. How he got to see Santa today! And, the sweetest was when I caught him looking out the car window and asked him what he was thinkin’ about…and, he said, “I’m just thinking about Santa and how I saw him today!” Sweet love. And, the fact that he kept telling us that he didn’t need anything else for Christmas because Santa gave him that book. Mercy. I love him! The sparkle in his beautiful little eyes is truly priceless. I absolutely love living Christmas through the eyes of my little man.  It really is magical.

And, just for fun…..a little flashback…

Dear First Trimester….

Dear First Trimester,
I don’t like you very much. Granted, I am so thankful that because of you I am growing a sweet little one in my belly!!! …But, other than that, I think you’re pretty mean. You make me feel yucky MOST of the time, and the tiredness you give me is totally unexplainable. Even though you spare me from the worst part of “morning sickness,” you’re still NO FUN! …

You do have a sense of humor though! This time around you have decided to give me a poochy little belly REALLY early!? Seriously, the baby is the size of a green olive, but my tummy seems quite a bit larger than that! Is that really necessary!?

And, the food that you have me crave is quite funny too…Pickles {cliché, I know!} have been at the TOP of my list, followed by LOTS of water, fresh veggies (especially when they’re on a turkey sandwich from Subway) and milk! My mouth is watering just thinking of it all!

All in all, I know you treat others LOTS worse than you treat me, but if you could hurry up and move on your merry way, that would be FINE with me! I mean, look what you’re doing to me!!!!!…

When I saw this “death warmed over” picture of myself that Matt took of me watching Polar Express with Quinn yesterday, I knew it was time to confess that I DO NOT LIKE YOU!!! Sorry, but it’s true!

So, for now, I’ll continue to use my remedies….

 

…take naps everyday, have NO motivation…and count down until you’re gone!

Love!?,
Brittney

The First Texas Snow of the Season

On Wednesday morning, we looked out the window, and guess what we saw!?!? SNOW!!!… On the ground, on the roofs, and falling from the sky! We were shocked and Quinn was ecstatic. He kept saying, “It’s raining SNOW!” and, “YAY! It’s CHRSITMASTIME!!!” …So, we waited patiently for Daddy to get ready and FINALLY went outside to play in the pitiful amount of slush that was still left. Regardless of the lack of fluff, Quinn had TOO much fun…throwing snowballs slushballs at Daddy, Mommy and Thomas! And, our little, pitiful, Texas snow brought lots of joy!!! We’ll take what we can get!

Gotta love our Texas snow gear: jammies, rainboots and a pretty cozy jacket that got very little wear last year!…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Stick ‘em Bears!”

Months ago, Slickpaw made sure to get us tickets to the Baylor/Tech game that would be at the new Cowboy’s stadium. So, when the Friday after Thanksgiving finally arrived, we all put on our Baylor gear and headed to the game. Quinn was ready to cheer for the “Stick ‘em Bears” and we couldn’t wait to see the amazing, new stadium.

 

Obviously, the stadium did not disappoint. It was HUGE and so incredible! Even though we were in the top section, our seats were GREAT and Q loved watching everything on the “big TV!”

As the game began, Q had a thing or two to say to the Baylor Bears. He’d point his finger and tell them what to do. And, he enjoyed EVERY minute of the game…from the food, to the touchdowns, to the mascot, to the cotton candy and the tattoos…it was all so fun! Experiencing things through Quinn’s eyes really does make it so much better…his excitement and joy for the little things is so precious!   And, even though it was a bit of a nail-biter, the Baylor Bears just couldn’t pull it off. My dad said that Tech didn’t win…Baylor lost…and that was so true! I would have loved to see my Bears win, but it was fun cheering none the less. …Thanks, Slickpaw, for getting the tickets for us and making the event so much fun! What a FUN memory that we’ll never forget.

The touch…the feel…

of COTTON!
{cue Aaron Neville!}

Since Matt’s grandpa was a cotton farmer, he has so many fond, childhood memories of playing in the cotton fields. So, when we passed a cotton field on the way home from Thanksgiving, Matt spontaneously pulled over to share a little of this experience with his little man. It was so cute watching Matt tell Quinn all about his Pawpaw…and Quinn was so excited to be touching the fluffy white stuff.

Watching them was such a sweet moment and I’m so glad that we took the time to create a priceless memory.

 

   

Turkey Day

 This Thanksgiving, we had the pleasure of being houseguests at Matt’s Mimi’s house. The Broyles Family and thePoeFam have always celebrated this holiday with the Poe’s. It used to be at great-grandma Charlsie’s pink house in Winters, Texas. But, now it seems to usually take place at Mimi’s in San Angelo. And, this year, I found myself thankful for lots of things…

THIS GUY…of course!!!!…

He brings more joy to our lives than I EVER could have imagined and I am so thankful to have him blessing us with his sweet little presence every day! …

 

I found myself thankful that I’m a Mommy! …of one and one on the way! What an indescribable blessing… I found myself thankful for my husband…the one that works so hard to provide for our family so that I can do my dream job…and loves me and our son unconditionally. … I found myself thankful for the sweet little heartbeat growing inside of me…and for the practice that Matt got thanks to sweet little girl cousins!!! :) ….

I found myself thankful for family! ….Especially grandparents…and great-grandparents, too….

…and all of the things they do to entertain and make sure that my little man (and Baby Michael) are taken care of…  

….I found myself thankful for God's provision….especially food! And, Quinn agreed. As soon as “amen” was said, he announced, “I want a biscuit!” … …and Quinn LIVED In Mimi’s pantry for the 4 days we were there! He seemed to help himself and, thankfully, she didn’t mind! …

(my good little eater)…   

….And, I found myself thankful for laughter, for good times, for the fact that “I love you” and “Do you need to potty?” are the most commonly used phrases at my ‘place of work', for my home, for friends that care and encourage and for a growing relationship with my gracious Jesus Christ. And minus my first trimester yuckiness and the fact that Quinn didn’t want to sleep, It was a great Thanksgiving!!!…I am so thankful! ….          

We can only be said to be alive in

those moments when our hearts are

conscious of our treasures. 

~Thornton Wilder

“It’s not cool, it’s pretty! …” –Big Brother Quinn

On Tuesday, as we were headed out of town for Thanksgiving, we stopped off at Dr. Webster’s office so that we could see our baby for the first time. I must admit that I was a nervous wreck all day! I just wanted to see (and hear) that precious little flashing light and know that everything was ok.

So, thePoeFam3 walked up the oh so familiar stairs and waited in the oh so familiar waiting room until it was our turn. Quinn proudly sported his Big Bro T and played with Lightning McQueen as we waited.

When they called our name, first stop was the “tt” station. Gotta love peeing in a cup. Then, blood pressure, weigh-in (not too bad yet!), and into the room.

Dr. Webster laughed and said some funny things about how it didn't take us long (since I visited with her last month) and whisked us away to the sono room.

My nervousness must have been pretty obvious, because Carrie, the sono lady, even said that I wasn’t acting myself. …

But, after the lights went off, and I looked at the screen, all was well! Quinn was mesmerized and so excited to see the blob baby. Matt held him as he silently watched that little flashing heart beat. Even thought it really looked nothing like a baby, it was the sweetest moment. The heartrate was 131. (Quinn’s was VERY different!) Then, she turned on the sound (they didn’t have that with Q this early) and we got to hear that amazing sound!!! Tears. Relief. Happiness.

Dr. Webster quickly ran through all of the pregnancy dos and don'ts and gave me my “congrats, you’re pregnant” package! My due date is July 10th instead of the 11th, so I was one day further along than I had calculated! YESSS! She said that she loves it when one of her "favorites” gets pregnant again, because that means 9 months of fun! :) (I think she’s talking about Matt!! ha!)

Matt thinks the baby looks like a dragon coming out of a wall.
Quinn thinks it’s pretty, not cool! (so, it MUST be a girl!…watch the video)
And, I think he/she’s perfect!

Whew!!! I’m so happy and look forward to checking on the little one again in another month! Family of Four, here we come!!!

Team Edward

We swooned. We gasped. We got nervous. (even though we knew what was going to happen next.) We laughed. We LOVED it. New Moon did not disappoint, and I couldn’t have asked for better company. I can’t wait to see it again with my hubby! …And, we already determined that Eclipse (coming on June 30th of 2010) would be my last girls’ night before the babe arrives! I’m already counting down! …

And, honestly, what would a preggo belly look like in one of these!? I think I need one! :)

And, just for fun, I brought along these little treats for all of my friends! They helped me decide that we MUST throw a BIG party when the last movie comes out. (Look at this and other fun ideas on this site!)

Big Brother Moments: Part 1

  
While at Ross, Quinn heard a tiny baby girl crying…and said,
Quinn: Awwww! She’s so sad. She needs her big brother.
Mommy: {in awe of his cuteness} Oh really!? What would her big brother do to fix it?
Quinn: He’d play with her and make it all better. She needs her big brother.
***
As I was laying down on the playroom floor and was feeling not so great…
Quinn: Mommy, you just take a little rest.
Mommy: It’s hard work growing a baby.
Quinn: Well, I’m growing to be a big brother.

***
He melts my heart! I truly don’t know how I could love him more.