Baby Howell #3!

Soooo if you don't already know, baby Howell #3 is on the way! I'm due in late September. We are all super excited!  I thought I'd be really mad at myself if I didn't keep up with my 3rd (& final!) pregnancy here on the blog, since I did such a good job at updating through my last 2 pregnancies. Of course this baby deserves to be documented too! Now I just have to do it.
Some FAQ's:
1. YES, we do know what causes this...
2. Official due date is Sept. 25th
3. My c-section will be scheduled around 1 week before my due date
4. Parker & Charlotte are so excited & P wants a boy & C wants a girl (duh)
5. Yes, we will be finding out the gender even though we have 1 of each - we will find out in the beginning of May.
6. Parker will be 5 & Charlotte will be 3 1/2 when the baby gets here.

God is Good!

My Buddy Parker

Here are some pictures I took of our sweet, silly, happy boy, Parker - he loves the camera...such a ham!

Kiss Kiss!

Babyland General Hospital

While we were camping, we went over to Babyland General Hospital to show the kids where Cabbage Patch babies are "born"...I wanted to buy Charlotte her 1st Cabbage Patch kid, but she really wanted nothing to do with them! Oh well, hopefully she shares my love of dolls one of these days...

 The only way I can get her to look towards the camera is to tell her to "make a funny face"

 

 Standing in front of "the patch"

 Babies waiting to be born

Babyland was having a fall festival outside on the lawn, complete with a fair ride & bounce houses, here are the kids waiting to get on the swings 

Family Camping Trip 2012

The Howell Family borrowed Ace's parents pop-up camper and ventured up to Yonah Mountain, GA for some fun family-bonding a few weekends ago. Yes, this momma is brave! Charlotte's famous quote from the weekend was "Is this camping, Mommy?", which she asked at least every 30 minutes...we had talked so much about the camping trip, she just wanted to make sure that Yes, indeed, this was "camping". Charlotte did NOT sleep well the 1st night (I think she may have kept other campers awake!) but the 2nd night was much better. And as Parker says, "I'm a great camper, right Mommy?!" He was, he slept hard both nights. We did all the necessary camping stuff, cooked hot dogs over the fire, and of course, smores. 

Our campsite

Parker & his beloved flashlight 

Why are you crying, Char? Because I'm 2, that's why! 

Smores! 

 

Smores leftovers 

Playing with my new camera settings 

The leaves were just starting to change (and again, playing with my new camera) 

Last Lake Day of Summer

My Dad got a new cabin cruiser boat for playing on the lake, towards the end of the summer...this was our 1st outing out on it, on our official 'last Lake Day of summer'. I wish I had gotten a picture of the boat at the dock, I didn't realize that you can't pull a big boat up onto the sand, we had to anchor it off the shore, and I didn't want to take my camera into the water to get a picture of it.  We had the best time! We'll be back, Hoefers!

Helping Dad fish, or at least guarding the tackle box

A view of the shore - Lake Lanier, you look pretty today!

Avery's Birthday / Fun with the cousins

We went over to Birmingham in August for baby Avery's 1st Birthday - it's always so fun to get the cousins together, they always have a ball.

All the adults were told to stand (while cheering) in a line outside the garage so that AnnTatum could drive Avery out as the door opened - sort of "an announcement" of sorts for turning 1. Kids are just the cutest!

 Charlotte & Bradford hanging out

All of the cousins 

Charlotte loves her big cousin Knox! 

 The 4 Averys

Parker's 4th Birthday

Back to August, Parker turned 4! He had a "Boys Only" (except for his sister) birthday party at KangaZoom, the perfect, easyist place for a birthday party - parties at home are too much work! Happy Birthday my sweet boy!

 Parker's 1st Fishing Pole - from Dad of course

Chocolate cake...